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The two most popular operating systems for PDAs are Microsoft Windows and Palm but there are other proprietary OS including Blackberry and now Apple OS X for the iPhone. If you are going to be using your PDA for a lot of Microsoft productivity applications like word, excel, or powerpoint you should go with Windows Mobile otherwise any of the operating systems will work fine.
The top PDAs are all pretty small and they don’t range in size that much. They are typically about 3 inches wide, about 0.6 inches in depth, and about 4.8 inches in height. They can range in weight from 3 oz up to 7 oz for some of the heavier ones. You should decide if you have special size requirements or if the standard size and weight will work for you.
There is a big range in the size and quality of the screens in the top PDAs. The screen size can range from a couple of inches up to 3.8 inches. The resolution is also very important as it is an indication of how sharp the information will be displayed on your screen. If you are going to be looking at a lot of pictures, watching videos, or doing presentations invest in a larger screen with high resolution.
The release date is when the device was first sold and is a good indication of how old the technology is. The top PDA models are not updated nearly as often as digital cameras or laptops so you will find that many of the top models were released more than a year ago.
This is a very important factor. The higher performing processors consume more power from the battery and so do added features like GPS and phones. Make sure the battery life is an acceptable range for your needs.
Bluetooth is a local wireless standard that allows devices in close proximity to connect to each other and exchange information. You will need a Bluetooth enabled PDA if you want to connect your PDA to other bluetooth enabled devices like phones, printers, and keyboards.
Wifi is a wireless standard that allows a device to connect to the Internet. A wifi enabled PDA can send and retrieve emails and also browse the web without being physically wired to a PC or laptop. The most popular standard for wifi is 802.11b but 802.11g is faster and gaining in popularity.
GPS stand for Global Positioning System and is a navigational satellite system. GPS devices communicate with a constellation of satellites managed by the US Air Force orbiting over the earth to establish the exact coordinates of the device via triangulation calculations. GPS units can be accurate to within a few meters if they have high performance receivers. A GPS PDA has a GPS receiver and software built in so it has the dual functionality of a PDA and a GPS all in one device.
More and more PDAs are being released with the ability to store and play mp3 music files. If you want to use your PDA for music you want to make sure it has a mp3 player that is compatible with your music file format, that you like the interface controls, and that the device has sufficient memory storage probably over 1GB.
Many PDAs are now being released with built in cameras. They are typically like the digital cameras on phones and are not as good as the top stand alone digital cameras but they can take decent low resolution pictures.
One of the key features for a PDA is the interface controls. Most of the top PDAs have simple to use interfaces. Choosing between Palm and Windows interfaces can be a matter of personal preference and with smartphones it is almost a religious choice so you might want to test the different interfaces to see which one you like the best.