This is a summary of some of the information that Steve covered in his interviews with Trish & Halli on their radio show, from November, 2002 to February, 2003.
PDA stands for Personal Digital Assistant. A PDA is a small, handheld, electronic device that can help you schedule time, organize contact information, record and share information, organize tasks, and myriad other activities.
In simple terms, a PDA is a handheld, special-purpose computer device.
NO! If you do not plan, organize, or schedule, a PDA may not be for you. Some people plan, organize, and schedule, and do many other things using paper-based systems like Day-Timer or FranklinCovey. If these people are technophobes or prefer using pen & paper, then a PDA may not be for them either. If you don't own a personal computer, a PDA may not be for you.
However, if you want to become more organized, or you would like a planner that will beep one week before your anniversary every year, or you would like to download notes from your PC to your planner, or if you have just transcribed your address list for the third time, then a PDA may just be your ticket to a more productive lifestyle.
Most of the PDA market is divided between two major camps, PalmOS and PocketPC. EPOC/Symbian OS devices are big in Europe, and there are some other devices using the Linux OS and others, but we will concentrate here on the main two US camps.
PalmOS is the operating system for devices produced by Palm, Inc., Handspring, Sony, and others. PalmOS is an operating system designed specifically for PDA use. It is based on a model where most things are either a program (.prc) or a database (.pdb). PalmOS works differently than any other OS with which I am familiar, but it is easy to use.
A device that runs PalmOS ("a Palm device") may appeal more to folks who are looking for an electronic planner. However, the range of applications is endless, and Palm devices can now show PowerPoint slide shows and read Word files.
PocketPC is the third incarnation of Microsoft's WindowsCE operating system, used on PDA's produced by Compaq, Casio, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard, and others. PocketPC is a lightweight version of the larger Windows operating system that you might use on your PC at home.
A PocketPC device finds a good home with someone who needs a planner but also wants some basic PC functionality in his/her palm.
PocketPC's also have the most rockin' games. But if you are after a handheld gaming platform, I recommend the GameBoy Advance.
PocketPC's have higher screen resolution and more general PC capabilities.
In general, Palm Devices are less expensive, and they have longer battery life.
Choosing between the PocketPC and PalmOS platforms can be difficult if you don't already have a preference. My best advice is to speak with people who use and like them both.
If you think you would like a Palm device but don't know how to select it, here are some questions to ask yourself:
One very helpful tool to help decide is the Compare & Select page at Palm.com.
Once you have selected the exact model that you think will be right for you, go to a price comparison service like one of the following:
Plug in the model number, and sort the results by price. Now you know the best online price.
Take your online price information with you, and check local retailers to see if their prices are comparable.
If you have some time, watch for local and online sales at the vendors you have identified for a while. If not, then decide between the local and online vendors based on the price information you have gathered. You may wish to ask the local retailer if he will math the online price.
Simply put, a local retailer's price (including tax) should be compared with with an online retailer's price (including shipping). If you are unsure if an online retailer is trustworthy, find an Internet-savvy friend to counsel you.
If the prices are the same, I vote for the local guy!
The Palm world has a language of its own, but anyone can learn it, and it is a small set of words. Many glossaries are out there, like these at www.epinions.com. Some of the words have to do with the hardware, or things you can see when you turn it on:
Many people think that Palm Devices "read handwriting." This is not altogether true. Although the devices won't adapt to your handwriting style, most people can easily adapt their handwriting style for the Palm device to recognize it.
This is accomplished by the use of a writing system called "Graffiti." Using Graffiti is pretty simple, and fairly intuitive for most people. Each letter is represented by a pattern that is drawn in a special area of the Palm screen using a special pencil called a stylus. The Graffiti patterns for letters and numbers are shown in the image below on the left. The dot in the pattern represents the starting point.
No. You can tap your stylus on a built-in typewriter screen (shown in the image below at right), enter data at your PC keyboard, or use one of many available keyboard accessories.
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This is the means by which files and information are synchronized between your computer.
When you purchase a Palm device or other handheld PDA, it comes with some software that you run on your PC (or Mac). In the case of a Palm device, this software is called Palm Desktop. Data can be loaded into your Palm directly, or via the desktop.
Your PDA will also come with some hardware to connect to your computer. This is usually a hot sync "cradle." Once your desktop software and cradle are installed, the hot sync operation is as simple as placing the PDA in the cradle, and then pushing a button on the cradle.
Each time you hot sync, new items on the handheld are copied to the desktop, and new items on the desktop are transferred to the handheld. This can be very handy. For example, information can be cut from the word processor on your PC, pasted into a new memo on the desktop, then hot synced onto the Palm device.
You should hot sync often to keep a current backup copy of all your data.
Palm software is readily available. Much of it is free, but many applications must be purchased. Here are a couple of the many places to look:
This ended up to be a long answer, you may view a copy of it here.
This revision of the summary was produced after the February show took place. If you think I have missed something that should have been added, please send me a note. -Steve