November 2002

An Office In the Palm of Your Hand

By Duane M. Brandon, Anthony J. Amoruso, and Jennifer M. Mueller

Personal digital assistants (PDA) are now commonplace in the business world. They help organize daily tasks and keep professionals connected to essential software and information.

The PDA as a Personal Information Manager (PIM)

The traditional function of a PDA is a mobile companion to a personal information manager (PIM). A PIM such as Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Organizer is essentially desktop software that replicates and extends the functions of a traditional paper organizer. PIM software seamlessly organizes users’ business and personal lives through its electronic calendar, address book, to-do list, memo pad, and e-mail. As a mobile companion to the PIM, a PDA keeps vital notes, appointments, and contacts in reach. Virtually all PDAs will synchronize data with the major PIM applications used on desktop PCs. E-mails can be written on the go and sent upon the next synchronization, or even sent immediately if the PDA has mobile Internet access.

Advanced PDAs include features such as one-touch voice recording for brief audio memos that can be replayed through built-in speakers or standard earphones. Infrared beaming allows contact information to be passed between two PDA devices. Newer PDAs can be beamed directly to a printer equipped with an infrared receiver.

PDA as Mobile Office

With increased storage capacity and processing power, PDAs have become palmtop computers rather than just electronic organizers. Both Palm and Pocket PC (Windows-derived) devices now have mobile office features or software for word processing, document viewing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and the Internet.

Palmtop word processors allow users to edit a document directly in the PDA and later update the original document through synchronization. PDAs often include the basic functions of spreadsheet software so a spreadsheet can be updated on the road, then synchronized with the original desktop copy of the spreadsheet at the office. Document viewers lack an editing capability but do allow for quick reference of documents, such as .pdf files, on a business trip.

Presentation capabilities are relatively new to PDAs. Presentations developed with common desktop software can be downloaded and edited directly in the PDA, right down to choreographing the animation between slides. The presentation can then be transmitted via various hardware connections to a projector. Certain PDA software also allows the PDA to be used as a remote control for the presentation.

Software such as AvantGo, which is available for most PDAs, allows users to synchronize information with specific Internet websites. The information is stored in the PDA for portable access. For example, the PDA could synchronize with your favorite news website before leaving the office, to be browsed on the way home. For users that need more timely information, many PDAs either come equipped with or can easily accept wireless modem expansion modules for mobile Internet access.

PDA Expandability

PDAs are becoming incredibly expandable through memory slots that accept hardware modules or add-ons. Miniaturized devices allow PDAs to expand without a considerable in-crease in bulk. Removable memory expansion cards can store anywhere from four megabytes to one gigabyte of data, on media smaller than a matchbook. Other expansion slots allow a PDA to become a cellphone that is integrated with the address book. Some modules function as a wireless modem, a digital camera, a multimedia player, or a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

PDA Security

The security issues surrounding PDAs are similar to those for laptops. Many of the same safeguards used to protect data on laptops are transferable to PDAs. The most common built-in safeguard is password protection, though this will not stop a determined hacker. Removing sensitive data from the device is a foolproof method of safeguarding confidential information, and it can be accomplished in two ways. First, PDA users frequently back up important files to their main laptop or desktop computer or a company server, which allows sensitive data to be deleted from the device. Many PDAs have removable memory cards; carrying them separately from the physical device provides a layer of protection. Sensitive data that requires immediate access can be further secured through the use of data encryption software. Additional security features currently under development include biometric technologies, such as dynamic signature recognition and fingerprint authentication. For now, it is prudent to take advantage of all built-in safeguards and avoid long-term storage
of confidential information that is rarely used.

The Choice

The two leading operating systems for palmtop devices are Palm OS and Microsoft’s Pocket PC (see Exhibit 1). Pocket PC-equipped devices have the look and feel of PCs because the software is modeled on the Windows interface. Palm OS has a somewhat different feel and has been noted for its user-friendliness and no-nonsense design. Typically, Pocket PC PDAs are more expensive and more powerful. Exhibit 2 lists the most popular PDA manufacturers, according to operating system, with current prices.

Are PDAs ready to replace laptop computers? PDAs are more powerful than many people realize and they provide the essential functions of office software as well as more traditional PIM tools in one small, convenient package. The PDA’s mission, however, is to be an extension, not a replacement, of a fully functional computer.