In most models, you can use password protection. There are security programs available, too, that can keep someone from getting to your data. And some applications provide encryption. One thing that PDA makers have done to make their devices work better for Internet access is a process called Web Clipping.
Instead of downloading whole Web pages, Web Clipping slices out bits of text information and sends it through the airwaves to your PDA.
News headlines, phone numbers, e-mail and other information can be transmitted this way. Viruses have infected some PDA models. The Phage virus, for example, overwrites some of Palm's executable files. Several companies have devised anti-virus software for PDAs. If you download programs from the Internet, you can be vulnerable to viruses. You have to watch out for the same things that you would if you downloaded a file to your desktop computer.
Be cautious about downloading a file or program that comes from a source you don't know. To find out more about computer viruses, read How Computer Viruses Work.
The data commonly stored on PDAs doesn't take up much memory -- it's mostly text without images, so you can store a lot before you run out of room. Some PDAs need more memory for their operating systems; and if you use your PDA for e-mail or accessing the Internet, you'll need more memory. If you worry about having enough, you could choose a model that has expandable memory. PDA development, like the rest of the computing world, moves very quickly. The models available today have more functions and can be less expensive than the models available a few years ago.
Eventually, PDAs will merge with cell phones and use a cellular network to communicate via voice as well as text. It is also likely that PDAs will become faster and have more memory as computer technology advances. The key to buying a PDA that suits you is to consider what you will use it for, then buy the model that will fill that need.
Think of the function rather than the form. For example, if your primary need is for an organizer to keep your appointments and contacts, you will be able to use any good PDA for years to come. If you are the kind of person who develops "computer envy," then you might look for an upgradeable model and watch for the latest software. On the next page, you'll find out about PDA software programs that'll make your job simpler and easier. PDAs have always been an essential tool for the busy executive.
Today's PDA software allows professionals to say organized as well as connected. They can work no matter where they are. Most PDAs come standard with an office application suite word processor, spreadsheet, etc. Traveling executives can open e-mail attachments with their PDA, edit documents and send them back to associates while on the road. But PDAs aren't used just for business.
The same software can be used to download and play games like chess, Sudoku and backgammon. So, if you use your PDA for business or pleasure, just remember that there's software working behind the scenes to make it all possible. For more information about PDA software and related topics, check out the links on the next page.
Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Travel Gadgets. How PDAs Work. See more pictures of essential gadgets. Types of PDAs " ". Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper. A vast library of third-party applications more than 20, that you can add to the system most devices come bundled with e-mail , productivity and multimedia software An updated version of the Graffiti handwriting-recognition application Synchronization with both Windows and Macintosh computers using the Palm Desktop Smaller displays than Pocket PCs to accommodate a dedicated Graffiti area on the device Some higher-end Palm devices now incorporate a virtual Graffiti area in the display, resulting in a larger display area.
Pocket versions of Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook note that some formatting is lost between Pocket and standard versions of documents Synchronization with Microsoft Outlook on a Windows PC synchronization with e-mail systems other than Outlook or with Macintosh computers requires additional software Three handwriting-recognition applications: Transcriber, Letter Recognizer similar to the new version of Graffiti , and Block Recognizer similar to the original Graffiti A virtual writing area, which maximizes the display size Windows Media Player for multimedia content.
A cellular service provider to handle phone service As with cell phones, you typically purchase a cellular plan and smart phone from the service provider. Store contact information names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses Make to-do lists Take notes Track appointments date book, calendar Remind you of appointments clock, alarm functions Perform calculations.
All types of devices can run other kinds of software including games, multimedia, expense, diet and exercise, travel, medical, time and billing, and reference. In Sync.
Some devices also support synchronization and data transfer through wireless connections such as Bluetooth. Push the sync button on the device or cradle to start the synchronization process.
Read More. Common PDA Functions " ". It's commonly used to sync with a notebook computer that has an IR port. Bluetooth wirelessly connects it's a radio frequency technology that doesn't require a clear line of sight to other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as a headset or a printer. Internet and corporate network connectivity through Wi-Fi and wireless access points Support for Wireless WAN Wide Area Networks ; the cellular data networks that provide Internet connectivity for smart phone devices A memory card slot that accepts flash media such as CompactFlash, MultiMediaCard, and Secure Digital cards Media cards act as additional storage for files and applications.
Audio support for MP3 files and a microphone, speaker jack and headphone jack. Integrated security features such as a biometric fingerprint reader. The PDA Computer " ". Here's an inside view of a PDA. The circuit board folds away from the screen. In the middle of the single-layer circuit board is the microprocessor, and to the left and above are the memory chips.
Traffic on this line is not sufficiently large to introduce latencies, but to be on the safe side, we also measured transfer times after working hours. This gave no significant difference in transfer capacity. Test number one was intended to calculate the real transmission capacity of the Internet connection by transferring a picture of pre-determined size, and time the transfer to calculate the transmission capacity.
The transmission was done using HTTP over PPP, which means that not only the link capacity was tested, but also the performance of the browser and protocol implementations. The user is likely to perceive this as a package with the transmission.
Test number two was intended to check how large a picture an HTML-page can hold in conjunction with text, before the transmission becomes untenable. Here, heuristic criteria were used to determine the waiting time. The test was first conducted with text only, and the transfer time of the text file was measured. We then added the picture to the page, and measured the transfer time. After this, we successively increased the picture size and timed the transfer.
From this we were able to construct a maximum picture size, by measuring the time for the transfer with and without picture, and compare this with the acceptable waiting time. Test number three was intended to measure how many pictures you can have on a page before the screen size becomes a limit.
This may be relevant in case of maps, for instance. We did this test by downloading four different pictures and measuring the transfer time. We also admittedly subjectively checked the picture quality as displayed. The intent was only to get a rough idea of the possible resolution of the pictures of the page.
Looking back, we may have designed these pages somewhat differently, but they still give a fairly good idea about how large and complicated pages can be to be read on a PDA. The information may seem insignificant, but is relevant for users who use a fixed computer as their regular access machine, and unconsciously will compare this to the wireless access.
The setup of the test system and the practical testing took more time than what was expected. The test pages could have been selected in a more appropriate manner, since they occasionally became too large for the PDA. On the other hand, finding the capacity limits was one of the purposes of the test. To be able to retrieve information from a WWW server over the Internet on a Apple Messagepad , you will have to install two pieces of software in the PDA in subsequent versions corresponding software is pre-installed.
The other is a browser, where there currently are two products: NewtsCape and NetHopper. The latter is a commercial product, but does not support graphics as of this writing.
The other, NewtsCape, does. It is shareware. Since one intent of the test was to involve pictures, the choice was easy. We installed NewtsCape. This device is the most mobile, since all Internet technology is already built in, and the mobile telephone integrated in the equipment. To connect to the Internet, it is sufficient to open the device, press the Internet key, type the address, and press Enter.
After a while sometimes, as we see below, quite a long wile the page is displayed in reasonable quality. Navigation is done with arrow keys, which can be somewhat tedious if the page has several links. If you have used Windows 95, the user interface is familiar and the software is pre-installed. It is in our opinion even simpler than in Windows A 20 inch colour screen was connected, and set to show thousands of colours.
The connection to the Internet was over a T1 connected via Ethernet to the computer. Theoretically, this meant that the fixed connection was times faster than the mobile connection. Many can accommodate flash memory cards to increase space for data storage. Many PDAs can be used to view digital photographs or sometimes video, and can be used to play music in MP3 format. Some PDAs even have integral digital cameras.
PDAs are designed to connect with personal computers and other PDAs to transfer data between them using a range of communication links, such as Bluetooth and infrared.
At the more expensive end of the range, some PDAs have built-in mobile phones and can connect to the internet to send and receive email. This activity is intended to help you consolidate your learning from sections 8—14 and give you some practice in working with the technological content of an article. Note: In case you're not familiar with it, the National Grid for Learning is at the time of writing a government initiative in the UK that provides a network of educational resources on the internet.
These resources are available for use by children, parents and teachers as well as librarians and those involved in adult education. View document [ Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. Hide tip ]. The PDA has a digital camera for images, a voice recorder for sound, a touch screen and 'Graffiti' software which converts handwriting to text.
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