Buyers' Guide: PDAs

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A PDA, or personal digital assistant, is essentially a handheld computer. The PDA market is not as clear cut as it once was, as newer devices with voice capabilities have now arrived. For our purposes, handhelds do not include smartphones.

There are two main types of devices: those that run the Palm operating system and those that run Pocket PC from Microsoft. Both have their advantages, but if you want familiarity, go with a Pocket PC-based device, since it will run versions of common Microsoft applications.

If you plan to write a lot, consider a model with a keyboard. Otherwise, go for a
pen-based device which is typically half the price and offers an on-screen keyboard or has handwriting recognition features.

Most PDAs use memory for storage, so look for a device with 64MB or more, if possible. Storage can be boosted using flash memory cards in the SD card slot. Newer devices now have tiny hard disk drives with capacities of up to 4GB.

Most PDAs come with colour screens for viewing photos and media files. If watching video is a priority, go for one with the highest screen resolution. For the best in connectivity, opt for a model with in-built Bluetooth and wireless networking or Wifi technology.

Recommended PDAs:

Dell Axim X50v
A good PDA, with a great VGA-resolution screen, which is perfect for multimedia use
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Asus My Pal A730W
A fully-loaded Pocket PC, with a large set of utilities at a reasonable price
Read review >

Palm Tungsten T5
Another sterling Tungsten upgrade with great new features, let down only by having no Wifi
Read review >
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HP Ipaq RX3715 MMC
A fantastic Pocket PC with some great features, but the camera’s viewfinder could be better
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Palmone Zire 72
Provided you don’t mind the styling, the Zire 72 is a cheap, yet powerful PDA
Read review >
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