The idea, of course, is to extend the PDA into the areas that you have cited. I don't personally own a Palm, so I can't really tell you whether it can connect to the Internet and do all that stuff. But that's the idea, and it's certainly a direction that all PDAs are headed in. For now, I know that you can connect the Palm to a PC and synchronize the information between the two devices--say you add new contacts or appointments on the Palm while on the road, and when you get back to the office you can download all of that into the organizer on your PC.
Personally, I believe the prospects are brighter for cell phones to include and extend PDA functionality. In time to come, the market for PDAs and cell phones will start to blur. As far as Internet connectivity is concerned, the cell phone makers are ahead--don't forget they have the communications part of the puzzle solved and they have the networks in place. PDA makers, on the other hand, have to master the technology. Nokia has a phone that allows you to connect to the Web as well as send faxes, email, etc. I don't know if you can trade stocks yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if you could--I know you can receive quotes. Other manufacturers such as Ericsson, Motorola, and Qualcomm are not far behind with such devices. And like I said in an earlier post, these folks are now thinking colour.
Winston |
