Currently there are so many PDA's on the market it is sometimes hard to decide which device is best for you and what features you need most. When looking at PDA's you should consider the following 5 features and ensure that the device you?re looking at has some of these features if not all of them.
1) Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is an operating system for PDA devices and in my opinion is the most important feature. PDA stands for Personal Digital Assistant, and Windows mobile is just that. The Windows OS has everything you need, for example: contacts, email, calendar, appointments, tasks, games, media etc. The best part about Windows mobile is that there are thousands of programs that you can get to fit your needs. When people think of a PDA they think of a BlackBerry or big bulky organizers. Windows mobile puts all of these key features all into one compact device. With BlackBerry devices you have instant access to your emails, and now from Microsoft you can have the same. Microsoft's Push Email has made a big buzz because now BlackBerry isn't the only device that can receive instant emails. Currently there are so many PDA's that have Windows mobile that you have a wide variety to choose from. You can read more about it from my Windows Mobile blog.
2) Wi-Fi
WiFi is another key feature that your PDA should have. A lot of times service providers can charge a lot of money for slow internet. With W-Fi you can lower your data charges and have a fast internet connection wherever there is a wireless signal. Although a lot of older devices do not have built in Wi-Fi, you can still add Wi-Fi to your device if it has expandable memory in forms of SD and Mini-SD. SD and mini SD Wi-Fi cards may not work with all PDA's but most of them work with Windows mobile phones.
3) Expandable memory
Expandable memory is always a good feature in your PDA because the built in memory is not always enough. There are many PDA's and they may take different kinds of memory. SD memory is excellent for PDA's because a) it is cheaper than other types b) you can currently get up to 4GB of memory and c) with SD you can get more features out of your PDA. There is TV tuner SD cards which let you watch TV on your PDA. There is Wi-Fi SD cards that enable wireless internet on your PDA and much more.
4) Display
There are so many devices that are different styles and sizes, but it is always a good idea to get a device that has a high resolution display. When looking at PDA's ensure that the display is color screen and displays 265k colors. Touch screen is always better because it makes things easier while navigating with a stylus. Bigger screens are not always better because they may make the entire PDA big or bulky in size. Ensure that the screen is a reasonable size and has a good resolution. You should look for 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 screen resolution when looking for a PDA.
5) QWERTY keyboards
QWERTY keyboards are always excellent for PDA's. Keyboards make it very easy to input data onto your device and are a lot faster than other types of text input. For internet browsing it is often difficult without a QWERTY keyboard because of all the typing you need to do. If you like a device that does not have a QWERTY but has either Bluetooth or infrared technology, you can also purchase another keyboard that connects to your PDA wirelessly.
