From big corporate overlords to scrappy small business owners, many have touted the wonders of personal digital assistants (PDAs). But there are different ways to use these devices in different businesses, and operators, managers and owners have to find the right fit for outfitting their workers.

You can find various PDA models online for any kind of job. Choose from feature sets in classic PDAs for office, commute or field work, smart phone, GPS or other capabilities, or basic, easy to use models. Buyers might look for:

1. Heavy-duty models for workers in field jobs from utilities to municipal crews that need to combine new digital technology with a good old traditional hard day's work.

2. basic, stripped-down PDAs for getting information to staffers who just need to read and assimilate a lot of information while on the go.

3. more feature rich PDAs or handheld computers for executives who want more options on the road.

Action Steps for PDA Selection
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use heavy duty personal data assistants to enable field staff

Workers out in the field can use PDAs for referencing critical documents such as instructions and regulation documents, or navigating via GPS. Find durable, rugged styles of PDAs appropriate for giving your remote workers the tools they need to keep track of projects and stay on task.

I recommend: Find durable PDA and smart phone units made for rugged environments at PDA providers like GoRoute, where models are visually displayed. Expansys has more for workers going out into a busy world.

Get simple reader personal digital organizer models for staff on the go

If your people need basic Internet download capability for getting more documents on the fly, you can get them PDA capabilities with basic models that showcase data on-screen. Skip the full smartphone models and save a bundle with PDAs that target your intended use.

I recommend: Get Palm products from the classic PDA Palm company, maker of the original Palm Pilot, with a range of features for easy use, including visual screens for information access. For another simple reading handheld, try the Nokia 770 Internet tablet available at low prices online from Original Accessory.

Look for executive style PDA models for top brass

If you're a small business owner or someone who needs to stay involved in every aspect of the business, a feature-rich PDA can be your window into managing client accounts, vendors, daily task sheets and more. Look for power PDA models as alternatives to smart phones and other daily tools that can get you results.

I recommend: Get the Palm Tungsten E, a feature-rich executive PDA for doing all of the stuff the top dog needs to do every day, at Camcor.com. For another great executive buy, the Dell 624 MHz Axim X50v which features a range of useful features from Gizmos2go.com.

Tips & Tactics for Selecting a PDA

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Personal digital organizers and smart phones are quickly becoming integrated and somewhat interchangeable. For executive tools, look for models that give you online buying and selling, GPS and all of your other features at affordable prices. That generally means going with a blend of the smart phone/PDA technology, where a cell phone vendor can get you set up efficiently with the wireless services that power your device.

If you've ever written a potential client's phone number or email on a scrap of paper or jotted down a sales appointment on a napkin, you're a prime candidate for a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). These lightweight handheld computers allow you to view and update your calendar, read and send email, write memos and much, much more. Smart business owners are recognizing the value of a PDA for themselves and for key employees. A PDA can:

1. Keep you connected to employees and customers at all times.
2. Keep you more organized.
3. Enhance your professional image.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

PDA basics

The days when a PDA was no more than a simple electronic organizer are long gone. Originally, a PDA had a black-and-white screen, and functionality limited to a calendar, a to-do list, a memo pad, an address book, and a calculator. Now they can do email, access the Web, recognize your handwriting, record voice memos, and may come equiped with expansion slots, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and software compatibility. Even the most affordable models have a color screen with backlighting, and the ability to add additional programs, many of which can be downloaded free from the Web.

I recommend: Check this comparison chart from HelloMobile.com that lists the basic features you get with a Palm or Pocket PC PDA. Find out which handhelds are adequate for business purposes and for entrepreneurs who travel frequently at CNET.com and check out the editors' picks in the business buying guide.

Accessorize your PDA

Make the most of your PDA with accessories, such as extra memory cards, miniature keyboards, GPS receivers, travel kits, belt clips, screen protectors, sync cables, car mounts, protective cases and more.

I recommend: Find accessories at ExtremePDA .com or Business.com's listing of PDA accessories providers.

Soup up with PDA software

If you need to access common software programs, such as Microsoft Power Point or Adobe Acrobat, you may be able to purchase or download these programs. Dozens of other software programs are available as freeware.

I recommend: Find freeware for the Pocket PC at PocketPCSoft.net, for the Palm at FreewarePalm.com, and for a wide range of PDAs at Business.com's PDA software page.

Sync your PDA

The ability to synchronize your PDA calendar, address book and to-do lists with the contact manager on your desktop PC is one of the best benefits of a PDA. However, some PDAs don't come equipped with the ability to sync to certain popular contact managers, such as Lotus Notes, Act! or GoldMine.

I recommend: Purchase synchronization software from providers, such as CompanionLink.com, which offers a free 14-day trial for its syncing solutions.

Turn your PDA into a cell phone

Choosing a PDA that's also a cell phone — called a smart phone — means you only have one piece of equipment to tote around.

I recommend: The BlackBerry is one of the most popular smart phones on the market.

Train employees who will be using PDAs

There's nothing worse than buying an expensive piece of technology for an employee only to discover they never use it because they don't know how it works. Take time to train employees on how to get the most out of their PDA, and everyone will benefit.

I recommend: Help employees get started on a PDA with Palm tutorials from AtomicLearning.com or download Pocket PC tutorials at Microsoft.com. Learn more about Palm business solutions through Webinars archived at Palm.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't buy a PDA that's loaded with features you don't need.
• •  Buy from a reputable dealer and make sure you can return your PDA if there's a problem.
• •  Get the most out of your PDA by taking the time to understand all of its features.

The popularity of personal digital assistants, or PDAs, to handle personal information from remote places is on the rise as leaders in many industries and fields take up these handy digital tools to stay connected while commuting or out on the road. The PDA represents one of America's essential communication tools in the new high-tech economy.

Buyers and users of PDAs will want to stay in the know about what's happening in the personal digital organizer sector. Readers of news on PDA devices will want to know:

1. What are the newest personal data assistants and handheld computers on the market and how they compete.

2. How other businesses use PDAs in specific industries for specialized tasks.

3. What may be on the horizon for cutting edge PDA technology.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get newsletters from groups covering personal data assistants

One source for the latest in PDA news is an online newsletter. Check out the offerings of groups that keep a finger on the pulse of the PDA industry, and see what's going on with emerging devices and trends.

I recommend: Tom's Hard News provides news on PDAs as well as notebook computers, smartphones and GPSs. Subscribe to the Fundamental Objects newsletter covering PDAs and related gear.

Get industry specific news on personal data assistants

Some users will want to tailor their news sources to the field they work in. Medical PDA use, for example, is often different from how personal digital assistants are used in business. Find personal data assistants news sources based on your profession or type of business.

I recommend: Doctors and those in a medical field can find PDA news for the operating room or hospital floor at Doctors Gadgets.com. For more on PDAs and other gear from the business side, Information Week is a popular resource, bringing business analysis to the technology sector.

Get more broad spectrum news on PDAs

For more in ongoing news about what kinds of electronic organizers are in use today and what may be coming for users of PDAs, look to other websites that continually cover PDA models and other new technology.

I recommend: PDAToday.com offers PDA news and more, all on their full-scale website. Find more on personal data assistant models at Dig Everything.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you're looking for personal data assistants and similar devices, don't overlook the looming threat of obsolescence. Buy just what's needed for your company and be happy with it, but don't flock to the 'cutting edge' thinking your new devices will stay on the forefront of technology forever. These kinds of devices change rapidly; take steps to make sure you will be satisfied with what you're using long-term.

Originally, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were a distinct category of technology that encompassed small hand-held devices. These devices were designed to keep track of appointments, memos and address books in an electronic format that could easily synch with the user's personal computer. As technology has improved, various phones and other hand-held devices have taken on the typical PDA functionality, minimizing the need to carry multiple devices.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pocket PC

The Pocket PC is a Windows platform for mobile devices such as hand-held PDAs and smartphones. It incorporates Windows mobile operating system software with various other applications to produce an environment that is familiar to almost any PC user. Pocket PCs include the mobile version of Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet Explorer, as well as several other applications designed specifically for the hand-held environment.

I recommend: PCMag provides a clear explanation of the Pocket PC.

Palm OS

The Palm OS was one of the original hand-held device operating systems. It has been used in a variety of smartphones. Palm OS contained several applications to help users keep a daily schedule such as a datebook, address book, to-do list, and memo pad. The software also synchs with Windows- and Mac-based emulators that could be used to enter, delete and view information on a personal computer.

I recommend: SearchMobileComputing.com details various aspects of the Palm OS.

Smartphone

Smartphone is a general term used to describe any mobile phone that can run a complete operating system such as Windows Mobile or Palm OS. Smartphones contain a variety of features and applications. Although almost all smartphones contain basic organization applications such as address books and calendars, not all smartphones are really PDAs. Some smartphones are designed to be communication devices, Internet browsers or music players.

I recommend: Phone Scoop explains what constitutes a smartphone.

BlackBerry

The BlackBerry is a specific smartphone designed primarily for sending and receiving email. It was the first device that allowed users to access their work and personal email without needing a separate email address just for the phone. BlackBerries also contain Internet access and a full suite of organizational software. Because of the popularity of the BlackBerry, a large number of after-market applications are available to fit the specific needs of the user.

I recommend: ZDNet discusses the history of the BlackBerry, including specific information about email and the keyboard.

iPhone

The iPhone by Apple is a high-end smartphone that provides users with a true Internet experience. With the Safari browser, users can integrate their phone and their Internet productivity tools. The iPhone offers many features, including a touch screen, camera phone, text messaging, visual voice mail and a portable media player.

I recommend: The Apple website gives specific features of the iPhone product.

MP3 player

As many PDAs have gained the capacity to store and play music, MP3 players have expanded their range to include features consistent with those of many PDAs. For instance, the iPod Touch has most of the features included in the iPhone, including Internet access and a dizzying array of applications.

I recommend: CNET offers advice about purchasing an MP3 player, detailing factors that distinguish one MP3 player from another.