Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

Can you UPS a PDA COD ASAP?

Yeah, maybe, except what’s a PDA? PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) are small hand held computers in which you can record your calendar, phone numbers, appointments, etc. Most all provide a clock with an alarm, currency converter and calculator in addition.

It is like a computer without a mouse or a standard keyboard (although some of the newer units have docking stations that allow the use of these). On a basic unit, you have some places to tap your stylus to bring up various screens and you enter data by tapping out the letters or numbers. My PDA, an inexpensive Royal “Excelsior,” has numbers on one screen and letters on another and you can change screens with just the tap of your stylus.

PDAs are useful for keeping track of schedules and appointments as well as carrying around names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, cell phone and pager numbers. Street addresses, city, state and zip can also be recorded as e-mail and web site addresses. It is battery operated and you can change the batteries on your own when the PDA gives you a low battery message. The unit will work in any of six languages and can be easily changed for any time zone. There is a special function for anniversaries which will remind you up to 9 days prior to the event and also remind you what it was you wanted to get for the anniversary or birthday recipient.

The unit comes with software that can be installed in your computer. This allows you to, for instance, organize your calendar on the larger screen of your desktop computer and then transfer the data to the PDA. This process is called synchronizing. I would describe it as being very similar to the Briefcase function in Windows. That function serves to synchronize your PC with a laptop. In the instance of the PDA I am using, I use Outlook in my Windows 98 to enter my time schedule and calendar. In addition to the CD, the unit came with a cable that connects the PDA to my computer (in my case it is my laptop). I can choose to have the data only go in one direction. For instance if I do all my organizing in my laptop, I can tell the program that I just want all the data to go from the Laptop to the PDA. If, on the other hand, I want to use either one of these to update at any time, I can have the computer synchronize. In this case the computer and the PDA will both end up having all the data that is stored in either one (in the computer it will be limited only to Outlook. What happens if data has been changed in both? For instance, I have updated a phone number of an associate in my PDA and recorded a note to that person in my laptop, what will happen when I synchronize? The synchronization program will examine the date and time recorded in each of the instances and then load both units with the most recently entered data.

Both units need to be running during the process and connected by the cable. You can follow the process on the screen of your PC and when it is complete, a message will advise you of that fact.

It takes a little practice operating the PDA, as all you have is a stylus and several screens that appear. In addition, like anything else having to do with computers, it takes some practice to get going. In the beginning, you won’t be able to do much without having the directions in front of you, but it won’t be long before you get the hang of it.

Brand names are Palm, Visor, Linux, Blackberry and iPaq (the Compaq entry in this field). Some of the more expensive ones, and I consider the ones that cost as much or more than a desk top “expensive”, are capable of receiving e-mail messages and text and graphics. Some are able to read your writing when you “write” on the screen with your stylus.

What all PDAs have in common--and why people buy them--is the ability to store and retrieve thousands of phone numbers, appointments, to-do chores and notes. All models can exchange, or synchronize, information with a full-sized computer.

Many work with both Windows and Macintosh computers. Many can provide wireless access to an abbreviated form of the Internet, most often with the addition of separately purchased accessories such as a modem. Some PDAs can record your own voice, play videos, display digital photos, or hold maps, city guides, or a novel. Samsung offers units that combine a cell phone and PDA.

There are two basic styles: models that enter information by tapping on a touch-sensitive screen and those with small mechanical keyboards. The touch-screen models include those from Palm and clones from Handspring and Sony, as well as Pocket PC devices from Casio, Compaq and Hewlett-Packard.

Prices for Palm PDAs have been dropping. You can now buy a basic model for about $100, a top-line model for less than $500. Pocket PCs tend to be more expensive, with the cheapest ones selling for about $250; most run $500 or more.

Most Palm PDAs have a monochrome display, although some high-end models use color. By contrast, most Pocket PCs use a color display. Infrared technology can let you synchronize with a computer without wires.

A PDA's processor is the system's brain. In general, the higher the processing speed, the faster the unit will execute tasks--and the more expensive the unit will be. Nevertheless, higher-speed processors require more battery power and may deplete batteries quickly. Some handheld units use AAA alkaline batteries. Some larger models use lithium-ion rechargeable. OK, UPS that PDA!

Hobie Lunin is a Computer Instructor and Consultant. He can be reached at mouseclix2@yahoo.com

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