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The Christchurch Press – July 2000

Buyers Guide to Handheld Computers

by Shelley Grell

Handheld computers, PDAs (personal digital assistants), palmtops and pocket PCs have been around for many years now. They are perfect for cramming the contents of bulky address books, notes, diary, calculator and toy all in one device. Used with a modem or infrared connection to a mobile phone, PDAs can also offer email access.

Just as the Internet sparked the popularity of home computing, according to many in the computer industry, so will wireless Internet access fuel the sales of PDAs and handhelds. So where do you start?

PDAs are generally smaller than notebooks and vary in size and weight from small enough to fit in your pocket to the size of an A5 filofax. Depending on which product you chose, handhelds could be used to provide anything from simple day-to-day data administration to high level business critical operations and mobility.

They are light weight, can store surprising amounts of data, provide great functionality and efficiency, plus there are thousands of software applications to choose from for both business and personal use. Furthermore, as data can be synchronised with your PC, you have two copies of your data should anything go wrong. With Palm the software doubles as a desktop organiser. Rest assured once you've made the leap there's no turning back.

While some may view the PDA as a fancy filofax suited for the Mr Gadgets of this world, accustomed users wonder how they ever coped without it. The only minus to going digital is the laborious task of entering the entire contents of your address book or filofax into the PDA. And then there's the replacement or recharging of batteries. But all things considered these are minor inconveniences.

The handheld market is divided into three groups: Palm, MS Windows CE and Symbian EPOC-based devices (originally designed for cellphones). By far the most successful of which is the Palm with six million units sold worldwide since it was first launched four years ago. According to Pat Pilcher of IDC Research, Palm has captured about 80% of the market here in New Zealand. Figures sourced in early 1999 claim that by 2003, sales of handheld devices would grow well beyond 22,000 units per annum in New Zealand. Voice data will be a key driver of this growth.

For first time users the attraction of Windows CE devices (e.g. Hewlett Packard, Casio and Compaq) is the familiar MS operating system functionality and layout. But, says John Pope of the Christchurch Laptop Company, expectations can be higher than the reality. "People like the look of Windows CE but they imagine it's going to have full Windows capabilities. The attraction of Palm units on the other hand is its uncluttered simplicity and instant functionality.”

The Laptop Company approaches their customers by addressing their needs. For instance the Palm is considered ideal for individuals wanting information in their pocket but who are not entering or sending much data. Whereas the Psion (an EPOC device) with its keyboard is popular with people who are doing a lot of inputting - emails or word-processing. But it is not so clear cut as there are many new add-on products entering the market that enhance the functionality of PDAs including pocket keyboards and modems.

The known PDA brands available in New Zealand include the Palm IIIe, IIIc & V, Hewlett Packard Jornada 600 & 820e, Casio's Cassiopeia, Compaq Pocket PC, Psion Revo and Series 5 & 7. Prices vary from $459 (including GST) for the Palm IIIe to $2399 for the high performance Windows CE Professional edition Hewlett Packard Jornada 820e. This superior almost notebook model comes with built-in software such as Microsoft Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket PowerPoint, Pocket Access, Pocket Outlook and Pocket Internet Explorer. Prices generally reflect the level of functionality and componentry.

PDA solutions are ideal for businesses wanting to mobilise their work force and enhance productivity. There are many software products written specifically for the Palm platform - more so than with Windows CE. Customised software can be used to enhance many out-of-office business processes such as freight tracking, sales quotes, data gathering, and so on.

Handhelds currently offer mostly separate features, but this will soon change. Already there are areas of convergence with cellphones offering PDA type services. And there's more to come. What started out as an electronic alternative to the paper daily planner is quickly becoming an all-in-one handheld wireless device offering Web access, video, games, voice commands, digital camera and photo album, music player and phone!

Whatever the application, for many users it seems expandability – memory, communication and multimedia - is becoming a key factor to PDA purchases. The question is, will the market go for PDA and WAP services on a phone, or a phone and WAP on a PDA device? According to IDC Research, it is in the lap of the consumer ... so maybe you should tell me!

Shelley Grell is the Director of high-tech PR agency Communicate IT Ltd. Contact her at shelley@communicateit.co.nz