<p>Disclaimer: Seriously researched PDA’s earlier this year, elected not to buy one (more on that later) but I do know about wireless options. If I had bought one, it would have been an PDA/cellphone with WiFi using Pocket Windows. Cingular sells such a unit, I believe. They are big, too big, really, put in a shirt or pants pocket.</p>
<p>Re: Wireless networking: there are three widely used flavors:</p>
<ol>
<li> Bluetooth - short range radio frequency link. Used on printers, mice, GPS antennae, keyboards, other relatively slow speed peripherals, to communicate with other similarly equipped components. I think there is a Bluetooth refrigerator and a stove out now or they may be WiFi. </li>
</ol>
<p>A Bluetooth phone should be able to use a wireless earpiece/mike - you just clip the item to your ear and you are then able to use the cellphone without having a wire dangling down. Cool. You can also do data exchange if both your home system and the phone/PDA are Bluetooth equipped. USB based Bluetooth adapters are available for computers that don’t have this built in.</p>
<ol>
<li> WiFi - Started as 802.11b, now several other 802.11x variants. High speed (11mbs-54mbs) widely deployed wireless network. You can buy components at Wal-Mart type stores, WiFi is a commodity technology now.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>There are wireless home networks, many wireless hotspots on campuses, in libraries, coffee shops, and now with longer range systems, open air venues that use WiFi protocols. This is one you want for sure. </p>
<p>Some cell phones/PDA’s have it built in, others have a slot so that a WiFi card can be inserted - compactflash and secure digital sized cards exist, others may as well. This is true, industrial strength, TCP/IP based networking for internet access, peripheral and storage sharing, etc. </p>
<p>Your Windows based (some Palm OS, too) PDA/cellphone will have an email client running much like your home system, also will have a web browser. Extra cost - none at many sites, such as Starbucks, etc. May be a fee to connect in some places like airports, I have heard there is but have never encoutered one.</p>
<ol>
<li> GSM/GPRS based TCP/IP cellphone technology: Emerging capability to communicate with the internet using the cell phone signal as carrier. Moderately to Very expensive - Cingular bills by the kilobyte transfered.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Two ways this capability is used: </p>
<p>1.My little Samsung cell phone will directly connect to the Internet for email retrieval (hard to compose email, though, with a numerical keypad) and has some browsing capability through the Cingular cellphone portal. Websites have to be specially designed to be compatible.</p>
<ol>
<li> Using the cellphone/PDA as a type of wireless modem, connecting to your laptop or other device, and dialing into the cell network with your computer. If you don’t use your cellphone for this, you can get GSM cards to insert in the cardslot of your laptop - you have to have another cell account if you do it this way, though, without using your regular cellphone. Can be very expensive as you are transfering a lot of information from most webpages BUT the technology doesn’t rely on WiFi hotspots - anywhere your cell phone is usable, your access to the Internet is usable.</li>
</ol>
<p>A note about infrared - if your laptop doesn’t have a port (spouse’s HP doesn’t), you can get cheap USB based infrared sensors and plug’em in to the machine that needs them.</p>
<p>I hope this helps.</p>
<p>Now, why I don’t have a PDA. I can never remember to check a written planner, doubt I’d be any better with a PDA. A good friend religiously enters all of his stuff into his PDA, then forgets to check the calendar, memos, etc. with the result that many conflicts in scheduling develop. I’d be no better, I fear. Your mileage may vary, though. <grin></grin></p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Bill</p>
)</p>