Recognize your voice: Okay, this isn't Star Trek (you'll probably feel
more like Captain Dork than Captain Kirk while talking to your PDA) but
you've got to admit it's a cool idea. Several application programs, for
both laptops and PDAs, will get you an answer to the salutation
"Computer . . ." (even if you don't want to do it too often in public).
Get directions to your destination: Some PDAs (like those built by
Garmin) are GPS-mapping devices first and foremost; most others can be
easily adapted for GPS capability, a wide variety of mapping applications
are available for both Palm and Windows Mobile platforms.
Play games and download music and video: Your PDA can do double
duty as a miniature entertainment center. In addition to tons of games,
you can use software applications to listen to favorite tunes, watch TV,
and show movies. Get ready to squint, though. Those tiny screens won't
provide you with an experience anything like you can get with a PC.
Store and sort business and personal info: This is where the PIM func-
tion of a PDA really shines. I've always carried a little black book (well,
actually the cover had a "Marvin the Martian" theme) with phone
numbers, addresses, and driving directions; a PDA makes it no longer
necessary.
If you've decided, for whatever reason, that a PDA sounds like the answer to
your prayers, then carefully consider the ideas covered in the following sec-
tions as you begin shopping for the perfect PDA.
Deciding on an operating system
The operating system (OS) you choose will, to some extent, determine the
brand of handheld device you choose. For some obscure reason, those PDAs
that use the Palm OS are known by the generic term PDA while a device
designed to use the Windows Mobile OS is called a Pocket PC. These two
operating platforms dominate the market. There are others, like BlackBerry
and Symbian, but they're largely utilized by the makers of a variation on the
PDA known colloquially as the smartphone.
As you might expect, PDAs manufactured by Palm use the Palm OS -- but so
do those made by Sony and Garmin. Pocket PCs, using the Windows Mobile
2003SE (or the latest iteration, Windows Mobile 5.0) OS are manufactured by
Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP and Toshiba, among others.
You might think I'm going to recommend one of these operating systems. You
might be wrong. For good reason -- each operating system has a vast follow-
ing of fiercely loyal fans. Okay, I wasn't overly impressed with the early itera-
tions of the Windows Mobile OS, but the two newer versions (2003SE and 5.0)
are both strong competition for the Palm OS.
Chapter 3: Gearing Up
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