Choosing a PDA

To what do you can use a pocket computer (PDA)?

Firstly, the PDA - it's a real computer on which you can use programs such as word processors, spreadsheets, email and player mp3.

Secondly, the PDA - the mobile device of small size, which is indeed (with rare exceptions) perfectly fits in your pocket. With it you can read books and work materials; recruit small texts, notes, connect to the Internet to play games, watch videos, and more.

When you select a PDA should first determine the requirements for it. Now there are so many different models that can be quite seriously differ in price, while having the same speed and memory capacity. Attention should be given only to those features that definitely will be in demand - there is no practical sense to buy a PDA "for the future, as technologies evolve rapidly and therefore cheaper. Today's hi-end model in six months may be withdrawn from sale, and the new "machines" will reveal to us hitherto unseen possibilities.

An important factor is the appearance of a handheld computer - all other things being equal, it can be decisive. Handheld computers have different geometric dimensions - some hard to fit in your pocket, but they have a keyboard. Others may "delay" pocket - the weight has always been a feature of no small importance of mobile devices. Lightweight Sony SL-1910 weighs about 100 grams, the average Tungsten T3 - 150 grams, and, for example, the massive Sharp Zaurus - more than 220 rover pc p3Inogda should pay attention to the material of the body - it may be plastic or metal.

Screens on modern PDAs come in black and white and color. First, though, quickly fading, the latter - cheaper to level first. It is important to remember that not all screens are equally well looked on the street in bright light. PDA screens are of different geometrical sizes and resolutions. For example, Toshiba E740 has a 3.5 inch screen (at a resolution of 320x240), E800 - 4 inches (640x480), Sony Sj-20 - less than three inches (320x320), and the Tungsten T3 has a unique opportunity to change the screen size (and resolution - from 320x320 to 320x480). The higher the resolution, the sharper the image, but even at 320x240 the image will be sharper than on today's LCD-monitors.

Like any mobile device, PDA should work without recharging, if possible, as long as possible. As a rule, the CCP works from 4 to 8 hours, rare models - up to 15. Here, however, important mode of operation - whether the maximum screen brightness, wireless technology, etc.

In addition to the appearance of the handheld computer can note the following important characteristics.

Operating system. Installed on the PDA, as a rule, one of the two operating systems: Windows CE or PalmOS (less Unix). These are fundamentally different operating systems installed on different PDA, ie, Change the OS is impossible. Windows CE is different familiarity, since it is a lot like the familiar Windows, and PalmOS - ease of use, because It was written specifically for the PDA, from scratch. However, the simplicity of the OS - a controversial issue for many. As for the capabilities of these operating systems, they are roughly equal, except that the PalmOS arise some difficulties when running multiple programs at once (which is typical, for example, ICQ).

Keyboard. Some PDAs have a keyboard, although the keys in it look more like buttons (due to the small size) and are not always convenient. Enter the same text can be without a keyboard. Attention is drawn to the joystick (on different models, it is located and pressed in different ways) and the presence of the wheel, which is very handy for reading text.

Flash memory. The presence of slots for flash memory - an important characteristic of the CCP. Some handheld computers support the flash memory CompactFlash (CF), some - SecureDigital (SD) or MemoryStick (MS), and some - and CF and SD (as, for example, Toshiba E740). In some cases, an SD slot, you can insert a special device (in this case, the CPC should maintain SDio). In the CF slot can also be inserted some devices, but their choices are limited.

Internet. There are several ways to connect to the Internet using GPRS. The first and easiest accessible to all CCP - using your cell phone and an infrared port. This method is not always convenient (as PDAs and cell phone should be nearby), so often used for this wireless technology is Bluetooth, which significantly reduces battery life as a PDA and cell phone. Less commonly used GSM-card for the PDA, this method is expensive, sometimes this goal easier to buy a smartphone.

Memory. This is one of the most unimportant parameters, because for most of the tasks of memory on modern PDAs have enough, and if memory requirements are severe, you still have to use flash cards. However, if the slot is supposed to take any device (for example, a map of GPS), then this feature is worth paying attention.

Additional features. Some PDAs have a number of possibilities which need not all. For example, the use of USB-host (for Pocket PC devices can be connected to USB - for example, keyboard), the ability to connect an external VGA-monitor, the availability of communications capabilities (WiFi, Bluetooth), to replace the battery. A number of models have a camera.

Pocket PC, which might initially seem a luxury, is fast becoming an indispensable assistant.