A Computer in Your Hand

Carrying around an address book and planner is becoming a thing of the past. With new PDA developments, you can manage your contacts and schedule, use e-mail, and even listen to music. Personal Digital Assistants, originally called "Palm Pilots," previously were used just for retrieving basic information. Today, using some of the more advanced models could possibly replace the need to carry a laptop computer. Modern PDAs can play music, games, videos, write documents, and connect to networks and databases -- nothing short of a desktop computer.

Although newer PDAs have the processing power of a computer, they still have some limitations. Inputting information is done by handwriting recognition or by a miniature keyboard. Skilled users can input 20 - 30 words per minute, less than half the speed of a good typist on a full-size keyboard. PDAs with a color screen tend to run through battery life faster. Finally, because the small screen size the number of prograqm options that can be displayed, the programs available aren