• Anatomy of a PDA

• Choosing PDA Features

• Choosing a PDA Operating System

• How to Find PDAs on eBay

• Buy With Confidence

Anatomy of a PDA

Anatomy of a PDA

PDAs (personal digital assistants) are handheld devices that come with many different features, from basic address books to the latest Wi-Fi email access and web browsers.

PDAs are also known as handheld computers, and like desktops and laptop computers they contain a processor (chip), memory and connecting ports. Here’s a quick overview of the main components:

• Processor Speed
  If you plan to use your PDA a lot for complicated tasks like Internet access, look for a fast processor. Top models, such as the Dell Axim X50v, have processing speeds of 624Mhz.

• Memory
  PDA applications and data (contacts, appointments etc) are stored in RAM memory, measured in megabytes or MB. RAM ensures smooth running of different features. More memory tends to mean a more expensive PDA, so think about how much you really need:

  • Up to 16MB: Ideal for storing simple data such as contacts and appointments. Examples: Palm Tungsten W; Sony Clie PEG-NZ90.

  • 32MB: Allows smooth use of email applications and office software. Examples: Palm Treo 600; Palm Zire 72.

  • 64MB: Recommended for surfing the Internet and multimedia functions. Example: Acer N30, Dell Axim X30.

  • 128MB+: Optimum performance in a handheld if you want to surf the Internet and use your PDA for lots of multimedia activities, such as listing to music, storing images and playing video. Examples: Hewlett Packard (HP) iPaq 5550, Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 720 and the 160MB Palm Tungsten T5.

    Tip: Look for a PDA with an expansion slot to increase memory capacity. Expansion cards let you store extra data on an external device such as a CompactFlash (CF) or Secure Digital (SD) memory card or Microdrive.

• Synchronisation
  Most PDAs come with cables or cradles for connecting to your desktop computer so that you can synchronise (sync) your tasks and data and stay organised. Synchronising is a simple process that involves no more than turning the PC on and plugging in the PDA or dropping it into a cradle (“hot-sync cradle”) that stays connected to your PC. Most cradles recharge your PDA’s internal battery at the same time.
  
  For the synchronisation to work, you’ll need to install your PDA’s software in your desktop or laptop. When you find a PDA you want to buy, check with the seller that it includes sync software. If the PDA comes with a cradle, check that your PC has the same type of port (USB or serial port).

• Battery
  Battery life isn’t so important if you keep your PDA connected to your computer. However, if you plan to use your PDA a lot when out and about, you’ll rely on the battery to keep you connected.
  
  Most PDAs come with alkaline batteries (usually AAA size) or a rechargeable battery pack. Look for a model with removable, rechargable Li-ion batteries; examples include the Acer N30 and Hewlett Packard iPaq.
  
  Tip: PDA batteries run out quickly when you use multimedia features or when you’re browsing the web via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. If you plan to surf or email on the move, buy a spare battery. On eBay you’ll find hundreds of spare Li-ion batteries from makers like Hewlett Packard, Dell and Compaq.

• Screen
  Almost all PDAs have a big backlit touch-screen with a stylus for selecting items and writing text. High-end multimedia PDAs, such as the latest Pocket PC PDAs from Hewlett Packard, Sony and Dell, have high-quality colour screens. For example the Hewlett Packard iPaq HX4700 has a 4-inch colour screen, ideal for watching video.
  
  The larger and brighter your screen, the more battery power you use. Black and white (monochrome) screens use less power, so if you buy an older PDA that runs on AAA batteries (such as a Palm Pilot M100, Psion Revo or Handspring Visor), make sure it has a black and white screen.

• Size
  All PDAs are designed to be operated in the palm of your hand, but on eBay you’ll find PDAs as small as your credit card and PDAs as big as a small laptop.
  
  Power, performance and features usually increase with PDA size, but you can find small, lightweight PDAs with very advanced features. For example the Palm Tungsten T5 has a 416MHz processor, 160MB of RAM, big colour screen and built-in Bluetooth – and it only weighs 145g.

Choosing PDA Features

Choosing PDA Features

Newer PDAs often include advanced features as built-in satellite navigation (GPS), Bluetooth or Wi-Fi wireless Internet access, phones, cameras and multimedia functions.

But before you buy the most expensive PDA you can find, consider what you’ll be using it for. It’s no good buying a camera PDA like the Fujitsu-Siemens Loox 720 if you’d rather use your Canon Ixus digital camera. If you just need a PDA for organising your appointments, you’ll find many on eBay at very low prices.

• Basic Features

  • Contacts and Appointments: Even the oldest Palm or Pocket PC PDAs with limited memory will keep your contacts and diary organised. Budget choices include the Palm M100 or Psion 3C.

  • Memo pad: Keep notes in meetings. Most PDAs come with a stylus that you can write directly onto the screen; others have full qwerty keyboards.

  • Calculator: Basic calculators are included on most PDAs.

• Email and Internet
  Many older PDAs let you transfer emails and download web data from your desktop, but all new PDAs can access the Internet by themselves so you can browse the web on the move.

  Newer models use short-range Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi wireless technology to connect to other devices or to the Internet:

  • Bluetooth: Buy a PDA with Bluetooth if you want to sync data with your Bluetooth-enabled computer or mobile phone (within 30ft). PDAs with Bluetooth include the Acer N30, Dell Axim X series and Hewlett Packard iPaq.

  • Wi-Fi: Buy a PDA with built-in Wi-Fi to access your wireless home network or use Wi-Fi hotspots at airports, coffee shops or libraries for web browsing or checking emails. PDAs with Wi-Fi include the Hewlett Packard iPaq, Palm Lifedrive and Acer N50. Note: You’ll need to sign up with an Internet service provider before using email or browsing the web.

• Built-in Mobile Phone
  PDA/mobile phone hybrids are called smartphones. There are two main types:
  

  • PDAs with phone functions: These look like traditional PDAs with large screens, but have mobile phones built in. Examples include the Palm Tungsten W (Palm OS 5 operating system) and the Hewlett Packard iPaq (Windows Mobile 2003 operating system). This type of smartphone is the more popular in the US.

  • Mobile phones with PDA functions: These look like mobile phones but have “smart” functions such as data management and Internet access. This type of smartphone is the more popular in the UK and Europe.

    Most phone-type smartphones use the Symbian operating system; examples include the Nokia 3660 and Nokia N-Gage. Other other types of PDA smartphone, such as the RIM BlackBerry 7100 Series, use a different operating system. For more information, see the section below on Operating Systems. BlackBerry phones and other smartphones are listed in eBay’s Mobile Phones category.

    Note: To access the full range of phone, email and browsing functions on any type of smartphone, you’ll need to sign up with a mobile phone provider and an Internet service provider.

• Expansion Slot
  Most PDAs have an expansion slot for added capabilities. For example you may be able to plug in extra memory (usually CF or SD cards), camera attachments, modems, GPS receivers, Bluetooth attachments, MP3 players and even games. When choosing a PDA, make sure you know what type of expansion slot it has.       

• Keyboard
  Most PDAs let you input data using a stylus and handwriting-recognition function. If you prefer a traditional qwerty keyboard for inputting data, you’ll find many PDAs with keyboards on eBay. Psion’s budget PDAs look like small laptops; examples include the Psion 3C, Psion Revo and Psion 5MX. Many models of BlackBerry, Sony Clie and Handspring Treo have micro-sized keyboards.

  Tip: In eBay’s PDA Accessories category you’ll find larger portable keyboards for plugging into PDAs.

• Multimedia
  Most Pocket PC PDAs on the Windows Mobile operating system let you play video and audio files in its version of Windows Media Player. Examples include the Hewlett Packard iPaq HX4700.

  The latest Palm OS 5x devices such as the Palm Zire 72 also boast multimedia features. Make sure the model you buy includes the right software.

• GPS
  Some new PDAs have an inbuilt GPS (Global Position System) receiver, so that you’ll always know where you are – great for travellers and drivers. Examples include the Asus MyPal A716, Hewlett Packard iPaq 6510, Palm Zire 31 and Qtek 9100.

• Digital Camera
  The digital cameras built into PDAs such as the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 720, Palm Treo 600 and Hewlett Packard iPaq HX2100 don’t support very high-resolution images – normally around 1.3MP. However they’re great for snapping and emailing images when you’re on the move.

Choosing a PDA Operating System

Choosing a PDA Operating System

One of your most important decisions when buying a PDA is which operating system (OS) to go for. Different devices are tied to a specific OS, and you can’t switch OS once you’ve bought your PDA.

Until recently, the only choice you had was Palm OS or Microsoft's handheld operating system, Pocket PC. Now there are a few alternatives:

• Palm OS
  Used on all Palm PDAs and many others, including devices by Handspring and Sony.
  
  Pros: Devices based on the Palm OS tend to be smaller, significantly lighter and less expensive than their Pocket PC counterparts. If you want just a few tasks done very well, this is your best choice. Palm PDAs are relatively easy to set up and have a long battery life.
  
  Cons: Generally speaking they have fewer features than PocketPCs, but high-end Palm devices such as the Palm Tungsten T5 have as many features as their PocketPC counterparts.
  
  Examples: Sony Clie, Palm Tungsten, Palm Zire, Palm Treo.

• Windows Mobile/Pocket PC
  Pocket PC was developed by Microsoft as a PDA operating system. Older Pocket PCs run Windows CE; newer devices run Windows Mobile. Microsoft doesn’t make the PDAs themselves, but you’ll find this OS in a wide range of PDAs from brands including Hewlett Packard, Dell, Acer, Fujitsu-Siemens and Casio.
  
  Pros: Pocket PCs tend to have more memory and functions than Palms. They often have multimedia functions, digital voice recorders and lots of pre-installed applications such as Pocket Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook that integrate with your desktop. They also come with Windows Media Player for audio and video files.
  
  Cons: Windows Mobile devices and Pocket PCs tend to be bulkier than Palms, use up batteries more quickly and cost more. Not suitable for Mac users, who don’t use Microsoft applications on their desktop computers.
  
  Examples: Hewlett Packard iPaq, Casio Cassiopeia, Dell Axim, Fujitsu-Siemens Loox 720, Acer N50.

• RIM BlackBerry
  You’ll find BlackBerry smartphones listed in eBay’s PDAs category as well as in the Mobile Phones category. As well as working as mobile phones, BlackBerry devices provide email, Internet web browsing and other wireless data access.
  
  RIM has its own operating system for the BlackBerry, but the devices synchronise easily with Microsoft Windows applications including Outlook. BlackBerry PDAs include the Siemens SK65, Nokia 6810 and Sony Ericsson P910. For help in choosing the right one, see our Mobile Phones buying guide.

• Psion EPOC
  Psion was a handheld pioneer, but it stopped making PDAs in 2002. However you’ll still find many Psion PDAs for sale on eBay.
  
  Psion developed its own EPOC operating system for run its PDAs, such as the Psion 5MX series and the Psion Revo. In the late 90s it formed Symbian, the operating system found in some Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola smartphones.

How to Find PDAs on eBay

How to Find PDAs on eBay

There are lots of ways to find your ideal PDA or PDA accessory on eBay:

1. Basic Search
If you know what you’re looking for, use the Search box on the homepage. Type in your keywords and select Computing from the drop-down box. For example if you’re looking for a Hewlett Packard iPaq with Bluetooth, type in “Hewlett Packard iPaq” or “HP iPaq” and select Computing. Then select Bluetooth from the Must-have Features box in the PDA Finder.

2. Narrow your search
Just above the listings you’ll see a short list of popular brands matching your search. For searches in the PDAs category, these links may include Hewlett Packard, HP, Dell, Casio, Palm, Psion and BlackBerry. Click on a brand to see matching items currently for sale.

The list may also include popular PDA search terms such as email, Wi-Fi, multimedia, browser, appointments, calendar, GPS and camera.

You can also narrow your search with the Categories list of brand names on the listings page. For the PDAs category, the list includes Acer, Casio, Compaq, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Palm, Psion, Sony, Toshiba, XDA and more.

3. Browse the categories
Start from the Computing Overview page and look at the links below the PDAs and PDA Accessories headings. Click the categories that interest you to browse all matching items currently for sale. These categories include brand names such as Casio, Hewlett Packard, Palm and Psion and accessories such as Batteries, Bluetooth receivers, Cameras, Cradles, PDA Mounts, PDA Printers and PDA Software. For example if you want a spare battery for your Palm Pilot, click the Batteries link to see a huge range of PDA batteries.

4. Use the PDAs Finder
Click the PDAs category link on the Computing Overview page and use the PDAs Finder on the left to find your ideal handheld computer.

This tool allows you to choose a manufacturer (Palm, Psion, Hewlett Packard, Casio and so on); installed RAM memory (from less than 8MB up to 128 MB); screen (black and white or colour) and must-have feature (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Camera). You can also enter a keyword in the PDAs Finder, such as email, multimedia, browser or calendar.

5. Want It Now
Desperately seeking an old Psion 5MX or a cradle for your iPaq? Post a message on Want It Now and tell millions of sellers exactly what you want. Post your message in the Computing category for the widest audience, or target specialists by posting in PDAs or PDA Accessories.

6. Go to eBay Shops
eBay Shops are run by experienced eBay sellers who sell hundreds of items each day. They tend to specialise in one area such as Psion PDAs, BlackBerry phones or multimedia PDAs. Click the eBay Shops link on the eBay homepage, then click Computing to explore items for sale by Palm specialists, Windows Mobile experts, Psion specialists and so on.

To search just within eBay Shops, go to the eBay Shops homepage and enter your search term, such as “BlackBerry multimedia”. The results will look similar to any other listings page, but the sellers are all Shops sellers.

Buy With Confidence

Buy With Confidence

You may find the PDA of your dreams and want to bid on it. But before you do, here are some tips:

• Work out the postage and insurance: Include the cost of delivery in your calculations when deciding how much to bid. If you spend a lot of money on a PDA, make sure the seller will insure it for delivery.    

• Check the seller’s feedback: Avoid buying from a seller who doesn’t have a good feedback score. Click on their User ID to read comments left by other buyers.    

• Read the item description carefully: This is particularly important with expensive items like high-end PDAs. Check whether full instructions and software are included. If the listing doesn’t say so, click “Ask seller a question” to find out before you bid.     

• Is it under guarantee? If so, what are the terms?     

• Check the return policy: Email for clarification if you need it.

• If in doubt, ask. Important information about operating systems and expansion slots are crucial to your decision to bid..