Are you PDA (personal digital assitant) User? Important Facts Of PDA's

802.11b—Also called Wi-Fi, 802.11b is another technical industry standard for wireless LANs (local-area networks). Although it supports more users and operates over longer distances, 802.11b requires more power and storage. PDAs and handheld computers with 802.11b capabilities can perform the same networking tasks as Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Bluetooth—Bluetooth is a technical industry standard that facilitates communication between wireless devices such as mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants) and handheld computers, and wireless enabled laptop or desktop computers and peripherals. A single Bluetooth-enabled wireless device is capable of making phone calls, synchronizing data with desktop computers, sending and receiving faxes, and printing documents. For example, an individual can use a Bluetooth connection to print a document from his PDA. Bluetooth devices use a microchip transceiver that operates on the 2.45GHz frequency and have a range of up to 10 meters (approximately 33 feet).

flash memory—Flash memory stores permanent information on some palm-sized computers. Unlike RAM (random-access memory), flash memory can continue to store information in the absence of a power source. Palm devices often make use of flash memory to store the operating system and core applications. Unlike ROM (read-only memory), you can write to flash memory, making it possible to update the operating system and applications via software. Flash memory is more expensive than ROM. Graffiti—Graffiti is the handwriting-recognition program that's included as part of the Palm operating system. Graffiti requires the user to write using a specified script. The script is easy to learn and fairly forgiving, which makes it easy to use.

Graffiti 2—Graffiti 2 is replacing the Graffiti character recognition application in the Palm OS, starting with Palm OS 5. Based on Jot, Graffiti 2 lets users write some characters with two strokes, where Graffiti required each character to be written with a single stroke.

HAST (hyper amorphous silicon thin-film transistor)—A display technology developed by Casio and used in its Cassiopeia brand PocketPC/Windows CE devices. This technology helps to create a brighter, more vibrant color display that's even capable of playing short movie clips. Jot—Jot is a handwriting-recognition program from Computer Intelligence Corporation (CIC). Unlike

Graffiti, Jot lets you enter characters using several different scripts. For instance, Jot allows you to write an "e" in several different ways. Windows CE devices typically use Jot as their handwriting recognition software, although versions for the Palm OS are available. Palm OS—Designers of the Palm OS built the operating system to run well on hardware with limited power. Today, Palm Computing licenses its Palm OS to a variety of companies, including Handspring and IBM. Palm OS products dominate the palm-sized market. palm-sized computer—A palm-sized computer is usually smaller than a handheld computer and doesn't rely on a keyboard for data entry. The most popular method of data entry for these devices is handwriting recognition.

PDA (personal digital assistant)—A PDA is a small portable device that, at the very least, should be able to store phone numbers, tasks, and appointments. A PDA also should be able to synchronize with your desktop computer, letting you enter information on either device and then update it to the other device. Palm-sized computers and handheld computers are both PDAs.

PIM (personal information management) software—PIM software helps you organize your phone numbers, tasks, appointments, and even notes and e-mail in one place. Most PDAs have at least some PIM functionality and usually include software for your desktop system. Microsoft Outlook, Symantec's ACT!, and Palm's Palm Desktop are three examples of PIM software.

RAM (random-access memory)—RAM is the common storage medium for PDA devices. All personal information, as well as any additional programs you install, is stored in RAM. Unfortunately, RAM requires power to maintain any information written to it. Therefore, even when the device is "off," it's drawing some charge from the battery. A small backup battery usually protects information in RAM while you change the main batteries.

ROM (read-only memory)—Unlike RAM, ROM does not need a constant power source to maintain information. Usually, ROM will contain the operating system and maybe a few extra programs included by the manufacturer. However, you generally can't write to ROM, so you can't save additional information to it. solid-state technology—Solid-state technology refers to devices that have no moving parts. Moving parts wear down over time and can be somewhat delicate. Because solid-state devices lack moving parts, they are usually more durable. stylus—A stylus is a pointing device that looks like a pen. You use a stylus on devices with a touch screen so that you don't scratch the screen.

TFT (thin-film transistor)—Sometimes known as active-matrix LCDs (liquid-crystal displays), this is another type of flat-panel screen used on laptop computers and is becoming standard on PDAs. TFT technology produces much sharper, more colorful images than CSTN technology but is also more expensive. Pocket PC—Pocket PC is Microsoft's

OS (operating system) for PDAs. It looks similar to the Windows OS, and has a similar file system. You can connect a Pocket PC to your computer and browse your PDAs files as you can your PC's files. This is feature that Palm OS lacks. The most recent version of Pocket PC is Pocket PC 2002.

Windows Mobile—The primary OS (operating system) in the Pocket PC market is Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile replaced Windows CE in most current Pocket PCs, has much of the look and feel of Windows, and features many "pocket" versions of popular Microsoft applications, such as Pocket Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer. Windows Mobile can also run set-top boxes, video game systems, palm-sized devices, and other consumer electronics. The current version is Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.