PDA Phones with All the Bells and Whistles
If you ask, a microbiologist, what a PDA is, he would say ‘Potato dexterose agar. Ask a technophobic politician in Canada, he would most probably tell you it was the centrist Progressive Democratic Alliance. However, in the context of gadgets found today, PDA most certainly means a Personal Digital Assistant (coined in 1992 by Apple’s then CEO John Sculley when he was referring to the Apple Newton). This is a device which in layman’s terms means a pocket computer. These gadgets have various uses and seem to keep on increasing in features over the years.
Originally they were basic PCs which meant the user could use them for typing documents, playing some games, using them as address books, checking the time and even listening to the radio. They were characteristically built with touch screens for easy browsing. However, as time passed by, more and more of the PDAs came standard with internet access, allowing the user to surf the web on the go. Each PDA has its own operating system such as Palm OS (for Palmpilots) or Blackberry OS (present in BlackBerry’s).
The Arrival of PDA Phones
Relatively recently however, PDAs started arriving with audio capabilities which allowed them to be used as mobile phones as well as pocket computers. Such PDA Phones are called Smart Phones and are extremely common today.
A PDA and a PDA phone are not to be confused with. A PDA is merely a pocket computer and does not have the option to be used as a mobile phone. An example of a basic PDA is an early Palmpilot model, the Pilot 5000, which did not even have a full color screen, let alone audio capabilities. A PDA phone example, on the other hand would be that of the new Blackberry Pearl 8100. In today’s capitalistic world, competition is found everywhere- and the PDA phone market is no exception.
Earlier on, there were few phones to choose from, and the prices were extremely steep. But these days there are a plethora of models and makers to choose from, and thanks to competition in the service provider market, they aren’t that hard on your wallet. If you are looking for a basic PDA phone and don’t really care for added gimmicks such as cameras and the like, then the Palm Treo 270 is a good bet. It is solid and has a flip cover which protects the keyboard from scratches and dust. However, it has been discontinued by AT&T and T-Mobile and you should be able to find a used one online.
However, if you want a powerful PDA phone with the works, look no further than the BlackBerry Pearl 8100. This device comes packed with a 1.3MP camera and it is EDGE internet enabled. You should find one for less than $350.
