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PDA
- Personal Digital Assistants
by Scott King
The buzz word is
"wireless" and the ubiquitous device to manage and access Internet information
from anywhere, at anytime is "PDA". Experts forecast that the demand for
handheld PDAs, including Pocket PCs (PPCs) and Palm OS based devices, could more than
double in the next three years from just over 10 million units this year. We reviewed four
of the most popular high-end PDAs on the market with list prices ranging between $400.00
and $600.00.
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Color screen quality, collections of application and communication
software, and built-in memory are proven to be critical in making a purchasing decision of
a handheld PDA. Top on our list is the Casio Cassiopeia E-115. This Pocket PC/OS based PDA
is versatile, robust and ergonomically designed for users who require sophisticated
multimedia
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Casio
Cassiopeia E-115 |
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Hewlett
Packard Jornada 548 |
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high-resolution 65,536 color TFT (Thin Film Transistors) LCD display and powerful 131 MHz NEC
VR4121 processor lets the user view movies in Cassiopeia original movies file (CMF) format
and surf the Internet in vibrant color or play MP3 with rich stereo sound. The Cassiopeia E-115 comes with an extensive
Microsoft and Casio software suite and CompactFlash expansion slot on the back so that the
user can add memory and functionality, such as a modem or wireless card. The E-115 weighs
only 9 ounces and runs for approximately 6 hours without recharging, when continuously
inputing with the screen brightness at the lowest possible level. This powerful Cassiopeia
E-115 lists for $599.99 but is available online for $514.99.
The Hewlett Packard Jornada 548 is the first PDA model from HP on the market that is built
on the Windows Pocket PC/OS platform. The device, powered by a
133 |
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| MHz 32-bit Hitachi processor, has a
compact design and sleek professional look. A 12-bit color CSTN passive matrix LCD
4,096 color display is sharp, but less bright than the Cassiopeia E-115. The Jornada 548 pocket PC weighs slightly over 9
ounces and has a built-in voice recorder. The lithium-ion rechargeable battery has an
average lifetime of 8 hours, but the power can be completely drained after a few
hours of continuous MP3 play. The Journada 548 is loaded with a large collection of
application and communication software |
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| including AOL Mail 1.0, and
Yahoo! Messenger. The model lists for $449.99 and at the time of this review, there were
no special offers available at any major online store. The Compaq
iPAQ 3635 is the high-end full featured Pocket PC from the iPAQ 3600 series.
Designed to be functional and eye-catching, the model is powered by a SA-1100 206 MHz
Strong ARM Intel processor with a color-reflective TFT active matrix display and built-in
sensor to automatically adjust the screen brightness. |
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Compaq iPAQ 3635 |
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| Because the screen displays up to only 4,096 colors, some users
may find photo images to be somewhat grainy. The model comes with Windows CE 3.0, Internet
Explorer 5.0 and collections of application, communications, and utility software
packages. The ultra-thin metallic color iPAQ 3635 weighs |
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Palm
m505 |
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only 6.3 ounces
and lists for $449.99 with a $50.00 manufacturer mail in rebate. Most of the online stores
offer a promotion that features the iPAQ 3636 bundled
with a CompactFlash Expansion Jacket for the same price of $499.99.
Despite
a rapid gain in the popularity of the Pocket PCs, close to 60 percent of the handheld PDAs
sold worldwide are still based on Palm OS platform. |
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The m505 is the latest PDA model from Palm
that comes equipped with an advanced 65,536 colors LCD display. The elegantly designed
Palm m505 unit is powered by a 33 MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor and comes with only
8MB standard memory. In spite of the advanced LCD display, users may feel that the
Palm m505 screen is less
bright and vibrant than those of other high-end Pocket PCs. The model weighs less than 5
ounces and lists for $449.99. -- 10/10/01
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