Which PDA is for you? Palm OS vs Pocket PC

By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

JAKARTA (JP): Quite simply put, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are no longer the technology of tomorrow. They are the reality of today.

They are just as useful, practical, and applicable, albeit still less popular, than you cellular phone.

And just like your cellular phone, there are many models and types to choose from. It can all be quite confusing.

One thing is guaranteed, once you pick up one of these gadgets you will not be able to put it down.

But which one to choose?

There are basically two platforms, or operating systems to choose from.

By selecting one over the other the user will automatically be aligned to a particular exclusive type: Palm OS or Pocket PC.

Unfortunately it is a case of one or the other, you can't have it both ways.

Unless of course you have so much disposable income that you decide to buy two machines.

Even in its most rudimentary form, PDAs are more than just organizers.

The growth of PDAs, spurned by the popularity of Palm and development of so called "third party applications", has pushed the capability limits of these palm-sized computers.

Due to the versatility of PDAs the question is no longer what can PDAs do? But rather what can't they do.

Think of it as your desktop PC, but with more portability than your laptop.

PDAs make it much easier to record notes and schedule our days on the go without having to immediately rush back to your desk to punch it into Microsoft Outlook.

If you are like most PC users and use your desktop for basic information processing (word processing, spreadsheets etc.), personal management and data storage, not to mention games of course, then PDAs will serve you well as a desktop away from your desk.

Combined with a data enabled cellular phone you are also constantly able to connect to the Internet, whether regular browsing on the World Wide Web, WAP or e-mails.

If you pickup a Pocket PC, you can even use it for multimedia such as listening to MP3 and video.

Software

Palm OS is currently the most popular system on the market with industry estimates putting it at over 75 percent of the PDA global market which is currently estimated at about over seven million users.

The first model was introduced by the Palm company in 1996.

One of the reasons for the Palm OS' popularity is its simplicity of use with even the most technologically-challenged able to immediately start using these devices.

The ability of the Palm OS does not hinge on "bells or whistles", although that can come later once you become more adept at it. It puts the most important and frequently used functions straight up front with a simple click of an icon.

Other operating systems have fallen by the wayside since, however with the introduction of Microsoft's Pocket PC and attractive PDAs supporting the simplified Windows platform such as Compaq's iPAQ and Hewlett-Packard's Jornada series earlier this year the Palm OS is in for some serious competition.

Pocket PC's main appeal is that its look and feel is similar to Windows, which is used basically by almost everyone owning a PC.

The "bells and whistles" are also attractive as Pocket PC PDAs are usually equipped with a Media Player and most of these devices, the iPAQ being the most notable, are in brilliant color.

The Pocket PC also is superior in its ease of integration as it easily synchronizes and adopts the look and feel of many Windows-based programs which, like it or not, we use everyday such as Microsoft Outlook, MS-Word and Excel.

This also means that Pocket PC arguably integrates e-mails and its attachments more naturally.

Palm OS requires further third party applications which can be quite awkward.

This also goes for web browsing whereas the Pocket PC displays web pages more satisfactorily.

But the extra elegance found in the Pocket PC does not come cheap and this is likely one factor that will turn away price- conscious buyers who really want the basics without the superfluous extravagance of color and multimedia.

Currently Pocket PCs market at about US$500, or $499, as vendors would point out, while basic entry level Palm OS devices can go as low as $149. The Palm m100 being one of them.

Another major factor, and some say the most important, is the so called third party applications.

Because of the popularity of the Palm OS, these applications, developed individually by companies or just plain Palm lovers, provide an array of software to satisfy your every need albeit with varying degrees of success.

Thousands of software, from games, world clock, currency conversion, global positioning systems, city map guides to guitar tuners are available. What is more, many if not most of these are freely downloadable through the Internet.

The Pocket PC is severely lacking in this respect and as some might say "what's the use of the hardware if you don't have the software".

This may change however should the Pocket PC gain more popularity and more credibility among die-hard PDA users.

In the final analysis the Palm OS is generally regarded as a simpler device with an easily manageable operating system and functionality.

Pocket PC offers more lavish applications and is often more soothing on the eyes but comes with increased cost and bulkier weight and size.

Below is a general description of the most commonly found models on the market for both the Palm and Pocket PC platforms:

Palm OS

Palm IIIxe

Has eight megabytes of RAM and is also now the senior citizen of the Palm family. Selling at a price of about $249 the Palm IIIxe has a broad range of compatible peripherals.

It is powered by two AAA batteries which can last for up to three to four weeks.

Palm IIIc

Similar casing to the Palm III but now in 256-color display, according to the manufacturers. A nice change from the greenish/grayscale displays on other Palm devices.

It comes with a rechargeable battery and costs $399.

Palm Vx

The sleekest and slimmest Palm model on the market with its metal-aluminum color finish. It was initially introduced as Palm V with a meager two-megabytes of RAM.

The Vx model, price is $399, is exactly the same but now with eight-megabytes of RAM.

One of its most notable features is its lithium-ion batteries which can last up to a week on a single recharge.

Palm VIIx

Wireless connectivity is the essence of this model.

Adopting the Palm III casing, this model is equipped with an antenna which allows it wireless connectivity.

Primarily in the United States where you can subscribe to a service plan the Palm VIIx can connect to palm.net's service where you can retrieve e-mail and retrieve information from the Web using palm query applications.

Handspring Visors

It cannot really be called a clone as those who helped create it were members of the original team of Palm developers.

There are several models of Handspring, including color display versions, with prices ranging from $179 to $449.

One revolutionary development is the addition of a springboard slot in the back for peripherals.

Among the devices the slot can accommodate are additional memory modules and modems.

The latest model, introduced two months ago is the Prism and the Platinum.

The Prism has a color display which simply outclasses the Palm IIIc. Not surprisingly it boasts 65,000 colors on its 160 x 160- pixel display.

If you want processing speed then the Platinum is it as it is quite simply said to be the fastest Palm OS device around with the Motorola DragonBall VZ processor inside.

TRG TRGpro

TRGpro is similar to the Palm III but with the added feature of a CompactFlash slot. This allows, among other things, the memory expansion from eight-megabytes of RAM to 340 megabytes using the CompactFlash.

This is a very handy feature for users who need to store a vast amount of data from the field.

Sony Clie

Sony's much anticipated venture into the PDA field gave birth to the Clie, which actually is an acronym for "communication, link, information and entertainment".

Apart from going its own way in terms of the casing design, the Clie supports the Memory Stick found in other Sony's digital cameras and Handycams.

It tries to go the route of the Pocket PC in some respects by giving it more multimedia features like PictureGear.

Images can even be used within the address book, so you can attach faces to names.

There is also what is called a gMedia player which can play video at about 10 frames per second.

Currently grayscale display, a color model is expected sometime in the next year.

IBM WorkPad

The word "clone" is probably most suitable for IBM's model as it emulates the very shape and size of the Palm Vx. It even costs about the same.

Pocket PC:

Compaq iPAQ

Has become a hit since it entered the market. Its two most important features are its gorgeous color display and 206- megahertz processor.

Casio also has Expansion Packs which allows CompactFlash cards, PC Cards and modems to be added.

The color model costs $499 while a grayscale display model also exists for $100 less.

Hewlett-Packard Jornada

HP's Jornada 545 and 548 models are similar in that they use a 133-MHz processor and a rechargeable battery that can last about eight hours.

The 545 is a 16-megabyte version which costs $499 while the 548 is a 32-megabyte version for about $50 more. Both have a CompactFlash memory slot.

It is also worth mentioning that there is also the sub- notebook like Jornada 720 which is much larger than your average PDA as it has a three-quarter size keyboard.

It has a color 6.5-inch display which can produce 65,000 color with a resolution of 640 x 240.

Unfortunately is also costs like a sub-notebook at nearly $1,000.

Casio Cassiopeia

Casio has been a brand name in personal organizers since they produced small calculator like devices and telephone dialers in the 1980s.

So it is really no surprise they would be in the running in the PDA market.

The Cassiopeia E-125 features 32-megabyte of RAM with a 150- megahertz processor and a color 240 x 320-pixel display.

Like Compaq it also has support slot options for CompactFlash and modems.

However compared to Compaq its price is rather steep at over $550.

In the end it is up to each individual to choose the type of platform and model based on the user's individual needs and finances.

But technology being the way it is, watch out for what is around the corner as the integration of PDAs and cellular telephones is expected to hit the mass market next year.