Will you explain the diff types of PDAs? Why the dramatic diff in price?

Question

Can you buy memory cards for them?

Answer 1

PDAs have the same functions. but the diff is 1.the brand name 2. connectivity such as wi-fi,bluetooth etc. 3. messaging and communications 4. e-mail and internet and web-browsing services.

Answer 2

Type 1: Windows Mobile and Palm OS machines; they are true PDAs as it was originally intended to be for such machine to have user-installable software; Windows Mobile edges out in price because there are more bundled software albeit all those Microsoft programs are sorely stripped in their functionality and weak performance compare to a 3rd party software counterparts in either Windows Mobile or Palm OS; also Windows Mobile's performance is laughable compare to the same spec Palm OS 5 machines even after tuned to non-Microsoft software.

Palm OS 5 devices are using ARM/Intel XScale inside, OS 4 and less uses Motorola and have much weaker performance.

If you want multimedia, Palm OS 5 are better, if office work is more primary, choose Windows Mobile, regardlessly, if you are the hacking techie types, go back to choosing Palm OS 5.

Type 2: Blackberrys and Symbian, once popular as PDAs but not more settled to their niche functions; they are locked to what applications they have on device but still popular.

Type 3: cheap immitations of a Palm, those you see often as bargain devices, they copied the human interfaces of a Newton/Palm and built their own devices around that interfacing concept but nothing else, they are not PDAs but PIMs. Monochrome screens, simple organizer functionalities, unheard-of make and models, scant support. They are often less than $20 in price and simply not expandable.

Answer 3

There are more or less two different 'standards' when it comes to PDA's.

1) Windows Pocket PC or Windows Mobile
All the usual functions of a windows PC with your favourite applications, like Outlook, word etc.

2) Palm / Symbian - uses its own proprietory system for internet browsing & non microsoft applications like 'Real player'. All of the calendar, diary stuff is their own & though it works the same as Windows Mobile apps, its jsut not as immediately familiar to a user. I've noticed some of the Palm based PDA a lot cheaper than Pocket PC/Windows versions.

Since they do the same job, its a case of whether you want an HP, or Compaq or Acer PDA against having a Palm. All of them allow you to use GPS add-ons for maps etc.

I personally go for a windows based mobile phone ( Orange C600 ) which is a nice light little mobile PDA with a very high resolution screen, allows me to surf the net easily, uses outlook for my text messages emails etc, so is easy to set-up if you know about window & which synchrnises with my office PC Outlook for calendar diary etc. also play all my music on my movile phone using windows media player.

Palm Treo mobile phone would also do all that but they are rather large things & I prefer something smaller.

Answer 4

Among the reasons for difference in price:

Processor
Display
Memory
Connectivity

The varying combinations of these will affect price.