PDAs - Personal Digital Assistants

pda phoneIf you're curious to know how a PDA works and what each part does including the battery, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen and handwriting recognition then you might want to read How a PDA works on HowStuffWorks website. It describes the history behind the PDA and development over the recent years.

PDAs are instantly on when you hit the 'On' button. There's no waiting for minutes before the Operating System has loaded. This is ideal for tutors who wish to use a PDA for a short 10 minute activity without the delay to power up computers or laptops.

Heat and Dust

A good, robust protective case either in leather or soft plastic is vital. Some cases come in a rigid plastic with a belt clip included. No mobile technology like extreme heat and PDAs, phones and I pods are no exception.

Battery

PDAs have poor battery life. It's essential to regularly charge otherwise valuable files can be lost if the device 'dies'. Although one way to counteract loss of data is to purchase an SD (Secure Digital) SD card or Flash memory card which can be slotted into the device and offer a separate storage place for valuable files. However these memory cards can use up the battery power quickly. Voice recording or viewing a short video clip can also add to the drain of power.

tipWhen a PDA becomes overloaded by doing repetitive tasks it can ‘freeze’ or show a warning sign indicating lack of memory. To soft re-set the PDA, look for a little hole(usually at the base of the device) and poke the end of the stylus gently into it until you see the screen start and re-load. 

tipBattery life varies on a PDA.  Ask for recommendations from friends before you buy. The specifications might not always read true. Try to avoid problems and loss of valuable data by following these quick tips:

  1. Plug the device into the mains as often as possible.
  2. Set the device to power off or ‘sleep’ in inactive for a short time.
  3. Adjust the brightness of the screen. If you’re working outdoors remember to turn down the brightness when you return indoors.

All handheld devices use battery power. Usually the battery type is dry cell, alkaline or rechargeable batteries (lithium, nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride). Very few PDAs have excellent battery life – the HP Ipaqs generally have a life around 10 hours however the Palm devices usually survive a much longer time before needing recharging. Read the Definitive Guide to Battery Life of PDAs for more information.

Pocket PC or Palm?

palm treoAllegiance to a particular make of PDA has carried a debate for many years as to whether to purchase a Palm PDA (using a Palm operating system) or a Pocket PC PDA (operating a Window-based system). 

Palms tend to be cheaper than Pocket PC devices and therefore more attractive to buy and, some say, they’re easier to use. They’ve held a market share for many years and consequently over 13,000 software programs are available for these devices. Pocket PC, even though more expensive, is more powerful, has a Windows familiarity and is catching up in the race to provide software for Pocket PC and Palm to offer a choice to customers. 

 

Operating system information

  • A version of Microsoft Windows for portable devices —Windows Mobile 5.0 is the current operating system from Microsoft. Pocket PC is the generic name for Windows Mobile PDAs and Smartphones.
  • Palm for PDAs
  • Linux for mobile devices — Sharp devices mostly use Linux OS.
  • Symbian for mobile phones.
  • The Blackberry platform runs on the BlackBerry devices manufactured by Research In Motion.

DID YOU KNOW…?

blackberry pdaBlackberry PDAs are always on and always connected.

Push’ procedure means that you don’t need to connect a Blackberry to a computer – once setup a Blackberry receives messages, emails, calendar settings and downloads automatically.

Blackberry was so named when someone thought that the
miniature buttons on the product looking like the tiny seeds in
a strawberry. As ‘straw’ appeared a tricky word to say, Blackberry
was suggested – BB in short.

Latest versions of Blackberries have text prediction called SureType, similar to T9 on a mobile phone.

The Blackberry 7100T looks like a mobile phone but it has a QWERTY keyboard and an easy-to-read high resolution screen.

BUT Blackberries don’t have MP3 players or cameras and the Trackwheel on the right hand side of the device makes it difficult if you’re a left-handed user.

How can I use a PDA for teaching and learning?

Quicklinks

Technical Tips

Other sections

In Practice

Examples and ideas showing practical ways to use the different devices in the classroom and out and about

Choose the Right Device

What to look for when buying the devices, reviews and suggestions

FAQs for Organisations

Issues and questions that organisations experience

Making it Accessible

Ways to use the technology accessibly

The Future

The changing world of handheld devices

Glossary

An a-z glossary of mobile technology terms