perform synchronization. Most applications, for example, must first be
downloaded to a PC and then synchronized (synced) to your handheld.
The display screen: Because the screen is the largest single feature on
any handheld device, it makes sense to consider it carefully:
· Size: Be certain that the size of the screen isn't going to cause you
to strain your eyes while reading e-mail, browsing the Web, playing
games, and so on.
· View: Many older PDAs and Pocket PCs operated only in what's
known as a portrait view (long side vertical), but sometimes brows-
ing the Web, playing games, viewing photos, or watching video can
be more enjoyable with a landscape view (long side horizontal).
Shop for a device that can offer both views.
· Color of the display: Most handheld devices made these days
have a color display, but some lower-cost units still employ a
monochrome screen (fine for PIM and e-mail but that's about it).
· Resolution: The higher the screen resolution, the better the view-
ing experience. PDAs can be found with resolutions ranging from
160
×
160 pixels up to 640
×
480 pixels. If you see a PDA advertised
with a VGA (Video Graphics Array) screen, it boasts the 640
×
resolution; if you find a QVGA (Quarter VGA) screen, its resolution
is 320
×
240. Higher resolution often translates into higher price, so
go look at screens of varying resolution to determine your rock-
bottom minimum.
Make certain, no matter the size, view, or resolution that the PDA
you choose has an active-matrix screen, making it viewable at an
angle. Most these days are so equipped but a few still persist with
the passive-matrix technology, which makes viewing the screen dif-
ficult from any angle other than head-on.
Memory and data storage: Because the Windows Mobile operating sys-
tems are bulkier than the Palm OS, a Pocket PC will take up more
memory than a Palm-based PDA. Every application you add to your
device though, no matter the OS, will soak up available RAM.
Newer PDA devices use a combination of Flash ROM (or even a hard
drive) and RAM. The operating system comes loaded in ROM, and it
shares a bit of RAM, leaving a portion accessible to the user. This user-
accessible memory is the important number to look at when shopping
for a PDA (or, for that matter, any computer -- handheld, laptop, or
desktop). Get the most built-in user-accessible memory you can afford.
Look for a device equipped with a non-volatile or persistent memory that
doesn't let your data disappear if the power fails. That way, if your PDA
runs completely out of power, your data remains perfectly safe.
Chapter 3: Gearing Up
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