PDA ABCs
PDA listing
Windows CE

PDA ABCs

PDAs, or Personal Digital Assistants, are hand held devices which allow a user to move information with them electronically, such as contacts, personal notes, calendar, alarm clocks and various other useful utilities and programs. The PDA market began in 1993 when Apple Computer released the Newton Message Pad which unfortunately today are not commonly used or found because of the expensive price tag and the bulkiness of the device.

Today, there are several types of PDAs available as well available operating systems for them. The most commonly found and used devices are the 3COM Palm Pilots, which is a perfect example of a PDA. The Palm Pilot is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and utilized a small pen-like device called a stylus which allows a user to input 3COM's graffiti which is similar to normal writing to input text and data. The Palm Pilot uses its own operating system that is only found on Palm Pilots. Because of the popularity of the Palm Pilot, several other manufacturers are releasing their own PDA devices which are being shipped with a new operating system called Windows CE developed by Microsoft. This operating system allows the ease and familiarity of Windows 95 and the functionality of similar Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point.

Below is a listing of some of the various PDA devices available on today's market and the manufacturers who make them.