Need information on the go? Keep yourself informed, organised and entertained with a handheld computer, also called a personal digital assistant (PDA). Handhelds are mobile computers that manage your calendar, contact information and to-do lists. Some provide a voice recorder and note taker; others let you read e-mail and information downloaded from the Internet.

Overview

Once the domain of gadget lovers, handhelds now organise and update millions of people every day, from mobile business professionals to home users. They're ideal for anyone who needs portable information but doesn't want the size or expense of a laptop computer. Handhelds are usually designed to work with your desktop PC. First, you connect the two devices with a cable or cradle device. Then you use the handheld's included software to manage tasks on your desktop PC and to synchronise tasks with the handheld.

When shopping for a handheld, start by identifying your needs. Do you want just a basic electronic pocket organiser? Will you need to coordinate your information with others who are connected through a network? Will you need to download e-mail and other information from the Internet to your handheld? Will you use your handheld to jot down notes during meetings? Will you need a larger handheld with a bigger screen and more memory, or will you want to travel with your handheld in your pocket?

Knowing what tasks you'll use your handheld for will help you decide what body size, display type, memory, operating system, handwriting software, power source and other amenities you'll need.

Which One Do I Buy?

The choices available make it increasingly difficult to decide which PDA to buy, so here's our quick guide to the model that we think will best suit you, according to a simple breakdown of needs. For those who need more detailed information before making a decision, keep reading, as later on we go into greater depth on all aspects of the hardware, operating systems and software that make up a PDA.

How much do you want to spend? Once you have decided the budget you have for a PDA, take a look at our recommendations at various price points, then click on the links to see more detailed information about each product, so that you can assess whether it meets your needs.

Under £150--Palm Zire
£150-£200--Sony Clié PEG-NR70V, or Palm Zire 71
£200-£300--HP iPAQ H1930 Pocket PC, Palm Tungsten T2 or Sony Clié PEG-TG50
Over £300--HP iPAQ H5450 Pocket PC, HP iPAQ H5550 Pocket PC or Sony Clié PEG-NX73V
 

Do you want a keyboard? If you expect to be inputting data while away from your PC and don't like the idea of having to do this using the built-in handwriting recognition found in most PDAs then there are a couple of alternatives. Some product ranges, such as the Sony Clié and Handspring Treo include models equipped with micro-sized keyboards that many find to be their preferred solution. Writing a lengthy report or letter with these tiny keyboards can still prove troublesome, however, so it is also worth noting that portable keyboards are available for palm-sized PDAs; if the occasional long document needs to be written, this is another option worth considering.

Do you need Internet access? All the handhelds on the market these days have the potential to access the Internet. However, it is worth thinking about whether or not you will need this function. If you will be using your PDA in conjunction with your mobile phone, check for compatible devices in the respective accessory lists for Palm and Pocket PC models. There are also new devices on the market, which combine a PDA with a mobile phone. These PDA Phones provide the ultimate data connectivity solution. Do be aware that these are still very expensive compared to other PDA devices.

Handheld Body Sizes

Handhelds range from the size of a credit card to a notebook computer. The number of features and the computing power usually increase with the size. Palm-size computers are the most popular handheld body style. Smaller than a paperback but larger than a deck of cards, a palm computer will fit easily in the palm of your hand. Most of these units are too small to include a keyboard, so you enter commands and data by pressing surface-mounted buttons, tapping the display or writing on the screen with a stylus. Some ingenious designs, including many in the Sony Clié range, do now include tiny keyboards to make entering small amounts of data less of a problem.

Credit-card-size units typically offer only basic functions and have about 512 KB of RAM. Because the units are so small, the screen may be difficult to read, and there's little room for buttons, so entering data can be tedious or require you to connect to a desktop PC and to use the PC's keyboard. Still, these handhelds can sound an alarm before your appointments and keep track of your business contacts, addresses and phone numbers in a tiny, convenient package.

Larger handhelds range in size from a thick cheque book to a small notebook computer. These units have room for more memory and expansion slots, a half-height or even full-size VGA display, and a keyboard with touch-type capabilities. With increased size, you get increased computing power and versatility, but you lose the advantages of pocket portability.

Operating System Platforms

One of the most daunting choices that confront you when selecting a handheld computer is which Operating System you should go for. Different devices are tied to a specific OS, so it's important to be clear which one you want to use before you purchase a device, you won't be able to switch afterwards. There are essentially two major Operating Systems to choose from: Palm OS and Microsoft's handheld OS, Pocket PC.

Palm OS: The Palm OS, originally developed by 3Com, not only appears on Palm's handheld PDAs but has also been licensed to third-party handheld manufacturers such as Handspring and Sony. Devices based on the Palm OS tend to be smaller, significantly lighter and less expensive than their Pocket PC counterparts. It's a minimalist approach of doing just a few tasks, but doing them really well. The Palm OS seems to be lighter on its feet--starting up faster after you turn on the device, running applications and finding data faster, and so on. Palms have a reputation for being easy to set up, learn and use and have a long battery life.

Pocket PC: Microsoft has a variety of Operating Systems tailored for different types of devices. Pocket PC is its OS for palm-sized devices. The devices themselves are not manufactured by Microsoft. Instead, third-party manufacturers such as Compaq, Hewlett Packard and Casio license the operating system for use in their respective PDAs. In general, devices based on Microsoft's OS have more memory and functions than Palms. Many include a wide range of functionality, including the ability to work as MP3 players, e-book readers and digital voice recorders. The Pocket PC OS comes with a large set of standard applications, and its graphical interface is a variation of the familiar Windows desktop.

Display Types

The types of displays used in handhelds are smaller versions of those used in notebook computers, with the notable exception being that they are usually touch-sensitive. Because handhelds are small, the display usually covers most of the front of the unit, so it's the most visible feature. It's important to have a display that's as bright and legible as possible on a handheld that is within your budget.

A typical palm-size handheld has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels with four shades of grey; while colour models can offer more than 65,000 colours. Nearly all handhelds have a liquid crystal display (LCD), backlit touch-screen with a stylus for tapping commands, selecting items and writing text.

Memory

All PDA applications and data are stored in RAM. Most handhelds ship with anything from 2 to 16 MB of memory, although larger models (Pocket PCs in particular) may have 64 MB or more. Some handhelds also include slots for CompactFlash, SD, Memory Stick or other forms of memory cards. These allow you to quickly and easily add extra storage as well, providing the opportunity to share information with other devices, including digital cameras and PCs that use the same standard. Some larger handhelds may include PCMCIA slots, which can be used to house either more memory or extra hardware to expand your PDAs capabilities.

Expansion Slots

Most handheld PDAs have some type of expansion slot. These slots are great for expanding the capabilities of your PDA. You can plug in extra memory, backup cards, camera modules, modems, GPS receivers, Bluetooth modules, MP3 players and even games. Unfortunately, there isn't a "one type fits all" solution, so before you invest in a PDA, it's best to take a look at the expandability of the machine you are intending to buy. It may have lots of available expansion packs, but think about whether or not you would actually use it.

Infrared Transceiver Port

In addition to transferring data to your desktop PC, many handhelds can communicate with each other through an infrared port. These ports use the same technology as the remote control for your TV or VCR but with a higher data transfer rate. The infrared port on a handheld should conform to the IrDA standard specified by the Infrared Data Association. Any two handhelds running the same operating system should be able to exchange data through their IrDA ports. The infrared port can also be used to connect to the Internet when used in conjunction with a suitable mobile phone.

Text Entry and Handwriting Recognition

Palm-sized PDAs generally require you to enter information through the touch screen with the stylus. Most systems let you tap letters on an onscreen "keyboard" or write letters on an onscreen tablet. Both Palm OS and Windows CE come with handwriting recognition software--Graffiti and Jot, respectively--that lets you print letters individually. You must form your letters precisely according to the software's rules, which take some time to adjust to. As mentioned earlier, portable keyboards are also available for some models and provide more extensive on-the-move data input opportunities.

Power Supply and Batteries

Memory cards, colour screens, voice recording--there are many cool features and accessories for handhelds, but they need battery power to work. Most handhelds come with either alkaline batteries (usually AAA size) or a rechargeable battery pack. Many also include a small backup battery to protect the memory when your main batteries run out.

E-mail and Internet Access

Many handhelds are designed with the assumption that you'll check e-mail through your desktop PC and download the messages to your handheld for future reading. You can also download Web magazines, audio programs and news subscription services if your handheld supports these features. However, some handhelds include a built-in modem or a slot where you can add one, allowing you to send and receive e-mail directly.

Setting up a handheld to work with an Internet Service Provider's (ISP) e-mail server can be a tedious, time-consuming process--especially if you've never done it before--but you should only have to do it once. One reason for the added time and complication is that the communication software on many handhelds is less sophisticated and has fewer automatic setup conveniences than the corresponding software on desktop PCs.

Before setting up the handheld, you need your e-mail address, password, ISP dial-up telephone number and the following information about your e-mail system: your protocol to receive e-mail; your incoming-mail server name; your outgoing-mail server name; and your primary and secondary DNS name server addresses. You may also need to know if your ISP wants you to use IP header compression or to enable software compression.

You can find this information on your ISP's website or by contacting its customer service department. Among the handhelds that support e-mail directly, most work with POP3, IMAP4, SMTP, and LDAP protocols, with POP3 being the most common.

Larger handhelds based on Pocket PC or Windows CE may include Pocket Internet Explorer, a slimmer version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Tapping your stylus on a touch screen that's running Pocket Internet Explorer is a convenient and fun way to surf the Web.

Price Range

Handhelds range in price from about £50 to £700. On the low end are pocket organisers that are little more than electronic address books. On the higher end are handhelds that look like notebook computers without disk drives and that include full-size keyboards and VGA screens. Most palm-size handhelds with standard functionality are in the middle, between £150 and £400, with memory and display type primarily determining the cost. Take a look at our range of bestselling PDAs.