Need to know more about PDAs? Not sure where to start? Our PDA 101 Category will give you the basic starting point to buying, owning and using a PDA. Feel free to explore and have fun.

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We love it when our readers chime in on the Palm vs. Pocket PC debate. Here's an opinion from Lisa, one of our loyal readers:

OK, one of my friends said "You pick the OS according to the programs you use." This is true for Computers and it is true with PDAs. Figure out the Programs you need to use and then get the correct PDA. For PDAs you should also add, "Pick out the Features you need to use." Make a list of your programs and features then go and compare the PDAs out there. Does that mean there is no Right Answer? Well, yeah. That's the whole problem with "OS Religion" wars, your religion is someone else's anti-christ.

Me? I picked Palm. I first got a pda because I used Lotus Organizer on my desktop and wanted a pda to carry the Organizer around. I specifically didn't pick Windows PC because Microsoft tends to make their stuff to only work with Microsoft. They have been known to cripple non-Microsoft interfaces (yes, I'm biased too, but that reason is very true and annoying about the company). And at that time Outlook was very inferior to Organizer. So I chose the Palm OS for its compatibility with my main desktop brain.

I still use Lotus Organizer (even though Outlook has finally gotten almost as useful), so I still buy Palm products. There has only been One, count them One, program I ever wish I could run on the Palm that wasn't available for that OS. Everything else is either is Only Palm or Both. So I have never regretted the choice.

I really like this first paragraph:

OK, one of my friends said "You pick the OS according to the programs you use." This is true for Computers and it is true with PDAs. Figure out the Programs you need to use and then get the correct PDA. For PDAs you should also add, "Pick out the Features you need to use." Make a list of your programs and features then go and compare the PDAs out there.

So true! If you know what you're planning to use a PDA for, start by exploring your software options and see what programs are out there for both the Palm and Pocket PC platforms.

Thank you Lisa for your feedback and if any of our other readers have an opinion on the Palm vs. Pocket PC debate be sure to leave us a comment.

Read Palm vs. Pocket PC-The Great Debate

Tomorrow is the day we get to hear about the newest Treo from Palm. We expect to see Palm announce the new Treo 680, a lower-end Smartphone and according to Digital-Lifestyles.info:

Although it looks like a slimmer, sleeker version of the 650, the phone is aimed at the lower end of the market, so is expected to feature a rather disappointing VGA resolution camera along with Bluetooth, 64MB memory and run the trusty Garnet version of the Palm OS (sure it's as old as the hills now, but it's still one of the best mobile operating systems around in our opinion).

Sadly, there's no Wi-Fi or 3G onboard, which leaves Palm OS fans hoping that a higher spec'd Treo may also be waiting in the wings.

There's no news on pricing yet, although an October release is widely anticipated.

While this might be a no-frills Treo, we expect to see a lot of phone users jump on this chance to enter the Smartphone market without breaking the bank. We'll give you the full details after Palm's announcement tomorrow.

At Digital-Lifestyles.info

From the Developer: TriPeaks-Hand is our adaptation of a very popular and addictive Solitaire variation! We enjoy this game so much we just had to bring it to you, the Birdsoft way. The game features the great game of TriPeaks (Towers) with the custom table settings found in all Crazy Bird Card games. It also includes a high score system, allowing you to challenge yourself and your friends!!"

From your Guide: TriPeaks is a really addictive game of solitaire that's sometimes know as tower solitaire. Solid graphics and gameplay make this software a steal at under $8.00.

More Info at Developer's Website

More of our Favorite Pocket PC Shareware Picks

As the cost of wireless technologies continues to come down, we're seeing a lot more PDAs and mobile devices coming with Bluetooth as a standard feature. Now there might be an even better option to Bluetooth according to an article at InfoWorld.com:

Nokia has developed a new, short-range wireless technology that it says could improve on some of the shortcomings of Bluetooth.

Called Wibree, the technology aims to be a lot more power-efficient than Bluetooth, which means it could be used in smaller and less costly devices. It can also use the same radio and antenna components as Bluetooth, helping keep costs down further, said Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia's research center, who unveiled the technology in Helsinki on Tuesday.

The technology could compete with Bluetooth in the workplace as a way to link keyboards and other peripherals to computers. But it could also have more interesting applications for consumers, in devices such as wrist watches, toys, and sports equipment.

So why does Nokia think Wibree is better than Bluetooth?:

Bluetooth has inherent power limitations because it includes a fixed packet-size and frequency-hopping technology, Iannucci said. Wibree uses a different modulation technique that does a better job of avoiding interference, which helps reduce its power requirements, he said.

As a PDA user, any feature that will use less battery power is definitely a selling point for me.

More Details at InfoWorld.com

After the release of the Windows Mobile Treo 700w for the EV-DO network, Palm OS users became extremely jealous. Well, now Palm OS users have their own Treo for the EV-DO Network. The 700p can connect to EV-DO (evolution data-optimized) networks, which offer download speeds between 400Kbps and 700Kbps.

We've got more details for you with our: Palm Treo 700p Profile

Ever since we posted our review of the Palm LifeDrive, we've seen a lot of reader interest in the first Palm PDA with a built-in hard drive. The cool thing is that the price is finally starting to come down to a range that's a little more comfortable than the $499 MSRP. In fact, we seen a few on PriceGrabber down in the $350 range. So be sure to click the link below for some of the best LifeDrive prices out there:



Also be sure to check out our:

Palm LifeDrive Review

Related Resources:

• Top Picks: Top Palm PDAs
• Top Picks: PDA Gifts for Dad
• Top Picks: PDAs over $400

Image Copyright Palm Inc.

How many times has this happened to you?

William,

Hi. I love your site and really need your help. I recently installed a program on my Dell Axim X50 and after the install, I was told to do a soft reset. After the reset, all of my data was gone and I had to set up my PDA just like when it was new again. Is there anyway to get all of my data back?

Thanks, Sheryl K.

No matter what type of PDA, this will happen to all of us at least once, if not a few times as PDA owners. A PDA is no different than your home computer when it comes to those occasional data destroying crashes. After corresponding with Sheryl, we determined she didn't have a current backup, so besides salvaging a few things in her favorites folder, all of her data was gone. So for Pocket PC owners, if you'd don't have an existing backup, unfortunately your data is probably gone for good. Palm PDA users have it a little easier because usually it just takes a HotSync to backup your existing data (some programs may need to be reinstalled).

If your Pocket PC or Windows Mobile PDA crashes and you already have a backup, all you need to do is follow this Step-by-Step tutorial:

Restoring Data on a Pocket PC

If you haven't backed up your PDA yet, you need to follow this Step-by-Step immediately:

Backing up Data on a Pocket PC

While I responded to Sheryl's email, I wanted to share this with our readers to let you know how important it is to backup your PDA now. Trust me, it'll be well worth the 10 minute time investment.

If you're a geek like me, you just dig toys productivity tools like the WT4000 from Symbol Technologies. According to WindowsforDevices.com:

"Symbol Technologies has unveiled a Windows CE based data-collection terminal that straps on the wrist or hip for hands-free operation in warehouse environments. The WT4000 features "mix and match" connectors on either side of the device to support right- or left-handed scanning, according to the company.

Like many a PDA, the WT4000 is based on a PXA270 XScale processor clocked at 520 MHz, and is equipped with 128 MB of RAM and 64 MB of flash memory. Unlike most PDAs, however, its relatively small, 2.8-inch QVGA LCD operates in landscape mode only, and lacks a touchscreen. User input is via a 23-key alphanumeric keypad that can be ordered in either "legacy color-coded alpha entry" or "cellphone-like alpha entry" versions, Symbol says. Alternatively, the WT4000 can be outfitted with voice recognition and text-to-speech engines for "voice picking" applications."

How very cool! Still, I don't understand the lack of a touchscreen. Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole idea of increasing efficiency with a wearable computer?

More at WindowsforDevices.com

While a Blackberry is a great device, I still think wireless enabled Palm or Pocket PC based PDAs are usually a better choice over a Blackberry because of the options and features that PDAs offer. Yeah, I know there's some hardcore Blackberry users cursing me right now.

The key to using a PDA as a Blackberry replacement is finding the right email client or service for your PDA. We've got a listing of the top PDA clients for both Palm and Pocket PC, so be sure to check out:

Top Palm Email Clients

Top Pocket PC Email Clients

While these services may not offer the exact same experience as a "push" mail service like Blackberry, with a little fine-tuning of an email client (like automatic email retrieval, etc,) that meets your needs, you can have a good email experience on a wireless enabled PDA or Smartphone.

Related Resources:

• Image Gallery: GMail Mobile Email
• Blog: Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Blackberry Appeal
• Category: PDA Wireless Resources