What is the difference between a smartphone and a PDA. Pls?

Question

Pls specify examples for each. Thanks

Answer 1

A PDA is an organizer that runs either Windows Mobile operating system or Palm OS. For wireless data communications capability, it can have built-in wi-fi or Bluetooth. It does not have a built-in cellphone. The Palm Zire and Tungsten line are PDA examples.

A Smartphone can be a similar device, and use the same operating systems, but has an integrated cellphone with built-in data connect capability with a 2.5G to 3G protocol such as EVDO for Sprint, or HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE for Cingular. A smartphone usually has a dialer program and other software phone accessories included to make it's phone features more intuitive. Examples of Smartphones are the Audiovox 8225 marketed by Cingular or the Palm Treo line of smartphones, marketed by just about everybody.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Technically speaking, Smartphone is a Microsoft term for a cell phone that has PDA features but does not have a touchscreen. It is also required to run a Windows Mobile operating system to be called a Smartphone. The term Smartphone is becoming a generic term for any cell phone and PDA combo, with or without a touchscreen, much like Kleenex is used to refer to any brand facial tissues, Coke or Pepsi is used to refer to any carbonated soft drink, or Velcro is used to refer to any hook-and-loop fastener.

There are three classifications used to define Windows Mobile products, and it's based upon features and the operating sytem on the phone: Windows Mobile PocketPC Edition, Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition, and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition. These three names have changed, however, with the release of Windows Mobile 6. They are now called Windows Mobile 6 Classic, Windows Mobile Standard, and Windows Mobile Professional, respectively.

The key differences are features. A typical PDA does not have cell phone capabilities. PDAs almost always have touch screens. An example is the classic HP iPAQ, Dell Axim, HP Jornada, Palm IIIc, Palm Zire, etc. A Smartphone cell phone is a hybrid in that it has PDA features such as email, contacts, calendar, tasks, etc, but does not have a touch screen. Typically, because touch input is not a feature, the screens on a Smartphone are smaller, and the phone itself is overall smaller. Then you have the cell phone and PDA combo that does have the touch screen. Examples are the Treo 700w and the Cingular 8125. These are often thought of as a full PDA with phone capabilities.

Prices depend upon features, speed, battery life, etc.

Some new products, such as Apple's iPhone, compare themselves to the Smartphone, but are not true Smartphones.

Check out http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/smartphone/default.mspx for more information.

Answer 3

A smart phone combines a cell phone and a PDA. The Windows Pocket PC edition gives you lots of little apps like Windows has along with your basic PDA functions in a cellphone. Lots of goodies but usually a pretty tiny screen.

Answer 4

You can't call anyone on a PDA.

PDA's specialize in organizational tools - calendars, to-do lists, phonebooks, etc.

Smartphones do all that plus have a cell phone built in.