Consumer Special - Which to Buy?

As Laptops get smaller and PDAs become more advanced, it's never been harder to decide which to buy!

Both PDAs and Laptops are great business tools, but which one should be your top choice? Read this article to discover the advantages and disadvantages of each business tool.

Choices Choices...

For many small and large businesses equipping your staff or workers with the right business tool does present a small dilemma: should you go with a PDA or a Laptop?

Examining the features and benefits of both these technical marvels will help you or your company make the right decision.

First, you probably already know PDA stands for "Personal Digital Assistant" and are handheld computers. Popular PDA brand names include PalmOne, Tungsten and Blackberry. Although these devices are small and fit in the palm of your hand, they can perform a whole range of functions including calculator, clock, calendar, web browser, send and receive e-mails, typewriter, word processor, video camera and even GPS (Global Positioning System).

Latest Models

Newer models now come with colour screens and can also be used as a mobile or cell phone.

Apple has recently introduced the iPhone, which will offer many of the above features accessible via a touch-screen. It will have an OS X system and many advanced features that will revolutionize the PDA market. According to Apple the iPhone will be available in Mid-2007.

UPDATE! The iPhone is now available - click here to find out more!

PDAs are convenient, multi-functional and very easy to carry around. They are great business tools for working in the field or on the factory floor. A virtual office in the palm of your hand. Many professionals become "addicted" to their PDAs and couldn't imagine work or life without a PalmOne or a Blackberry!

Does Size Matter?

While the small size of the PDA is its main advantage, it also presents a major stumbling block.

In an ageing workforce or for those "digitally challenged", using or manipulating those small buttons or touch-screens can be a problem. Many people find using such small devices and small screens somewhat troublesome to say the least.

Everything is at your fingertips but it feels like Lilliput or Land Of The Giants revisited. Dialling numbers on a small touch-screen can be a hit or miss situation. Organizing a company spreadsheet on a minute 2 inch screen is a gigantic task (pardon the pun). PDAs are just too small for some workers. While not exactly its Achilles heel, it is something every manager or boss must consider.

Thus we come the next business tool that should be on your list: the business laptop. Basically, a laptop will give you most of the functions of a PDA in a larger package. And if your laptop comes with a VOIP phone just about all the functions can be preformed on a laptop instead of a PDA.

Big Brother - Better Option?

So how does a Laptop out-perform a PDA and in which areas?

A laptop will give you a much larger screen for all those spreadsheets and diagrams, not to mention any video presentation will go over better on a laptop. Laptops usually come with more robust options and a larger storage space than PDAs. A regular size keyboard on a laptop will make word processing, typing and sending e-mails much, much easier. It is something you must consider.

With the recent developments of the Intel Duo core processors and the new Windows Vista operating system, laptops are becoming more powerful and more lightweight. Laptop batteries can now last the full business day or until the next re-charging without any interruption in function or service.

A laptop offers all this convenience in a larger package and makes for an excellent business tool for any company or home office. Laptops are usually more expensive than PDAs but this price gap is narrowing as laptop prices have fallen dramatically in the last couple of years.

So Which to Choose?

What you really have to ask: "Does size matter to you?"

If you or your workers can easily use the small touch-screens and buttons on a PDA than that may be your business tool of choice. However, if these small screens present a problem, then a lightweight laptop should be considered as your next choice.

Of course, companies with unlimited resources can equip their workers with both a PDA and a Laptop; making the whole argument rather moot. However, most of us are not coming from this vantage point so you should let size be your deciding factor. This is one case where size comes before form or function in determining your business tool of choice.

Where to Buy?

Once you have made your decision there is the mammoth task of finding the right place to buy the latest edition to your high-tech operations!

We take pleasure in introducing Misco - a 100% on-line supplier of all-things computer. We are yet to find a high-street store that can offer prices even close to what Misco offer. Take your time and search around for a real deal - we're sure you'll find one! Click the banner below to visit Misco.

Comments (2)

1  UPDATE Coming soon! Written by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , on 18-02-2007 01:32 Hi there!    We've been in talks recently with a group involved in supplying PDA and Blackberry handsets and tariffs, which we're very excited about!    Watch this space! Report

2  Back Again! Written by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , on 22-02-2007 11:20 Hi, I'm back again to let you know that the article on Blackberry Communication is now in place and can be found here:     http://www.cooscreations.com/articles/extras/blackberry-communication.html    We hope you find it enjoyable and helpful! Report

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