Question 1

Budget?

How much you are willing to spend will also be an important question. The more you spend, the more that your PDA will act like a laptop. That is not to say that if you spend little, that you cannot get much. The $99 PalmOne Zire 22 is capable as a replacement to the paper planner, as well as has the ability to play MP3s and carry large reference materials via the SD (secure digital) memory card slot.

As a general rule, spending $100 will get you a basic PDA; up to $200 can get you a PDA with a camera, MP3 player, or included document editing abilities; up to $350 will net you a midrange PDA that can have wireless connectivity (wifi or Bluetooth) along with cameras, MP3 players, and full document editing; over $400 will get you enhanced screens (higher resolutions than lower models), dual wireless capabilities on some models, more included software, and much more memory (up to 128MB internally on some models) than lower priced models.

Question 2

What to do with the PDA?

When looking to purchase a PDA, you will want to figure out what you want to do with the PDA. Most people look at PDAs first because they help you to organize your calendar, tasks, and phone numbers. All PDAs do this well, and so other tasks should be looked at such as: carrying large references, mobile email and Internet, gaming, music play, or one that does all those things well. Once you have figured out what you will do with it, you should analyze your budget.

Question 3

Need it as a mobile phone?

Some people do not like the idea of carrying around a PDA and a mobile phone. They may like the functionality of a PDA, just in the form of a phone; or, the functionality of a phone in the form of a PDA. If you need to access the internet and would find getting email on the go as making things easier, then a smartphone or wireless PDA would work best for you. Many mobile phone companies offer smartphones with a discount if you get a contract with it.

Question 4

need a keyboard built in?

When purchasing a PDA, deciding how one wants to input data is very important. Though all PDAs have some form of handwriting recognition and a virtual keyboard, if you plan on sending a lot of email or editing documents, then you may want to look at the PalmOne Tungsten C, Treo 600, etc..(included accessory).

All PDAs can also accept input from keyboard attachments.

Question 5

battery life?

Acceptable battery life is anything in over four hours of continuous usage. That will translate to 3-5 days of intermittent usage. Many PDA models will do this and better.

There are different factors that go into getting the most out of your battery, such as: the screen resolution (the higher the resolution, the more power that is needed to keep the screen on); how bright you keep the screen; are you using the multimedia functions (they drain the battery faster); are you using wireless technologies (bluetooth uses battery power at a lower rate than wifi, though both drain the battery more than not using them). How you will be using the PDA you choose will determine how much of the battery that you will be using. Some Windows Mobile PDAs use removable batteries. You could use one battery while charging the other.

Question 6

Does your business support using a PDA with a camera?

These days, data security is very important within many organizations. If you are looking to purchase a PDA to use within a work setting, make sure that your organization authorizes its use, especially if the PDA you want has a camera. Many government agencies, and some health clubs, do not allow you to carry devices with cameras on them. Make sure that you do clear it with the IT and senior personnel of your organization.

Hoping these few questions can help you choosing a right PDA