PDA

A PDA is a very useful electronic tool for helping you manage your time and responsibilities. PDA stands for Personal Digital Assistant. It is basically a very small computer; it fits into the palm of your hand. Many people use their PDA to schedule appointment, plan meetings, type data, and to hold their address book. You can also use your PDA to access your email and the internet. Some PDA's come with a phone called Smart Phone, GPS tracking, and some games for when you have a few minutes to relax. Many professionals have found PDA's to be very beneficial to their job. Real estate agents use them daily.

PDA's were introduced in the 1990's with the model from Apple. Microsoft introduced their PDA but called it a hand held PC. They were very expensive, starting around $600. Today the technology has improved and the cost has dropped to about $300.

There are two types of PDA's to choose from. The Palm OS with 32 Megs and the Pocket PC with 64 up to 128 Megs. Both are marketed by major brands in the electronics industry including Sony and Dell. Basic features on a PDA include touch screens and color displays. You use a stylus, similar to a mouse on a laptop but much smaller, to navigate on your PDA.

They don't have a hard drive like a personal computer. Instead PDA's have a small Micro Drive. This is the same technology used in iPods. It also means your PDA will have Read Only Memory (ROM). Your data will be stored for future access in the Random Access Memory (RAM). If you plan to use your PDA a great deal, make sure you purchase one that has a large amount of RAM.

PDA's are operated by microprocessors. This is the “brain” of the PDA, allowing it to function and process information and data. The operating system of the PDA is pre-programmed. They have less instruction than the operating system of a PC to take up less space. The power source of a PDA is a battery. This can be AAA's, AA's, or a lithium battery. Make sure you keep an eye on your batteries life source. Most PDA's have a 30 minute backup while you change the batteries. Some PDA's come with a power cord adaptor that plug in to the wall so you can save your battery life for when you are away from such a power source.

One of the biggest complaints about PDA's is that they are only compatible with windows but not with macs. You can now purchase accessories that you allow you to convert your PDA to work with a mac. You need to make sure your PDA is compatible with the types of software you will need to run on it. This should be something you take into consideration before you purchase a particular type or brand of PDA.