What PDA to buy?

[timgoff]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a PDA, got around £500 to spend ($800?).

Someone has suggested the Jornada range is superior to Ipaq's.

Has anybody any suggestions?

Thanks
Tim

[usafcello]

I reccomend Intermec 6651

www.cewindows.net/reviews/intermec6651.htm

if it is something to put in your pocket you are looking for, this is definetly not it.

[bubbachuck]

Since you did not mention your needs you want the PDA to address or your level of experience with a PDA lets start with the basics.

If all you want is to carry a calender and address book and maybe take a few notes then I would recommend a unit running the Palm OS. There are several brands of PDAs that offer the Palm OS. i.e. Sony, Handspring and of course Palm to name a few.

If your needs are accessing word and excel files, maybe surfing the internet, accessing a LAN, playing MP3's and more then a PDA running the Microsoft Pocket PC OS is my recommendation even though you can do all the above on Palm OS. It just seems natural to do it on windows.

Whatever OS you choose, you need to do your home work and research each brands features and benefits and decide which are important to you. Also you need to decide if you want a clam shell design with a built in keyboard, these models tend to be a little bulkier and heavier than the models using handwriting recognition. You can also purchase keyboards that fold up for easy storage if keyboard imput is important but size and weight are #1 & 2 on the list.

Here is an example of a feature that you may want to consider, one model PDA may offer a Compact Flash memory slot while another may only offer a Secure Digital memory slot. The benefit? It is easier and cheaper to upgrade/expand using Compact Flash accessories. i.e. LAN card, 56k modem, Bluetooth, etc.

Again this expandability is only important if this is the need you are trying to fill. A palm PDA with 8 meg of ram will hold years worth of appointments and thousands of names and addresses. With technology moving as fast as it is, will you still use/own this PDA 3 years from now?

One last word of advice, check out the various manufacturers websites to see what accessories they offer and for what models. Sure you can buy one brand PDA that is a great unit but compared to another, the amount of accessories available may blow away the other even though both run the same OS. Remember this is only important if the accessories fits your needs.

[eumatthe]

Jim, I agree with Bubbachuck in that you do need to do a bit more background homework before you commit.

You should also consider whether you intend to DO work on your PDA or HAVE work on your PDA. Many professionals use thier PDA's as a sort of electronic briefcase, carrying information to and from the office - to and from business meetings and while traveling. If you only intend to use as a calendar and an electronic briefcase then, you need only be focused on what sort of information you intend to transfer back and forth.

Assuming your industry supports PDA use, you should consider what technology is already available within your industry which complements PDA use. For example, in the photography industry there are a number of programs, applications and hardware which will transfer photographs to and from PDA's. In the medical field, there are a number of programs and hardware which contain medical and health care related information and diagnostics. In the music industry MP3 seems to be making a huge presence in the marketplace, and there are a number of PDAs that support MP3 players either through integral (built-in) hardware or modular (add-on) hardware.

If you need some ideas as to additional practicality of PDA's let me suggest you visit http://www.memoware.com where you will find thousands of articles and information in the Palm-Related section.

Cheers;)

[macmetal666]

You may even want to look into the next gen smartphones w/palm os...thay include the modem/pda and the phone in one nifty little package,
i use the samsung i500 and i300 and for the price they cant be beat.
the i300 is only $199 ( you will pay more for a palm and a modem, around $399 , seperatly)

as for spending all of your $$$ wait.
better units come out every month and you will get your $$$ worth by buying a less expensive unit.
if you dont need the bells and wistles try the zire palm os $99 usd and upgrade from that. this is the best way to "test drive"