PDA

darwinmag.com).
             The Palm OS has long dominated the handheld market, with Microsoft's Windows CE coming in second. The Palm OS not only appears on Palm's Connected Organizers, but also has been licensed to third-party handheld manufacturers such as Handspring. It all depends on the consumer's needs when shopping for a PDA (www.handheldcomputerdepot.com).
             Basically, all PDA's share the same major features such as: microprocessor, operating system, solid state memory, batteries, LCD display, input device, input/output parts, and desktop PC software. A PDA doesn't have a hard drive. It stores basic programs in a read-only memory (ROM) chip. The PDA has several advantages to turning it on and off. When a PDA is turned on all of its programs are instantly available, and when it is turned off, the data is still safe. For upgrading purposes, some manufacturers place the operating system in a socketed ROM module- a module that can be removed from its socket and replaced with a new one. Other manufacturers use flash memory. This type of memory can be erased and reprogrammed, but information will not be erased when the power is disconnected (www.handheldcomputerdepot.com).
             In addition to transferring data to your desktop PC through a serial port, many handhelds can communicate with each other through an infrared port. Handhelds use the same technology as a remote control for a TV or VCR, but use a higher rate of data transfer. Any two handhelds that are running through the same operating system should be able to exchange data through their IrDA ports while in close proximity and directly lined up with one another. (www.handheldcomputerdepot.com).
             As with most machines PDAs need fuel to keep running. The fuel that is used is, battery power. Most handhelds come with alkaline batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. Many also include a small backup battery to protect the memory when the main battery runs out.