Next-Generation PDAs

Carla Thornton And Grace Aquino

Debbie Chong can't remember a time when she didn't use a personal digital assistant to help her stay organized. The San Francisco executive has relied on a succession of PDAs--from the basic Sharp Zaurus she used ten years ago to the Compaq IPaq 3635 Pocket PC she relies on today--to keep her life on track.

Chong is CEO of Virtual Boardwalk, a provider of Web services in the conventions industry. Like many people, she uses her PDA for e-mail, appointments, and storing contacts. But she also uses it to store electronic maps. "I depend on the calendar and contacts the most, and I keep a lot of discrete bits of information about people," she says. "When I travel, I use Pocket Streets to find their offices."

The latest Pocket PCs add even more features than Chong's IPaq has; but at up to $600, the devices can be costly. Fortunately, you don't have to spend a big chunk of change to get a PDA that can help you organize your life: Plenty of simpler, cheaper PDAs will satisfy users who don't need advanced functions. To provide an overview of the PDAs currently available, we divided handhelds into three categories: basic PDAs, advanced PDAs, and the new breed of combined PDA/cell phone products (also known as communicators). This third group of devices supposedly provides an all-in-one means for staying in touch; but as our evaluations reveal, a single device that can handle both tasks well remains some distance away.

Much has changed since our last PDA roundup, " Palm vs. Pocket PC" in April 2001. Of the 12 PDAs we reviewed then, only one is still around in the same form (the Handspring Visor Prism); the others have been discontinued or superseded by updated models.

Vendors have also seen some major changes in market share: In 2001, Palm's share fell to 58 percent of the market, significantly down from the 71 percent it commanded in 2000, according to research firm NPD Techworld.

A Palm in Your Pocket or a Pocket in Your Palm?

Overall, between Pocket PC and Palm OS devices, Palm-based units remain the cheaper and simpler choices, so for this review we put most of them into the basic category. Palm recently launched a model that would fit in the upscale category--a wireless e-mail PDA, the I705. See our news story about this device.

Pocket PCs still rule in sex appeal, with a greater number of built-in functions, including digital audio and video playback. Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 includes pocket versions of programs such as Microsoft Word. Nevertheless, Palm claims that more third-party applications are available for Palm OS-based PDAs than for Pocket PCs.

Pocket PC devices have more memory (up to 64MB), though the Pocket PC operating system requires more memory than the Palm OS to run. They also offer four input methods, including the Transcriber handwriting recognition application and Block Recognizer, a character recognition application similar to Palm's Graffiti. For more on Pocket PCs, see our November News & Trends story " Pocket PC 2002."

On the other hand, most Palm-based PDAs use their battery power more efficiently. While most Pocket PCs still require daily charging, gray-scale Palm-based PDAs can go days or weeks before needing fresh batteries or a recharge.

Just What You Need: Basic PDAs

On a budget? That automatically rules out a new $600 Pocket PC. But keep your chin up: If you can be happy with a monochrome screen and don't need a lot of flashy multimedia features, the $299 HandEra 330 makes an excellent choice, followed closely by Handspring's $199 Visor Neo.

HandEra 330

The HandEra 330 is a handsome black-and-silver unit with the crispest, easiest-to-read gray-scale screen in this roundup. In many ways, it beats Palm's PDAs at their own game, though it costs more than most other gray-scale devices.

You do get a lot for your money: In addition to holding the standard Palm applications, the HandEra comes with both CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion-card slots, a jog wheel, a larger screen, and more Graffiti real estate than other Palm OS devices. It can't play back MP3s, though, and it has no headphone socket. One downer: The syncing cradle uses a serial connection that's slower than the USB connection most other Palm-based devices employ. The HandEra 330 can work with accessories designed for the Palm III; but because this Palm has been discontinued for some time, these are growing harder to find.

Handspring Visor Neo

A great entry-level PDA, the Visor Neo features 8MB of memory, a funky translucent case that shows the electronics (and is available in a choice of colors), and Handspring's Springboard expansion slot. The slot can accommodate an extra-cost gadget such as an MP3 player, a wireless modem, or a GPS receiver, though these add-ons tend to cost more than their CompactFlash counterparts.

The 16-shade gray-scale screen looked fine both indoors and out, thanks to its high contrast and a strong backlight. The Neo uses two AAA batteries.

Handspring Visor Pro

The Visor Pro is a slightly enhanced version of the Neo, with more memory (16MB) and a battery that recharges via a USB cradle. It wraps a silver-colored exterior and a clip-on cover around the standard Handspring hardware. Aside from the Springboard expansion slot, standout features include an LED alarm option and a backlit, high-contrast, 16-shade gray-scale screen.

Palm M125

With its curved exterior, the Palm M125 looks cute. The cheapest PDA in our roundup, M125 has a Secure Digital slot and comes with a USB sync cradle. Palm also sells an even cheaper version, the M105, for $149, but it lacks the Secure Digital slot and uses a serial sync cradle. The M125 weighs just 5.2 ounces, including two AAA batteries. The built-in flip-up cover has a viewing port for checking the time without opening the case.

Bonus software includes a handwriting capture (but not recognition) utility for jotting notes, and DataViz's Documents to Go for viewing and editing Word and Excel files. You also get MGI Photosuite for viewing and editing images and videos--but with only 8MB of memory to work with, your videos will have to be short.

The M125's screen is small: At 1.6 by 1.6 inches, it's the smallest here. Though it looks stylish, it doesn't stand up well against the Handspring Neo.

Sony Clié PEG-T415

At less than 0.4 inches thick, the Clié PEG-T415 is the thinnest PDA in this roundup. A Memory Stick slot provides some expansion options, but fewer Memory Stick devices are available than Springboard, CompactFlash, or Secure Digital ones. Sony offers an optional remote control and headphone-socket device for $130 that turns the Clié PEG-T415 into an MP3 player; you'll also need a Memory Stick (at about $85 for 128MB) to hold the files. If you're willing to spend that much money, buy the Clié PEG-N760C instead: It has the remote, 8MB of memory, an 8MB Memory Stick, and a color screen. The Clié PEG-T415's best features are its back button and a jog dial.

Its worst feature: The monochrome screen is small and dim. Despite offering a decent backlight and double the resolution of the Palm or Handspring models, it's harder to read than the others.

Basic PDAs (chart)

Device	Operating system	Street price (1/23/02)	Internal memory (MB)	Active screen size (inches)1/resolution (pixels)	Expansion slots2	Comments
Best Buy HandEra 330 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=461505)	Palm OS 3.5.2	$299	8	2.9 by 2.2/240 by 320	Secure Digital card, CompactFlash	Plenty of expansion options and an easy-to-read screen.
Handspring Visor Neo (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=469802)	Palm OS 3.5.2	$199	8	2.3 by 2.3/160 by 160	Springboard	Very reasonably priced, but expansion options are expensive.
Handspring Visor Pro (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=469800)	Palm OS 3.5.2	$240	16	2.3 by 2.3/160 by 160	Springboard	An enhanced version of the Neo with rechargeable battery and more memory.
Palm M125 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=496732)	Palm OS 4.0	$180	8	1.6 by 1.6/160 by 160	Secure Digital card	The cheapest PDA reviewed, but with a very small screen and limited memory.
Sony Clie PEG-T415 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=521378)	Palm OS 4.1	$249	8	2.0 by 2.0/320 by 320	Memory Stick	Very thin, but the screen is disappointing; includes remote control and syncing software.

More Color and More Power: Advanced PDAs

If you want a handheld with color, digital audio playback capabilities, better software, and more expansion options, check the PDAs in our advanced category. Our Best Buy is the Cassiopeia E-200, which sells for about $545. We liked the E-200's dual built-in expansion slots and removable battery. The Compaq IPaq H3850 finishes close behind, with a bigger screen and lots of software.

Casio Cassiopeia E-200

The tri-toned metallic Cassiopeia E-200 Pocket PC is the third most expensive PDA in this group; however, it boasts striking looks and both CompactFlash and Secure Digital slots (which can be locked to prevent cards from popping out by accident). The E-200's screen is bright and easy to use in all lighting conditions, and you can swap out the rechargeable battery for a spare one (which costs $45); a backup battery will preserve your data if the main battery runs out. A jog dial on the side permits one-handed use.

Compaq IPaq Pocket PC H3850

The handsome black-and-silver IPaq H3850 is slightly more expensive than the Cassiopeia E-200, but lacks that model's CompactFlash slot and removable battery (it does have a Secure Digital card slot). On the plus side, it has the largest screen we've seen (3 by 2.3 inches) and 64MB of memory. Despite being on the chunky side, it's easy to hold in one hand, and it comes with a slide-on protective case with a flip-open translucent screen cover. Its ample software bundle includes IBM's ViaVoice Mobility Suite for using voice commands. The IPaq allows you to store files in unused space on the flash ROM; they will remain stored there even if the battery runs out completely. Compaq also offers a range of extra-cost add-on sleeves, including one that has a CompactFlash slot ($50) and another that turns the IPaq into a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) cell phone.

Handspring Visor Prism

The Visor Prism is a tad thicker than the Visor Pro and includes only half the memory. But its bright color screen can display 65,536 colors and is easy to read in low light. The unit's cheerful, cobalt-blue plastic casing and Springboard slot for adding MP3 players make it a great handheld for students. The Visor Prism's only downside is that it has a much-lower-resolution screen than Pocket PC PDAs do (160 by 160, versus 240 by 320), creating a rather blocky look.

HP Jornada 565

We admired the silvery-blue HP Jornada's look and its sleek flip-up lid. The lithium ion battery is removable (a spare costs $43), but the PDA has only a CompactFlash slot and 32MB of RAM. The Cassiopeia E-200 and the Toshiba Pocket PC E570 offer twice as much memory, along with both CompactFlash and Secure Digital slots, for a similar price. (HP's Jornada 568 offers 64MB of memory for a street price of around $570). A good range of add-ons are available, including a keyboard that replaces the lid ($60) and a battery that adds a MultiMediaCard slot ($80).

Palm M505

The classy, $325 M505 has a color screen and a distinctively executive look. The unit is thin and light at only 4.9 ounces, yet it includes a Secure Digital slot, has a solid feel, and is available in three colors. You get all the usual Palm applications, plus a vibrating alarm option. Unfortunately, the screen is somewhat dim, and its colors looked washed out compared with those on other color PDAs. Also, the M505's backlight is much fainter than other PDAs'--although this does reduce power drain and boosts how long the built-in rechargeable battery lasts: Our review model ran for several days of moderate use without needing a recharge.

Toshiba Pocket PC E570

The Toshiba Pocket PC E570 is about the same price as the Cassiopeia E-200 and the Ipaq H3850, includes both CompactFlash and Secure Digital slots, and boasts a slightly brighter screen. If you like style, however, the design is disappointingly bland, including a straight row of silver application buttons and a small unadorned directional pad. The single side control activates the voice recorder, which captures too much background noise to be of much use. Battery life is a few hours--typical for Pocket PC devices--but you can't swap the battery.

Advanced PDAs (chart)

Device	Operating system	Street price (1/23/02)	Internal memory (MB)	Active screen size (inches)1/resolution (pixels)	Expansion slots2	Comments
Best Buy Casio Cassiopeia E-200 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=513327)	Pocket PC 2002	$545	64	2.7 by 2.2/240 by 320	CompactFlash, Secure Digital card	Removable battery; bright, clear screen; and plenty of memory.
Compaq IPaq Pocket PC H3850 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=509090)	Pocket PC 2002	$560	64	3.0 by 2.3/240 by 320	Secure Digital card	The biggest screen in the roundup, but no CompactFlash expansion slot.
Handspring Visor Prism (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=421912)	Palm OS 3.5.2	$265	8	2.3 by 2.3/160 by 160	Springboard	Bright screen; cheaper than the Pocket PCs.
HP Jornada 565 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=495294)	Pocket PC 2002	$535	32	2.7 by 2.3/240 by 320	CompactFlash	Good battery life and stylish design, plus a built-in cover.
Palm M505 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=418728)	Palm OS 4.0.1	$325	8	2.2 by 2.2/160 by 160	Secure Digital card	A weak color screen and faint backlight, but very small and stylish.
Toshiba Pocket PC E570 (http://www.csd.toshiba.com/pda/pda_home.html)	Pocket PC 2002	$569	64	2.8 by 2.2/240 by 320	CompactFlash, Secure Digital card	Corporate styling and dual expansion slots, plus a very bright screen.

Talk to the Hand: Combo Devices

We've all been waiting for the perfect tool that combines a PDA and a cell phone in one ultraportable, easy-to-use device. Perfection may not be here yet, but new PDA-and-cell-phone hybrid devices do a reasonable job of merging our favorite electronic devices (and more are on the way).

We looked at five devices--from Audiovox, Handspring, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung--that let you make phone calls, keep track of appointments, send e-mail messages, browse the Web, and much more, as long as you are in range of a cellular phone tower. Some even come with keyboards for typing notes or e-mail.

But these devices are far from flawless. Most of them are larger, more confusing to set up, and more expensive than a stand-alone PDA. Perhaps their biggest drawback: clunky overall designs. Some are structured to work better as a PDA (for managing and organizing information), while others work better as a cell phone (for constant voice communication). In our opinion, none of the models here provides an ideal combination, since they all involve numerous, seemingly unavoidable trade-offs: Having a decent-size keyboard, for instance, means making the device bigger than a conventional cell phone, whereas making them the size of a normal phone means making the keyboard smaller and more difficult to use.

Coming Soon to a Hand Near You

An all-in-one gadget that's smaller and sleeker than most current cell phones just isn't here yet, though new products are coming thick and fast, and a number of interesting devices will be launched later this year, such as the Danger Hiptop.

Soon we'll see models based on Microsoft's Windows-powered Smartphone 2002 platform--previously code-named Stinger--that Microsoft claims will deliver mobile phone, personal information manager functions, e-mail, and Web browsing in one unit. Several companies (including Samsung, Mitsubishi, and Sendo) are working on these devices; when joined with the forthcoming faster 3G and GPRS cellular networks, they should be something to watch for.

Audiovox Maestro PDA1032C and CDM9100

The Audiovox Maestro almost has it all: e-mail, Pocket Microsoft Word and Excel, Web browser, PIM, media player, expandability with Secure Digital and CompactFlash slots, and a cell phone. What it can't do is fit in one pocket, because it consists of two separate devices--a Maestro PDA (a rebadged Toshiba E570 running Pocket PC 2002) and a CDM9100 cell phone--that work together across an included cable. (You can buy such cables for many PDAs and cell phones.) Consequently, you can use each device independently: If you're going somewhere and don't need the PDA, you can take the phone by itself. But if you want the full combo experience, you'll find the Audiovox duo far more awkward than an all-in-one device.

Handspring Treo 180

The Treo 180 combines a PDA and a cell phone into a package smaller than the Handspring Neo; it works better as a PDA than as a cell phone. It has the major functions you'd expect from a Palm handheld, such as scheduling, note taking, and so forth. Best of all, it sports a teeny-tiny QWERTY keyboard for writing e-mail, and it lets you browse Web sites, albeit slowly--a fraction of a page at a time on a very small screen. At 1.9 by 1.9 inches, only the Palm M125's screen is smaller.

Unfortunately, the Treo 180 falls short as a phone because of the receiver's design: Unlike with most cell phones, you must flip up a screen guard to place a call; this protects the screen when it's not in use, but it looks rather clunky. The battery lasted for a couple of days of light use, but you can't swap in a spare one, so for anything more than a short trip you'll need to take along the charger. A speakerphone and headset are also included.

Motorola Accompli 009

The Accompli 009 looks like a miniature laptop suitable for a leprechaun. It sports a tiny QWERTY keyboard and a small color screen that, although reasonably easy to read, is a little dim. The unit is a capable organizer that can be used to store contacts and write memos, but that small keyboard limits it to hunt-and-peck typing.

It can also browse the Web, send text messages to other cell phones, and manage e-mail through built-in programs and Motorola's Wisdom Operating System. Though all of the included applications do a reasonable job, very little other software is available for it. The Accompli supports the three major digital phone standards, but you can't use it as a normal phone simply by holding it to your ear. Instead, you must use the plug-in speakerphone or hands-free headset, which makes it rather more awkward to use as a phone than as a PDA.

Nokia 9290 Communicator

The 9290 Communicator is as pricey as the Accompli 009, yet packs several features--e-mail, Web browsing, Short Message Service messaging, and a PIM--into a medium-size device. Bulkier than the others here at about 6 inches long, 1.8 inches wide, and just under 1 inch deep, it looks like a cell phone from the 1980s when closed up. It opens to reveal a bright, wide-format color screen, a keyboard, and a speakerphone. The built-in apps worked well, and the keyboard is the biggest we've seen on a device of this type.

Samsung SPH-I300

The SPH-I300 does a slightly better job of integrating a PDA with a cell phone than the competition. You get the Palm OS, a color screen, an adequate Web browser and e-mail program, and a reasonably comfortable mobile phone--all in a package about the size of a typical Pocket PC. The battery lasted a couple of days in light use, but you can remove it and swap it with the included spare battery. One minor annoyance: during calls on the SPH-I300 the screen can rub against your cheek and leave make-up or oily marks on the LCD.

Carla Thornton is a contributing editor, Grace Aquino an associate editor, Richard Baguley a senior associate editor, and Yardena Arar a senior editor for PC World.

Combo PDA/Cell Phones (chart)

Device                            	Street price (1/23/02)1      	Memory	Active screen size (inches)2/resolution (pixels)            	Screen type      	Extra features                      	Cellular network            	Comments                              
Audiovox Maestro PDA1032C and CDM9100 (http://www.verizonwireless.com/ics/plsql/pf_start.intro)	$599	32MB	2.8 by 2.2/240 by 320	65,536-shade color	Connection cable; e-mail and Web browsing apps	Verizon Wireless	A PDA and cell-phone bundle. Works well, but is bulkier than the others.
Handspring Treo 180 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php/masterid=548346)	$399	16MB	1.9 by 1.9/160 by 160	16-shade monochrome	Speakerphone, headset, jog dial, keyboard; e-mail and Web browsing apps	Various	An innovative design, but the small screen makes it slightly difficult to use.
Motorola Accompli 009 (http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=239525&prmenbr=126&phone_cgrfnbr=1&zipcode=)	$649	1MB	1.6 by 2.3/240 by 160	256-shade color	Speakerphone, headset; e-mail and Web browsing apps	Cingular	Very small device, but awkward to use as a cell phone.
Nokia 9290 Communicator (http://www.nokiausa.com/communicator/1,4416,|SRC-HM-SB1,00.html)	$650	40MB	1.3 by 4.3/640 by 200	4096-shade color	E-mail and Web browsing apps	Various	Larger than most cell phones, but has a good screen and keyboard.3
Samsung SPH-I300 (http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/PhonesAccessories/PhoneDetails.jsp?selectSkuId=samsungi300)	$499	8MB	2.4 by 1.7/160 by 240	256-shade color	Digital voice and call recorder, spare battery	Sprint PCS	A bright color screen and good cell-phone integration.

Data to Go: Sync and Take Your Data on a Trip

Whichever PDA you choose, you'll want to take your data with you. But if you use a program other than Microsoft Outlook, you may run into trouble: The programs that come with most PDAs work with Outlook only. That's where syncing software comes in: These programs work alongside the syncing apps that come with popular PDAs, supplying the necessary conduits to move information between a PDA and a non-Microsoft desktop program.

Sync Me Up Before You Go

The most popular PDAs come with desktop software--Palm Desktop for Palms, and ActiveSync for Pocket PCs--to transfer that information to and from Microsoft Outlook running on a PC (or to and from Palm Desktop). For people who don't rely on other desktop organizers, these choices may suffice; but business users tied to other personal information managers--say, Lotus Notes or Symantec ACT--need another way to pipe information between these applications and their PDAs.

The most venerable of these, Pumatech's Intellisync, is still the easiest to use. The just-released version 5.0.2 adds support for Pocket PC 2002 devices. On the PIM side, Intellisync supports such programs as ACT, Novell Groupwise, Lotus Notes, Lotus Organizer, and Microsoft Schedule+. If you use different apps for different types of information, no problem: With Intellisync, syncing up your contacts from Outlook and your schedule from Lotus Notes is easy.At $70, however, Intellisync is the most expensive syncing software out there, which gives Laplink's $30 PDASync a real opportunity--especially for users whose syncing needs are simple. Introduced last fall, PDASync supports most of the same PDAs as Intellisync, though Symbian and Pocket PC 2002 are missing (the latter is due in version 2.0, expected later this spring). You can sync up with all the PIMs supported by Intellisync, except Schedule+ and Groupwise, as well as Netmanage Ecco Pro and Frontrange Goldmine.

Unfortunately, PDASync's minimalist user interface lacks the elegance and simplicity of Intellisync's. Though you can set up mix-and-match syncing, the process isn't easy. If you sync frequently or with multiple apps, Intellisync is worth the extra cash. But if your needs are simpler, then PDASync gets the job done--and for less than half as much.

--Yardena Arar

Gadgets for Gadgets: 5 Add-Ons for a PDA

Several handy add-on devices can make your PDA even more useful. Here are some we recommend.

Keyboard: Adding a keyboard such as the fold-up Targus Stowaway or the snap-on Kensington PocketType can make entering or editing text much easier. The Stowaway is the same size as a notebook keyboard; the PocketType is easier to use in confined spaces.

Extra storage: You will be amazed at how much stuff you store on your PDA, so a bit of extra storage space on a CompactFlash memory card or Secure Digital card can help. A 64MB CompactFlash card costs about $35, and a 64MB Secure Digital card costs about $60. Each can hold a couple of hours of music or hundreds of documents.

Wireless network card: With an 802.11b wireless network card, you can access your network. With a Bluetooth card, you can sync your PDA to a properly equipped PC without plugging it in, or use a suitably equipped cell phone as a wireless modem. The Symbol Wireless Networker 802.11b CompactFlash card costs $199, while the Palm Bluetooth Secure Digital Card costs less than $150.

Presentation system: A presentation system such as the Margi Presenter-to-Go lets you plug your Pocket PC or Handspring PDA into any VGA monitor to show presentations, display your digital photographs, or operate your PDA on a bigger screen. A remote control comes with the Presenter-to-Go, and the system does a good job of turning your PDA into a presentation machine.

Protective case: You can protect your PDA from knocks and drops with a sturdy case, such as the $35 Flipout case, which encloses your PDA in reinforced vinyl coating.

--Richard Baguley