• What is a PDA?
• What are the functions of a PDA?
• How do I pick out a PDA that's suitable for me?
• What are the different OS used on PDAs and why?
• Where can I find softwares for my PDA?

PDA stands for Personal Digital Asistant. It is basically a simplified handheld computer. Imagine being able to read your papers, record your meetings, addresses, telephone numbers, write down notes, take pictures, write your emails .... etc etc... all on one handheld device!

• An organiser
• Memo pad with handwriting recognitions
• Sharing of information between the handheld and your computer
• Sharing information between electronic devices with IR ports (eg handphones, laptops & other handhelds)
• E-reader (reading newspapers and e-books .. EVEN !)
• Digital Camera functions and photo viewer
• MP3 player

• Have a budget in mind as handhelds come in a wide range with various added functions.
• Functions like digital cameras and mp3 players are wonderful to have but they tend to make the set bulky! That makes carrying it around in the wards a little cumbersome (especially for the ladies)!
• Make sure your set (especially if you're buying the older models) comes with an expansion slot since medical applications are usually quite large.
• If you can afford it, a colored set is great to have! If not, the monochromes serve their functions just as well. Of course, don't expect to view good pictures on a monochrome PDA.

PDAs work just like PCs. You'll need to have a platform / OS to work on. In the case of a PC, it would for example, be Microsoft Windows. In the case of a handheld, various OS are used by the different manufacturers.

Palm and Sony Clie, for example, uses the Palm OS which was originally developed by 3Com (the parent company of Palm). This OS appeals to the masses because it is does not have an overly complicated interface, making it very user friendly.

HP (Hewlett Packard) on the other hand uses the Windows CE as it's OS. In this case, the interface is very similar to what you're familiar with on Microsoft Windows. As such, it is much more complicated, limiting the number of softwares that can be written quickly for this OS.

Find out more about the handhelds and their functions here.

There are many free softwares for both the Palm OS and the Windows CE. You can find some useful medical applications here. You can also find useful links to other PDA sites here.