PDA Buying Guide

From PIM to WiFi to GPS

The Personal Digital Assistant and More

If you are acrostically challenged in this day of initials, let's start off with a few basic definitions necessary if you are looking to upgrade from Post-it notes and Daytimers.

PDA — personal digital assistant
PIM — personal information manager
WiFi — wireless fidelity
GPS — global positioning system

A PDA is a small, hand-held flat box about the size of a small notepad with a monitor to help you keep track of

• your appointments, calendar dates
• addresses and contact information
• agenda items, to do lists
• notes or memos to yourself

in effect becoming your personal information manager (PIM). Add on cell phone capabilities, a GPS and some wireless connectivity and you have a full service office right in your hand.

With over 25 manufacturers, each with its own scale from simple to high tech, the purchase of a PDA can be overwhelming. It helps to start with your basic needs, plus those features that would make life easier, and then the added extras that are just "way cool".