PDAs

Perhaps you have already encountered this scenario: Your child comes home from school complaining that all the other kids have PDAs and insists that s/he should have one as well. Do you relent and buy one?

If you are a parent who is not especially familiar with computer technology, it may be hard to tell whether or not a PDA is really an educational necessity. Just what is a PDA, anyway? What are they used for, and how much do they cost?

Select a question below to learn more about PDAs. Use the navigation to the left to learn about other technologies.

1. What does "PDA" stand for?
2. What does a PDA look like?
3. What can a PDA do?
4. How could my child use a PDA for school?
5. How could my child misuse a PDA at school?
6. Aren't PDAs too complicated for children?
7. Are there different kinds of PDAs? Who makes them?
8. Will my child be required to have a PDA for school?
9. How much does a PDA cost?
10. What is the difference between a PDA and a handheld computer?
11. Where can I buy a PDA?

What can a PDA do?

Nowadays, it may be more pertinent to ask what a PDA cannot do. In addition to basic calendar, address book, and task-list programs, high-end PDAs often allow for wireless connection to the Internet (for Web browsing and e-mail), have built-in MP3 players, take digital photographs, and double as mobile telephones. Some new PDAs can even double as global positioning devices, showing users exactly where they are on a map. Most PDAs come with infrared ports that allow users to "beam" information to each other. These same infrared ports allow PDA users to connect wirelessly to a computer network if it is available.

PDAs are also usually able to exchange information with full-sized computers. For instance, you might transfer a document from your computer to your PDA so that you could work on it while on the go. The process of exchanging information between your computer and PDA is called, appropriately, "synchronizing" them.

For more on how PDAs work, visit: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/pda.htm.

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