Back in 1996 an upstart company developed a new piece of hardware called the Palm 1000. While the idea of a miniaturised computer was not new (think Star Trek) the fact that someone had actually been able to make one and design an operating system that could work within the limitations of such small hardware was a huge leap forward. It was one of those revolutionary events that hits an industry every few years.
Since then, things have come a long way. A competing platform, built around an operating system called Windows CE emerged and a platform war, reminiscent of Apple vs IBM was launched. The good thing about that war was that it gave rise to a rapid evolution that saw a number of different devices emerge. Some have come and gone while others are still evolving.
One of those developing platforms is the smartphone. Now, for the purpose of this piece, I’m going to define a smartphone as a device that offers connection to a telephone network, is able to be carried easily, lets you do more than just make phone calls and provides access to a data network. I know that this definition is broad but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that for a smartphone to be smart it needs to me more than a phone. However I’m not going to define what that “more” is. Also, the operating system is not important. That means that for me a smartphone is not just a device that runs Windows Mobile (or its antecedents). It might be running Linux, Symbian, Palm OS or some other operating system.
Likewise, when I talk about PDAs I’m going to remain operating system agnostic. Although the two most prominent platforms, Palm and Pocket PC/Windows Mobile, are different in many ways, for the purpose of this discussion they aren’t that different. I’d suggest that they deliver much of the same functionality, albeit in different ways.
Finally, if you’re reading this to get the answer to which is better, a PDA or a smartphone, then you can stop reading now. I’m not going to engage in that debate. Hopefully, by the end of this article you’ll understand why I simply can’t.
The Case for PDAsThe modern PDA is a bit of a marvel. Packed into a unit weighing less that 200 grams we get a fast processor, a substantial stash of memory, a bright colour screen and a plethora of different expansion and connectivity options. Typically the devices are around 4” by 3” and have several programmable buttons to invoke applications.
With a PDA you can take your diary, contacts and task list with you and have it synchronise back to your desktop Personal Information Management (PIM) software. But the real power of the PDA is in its ability to do many of the things that, in the not that distant past, you needed a PC for. With the modern PDA you can listen to music, manage your photo collection, create, read and edit documents, use spreadsheets for complex calculations, manage your email, and surf the Web. In fact, I’m writing this with just a PDA and an external keyboard. I’m connected to the Internet so I can do a Google search if I need to do some research as I go and, if the kids' TV gets too loud in the background, I can use my device to turn the volume down with remote control software.
As long as you’re prepared to compromise on a few things, a well accessorised PDA can almost replace a notebook PC for many travellers. In my case, I was able to ditch my notebook at work. I just use a desktop PC and my PDA most days. Because my PDA is so flexible, I can even use it for showing PowerPoint presentations with the right external hardware and software.
The Case for Smartphones
Cell phones have evolved greatly since they first started becoming widely used in the 1980s. Watch the first Lethal Weapon movie and you’ll see what I mean. They are much smaller, have better range and now pack features such as cameras, colour screens and desktop PIM synchronisation.
There are many devices that satisfy my earlier definition of a smartphone. So, to make things a little clearer I’ll name a few that I think qualify as smartphones. Remember, I am being operating system/platform agnostic.- Motorola MPx 200;
- iMate/XDA smartphone;
- Nokia N-Gage;
- Sony Ericsson P900;
- Sony Ericsson T630;
- Treo 600;
- XDA2.
Now, I know you’re thinking that I must have lost my marbles. Basically, any phone can qualify as a smartphone. Well, given the way modern cell phones have evolved that’s probably true.
Smartphones offer you the ability to converge your cell phone and PDA into a single device. For example, with a smartphone you can make calls, check your diary and remotely access your email. Some even let you take photos and listen to music. However, where they differ most significantly to PDAs is with data input. While PDAs have touch screens, handwriting recognition and soft keyboards, smartphones are limited to the numeric keypad with a couple of extra keys and buttons to assist with navigation. That’s why, in my opinion, the smartphone is mainly a data reading device. The main exceptions to this are using SMS and entering some contact details.
Now, in my list of devices I consider smartphones, I listed some devices that could be considered somewhat controversial. The Nokia N-Gage is the only device that I know of that combines handheld gaming with a telephone. But don’t think of the N-Gage as a telephone. Think of it as a connected gaming device. It’s designed for playing multiplayer games over the Internet via GPRS. The fact that you can use it as a phone is merely a bonus. The Sony Ericsson T630 is on my list as it lets you easily synchronise PIM data from your PC.
For me, the really blurry area is the space covered by the Pocket PC Phone Edition devices like the XDA2 and the Palm's Treo 600. These devices are PDAs that include cell phone functions. I’ve had the good fortune to be able to use both and I was pretty tempted to give up my current PDA for one of these. But, I like my phone to be pretty compact so that I can carry it in the pocket of my jeans comfortably. However, both are splendid devices.
Decisions, Decisions…
When trying to decide whether you need a PDA or a smartphone, the first thing you’ll need to consider is what is the problem you are trying to solve? Let’s work through a couple of scenarios to help you work out what you need. I’ve intentionally chosen scenarios that are quite different, extreme if you will. But I think they serve to show the fundamental difference between these two devices.
The Road Warrior
OK, so you do a bit of travelling but not enough to justify buying a notebook or Tablet PC. You need to be able to take some notes and manage your calendar while on the road (making and changing appointments and setting tasks in a To Do list).
The Manager
You’re out of the office occasionally and carry a laptop during your extensive travel. When out and about you need to be able to read your calendar but, as your assistant actually manages your schedule, you rarely type information into it yourself.
The Road Warrior is a remote data manager. He or she needs to be able to update data on the fly. Rather than carry a notebook PC (with the overhead of size and start up time) a PDA is an ideal compromise. You can use it for data input fairly easily, it’s easy to carry and has negligible start up time.
The Manager just needs to read his or her data and send and receive phone calls. Data input is not a big deal. As long as it has a clear display and simple navigation, a smartphone will serve nicely. The smartphone is a good solution for this as it saves the Manager from having to carry yet another device or a bunch of papers. With its support for remote connectivity with GPRS, the Manager can have PIM data updated while away with reasonable ease.
The Middle Ground
Now, hybrid devices like the Treo 600 and XDA2 form the middle ground in this equation. I’m going to take a stand and say that they will not be around for all that long. I predict that in a couple of years they will only be sold in small, niche markets and that smartphones that look like phones will take up their market share. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that type of device. However, they are too big to be carried around as an everyday cell phone and they are too complex for a mass market to use.
Devices like the Motorola MPx 200 are far easier to use and easily fit into the pocket of your jeans. Such a device lets you access the Internet, read your diary and keep your personal data synchronised with your desktop PIM. They are easy to use and have a familiar form factor.
Conclusion
If you were hoping that by now I’d have changed my mind and decided to tell you which is better PDA or smartphone - rest assured, I’m still not going to tell you. However, I’ll tell you what I use myself.
I’m currently using an iPAQ 2210 and two different cell phones (Sony Ericsson T68i and a T630). Also, over the last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to use a number of different smartphones as part of a writing assignment for Australian Personal Computer magazine.
Armed with this experience, the combination of a PDA and a well equipped telephone works best for me. I use my PDA as a lightweight replacement for a notebook computer. With a VGA-out card and a folding keyboard and some great software there’s not much I can’t do with it.
However, in my “real’ job I act as a technology consultant for the senior management at the company I work for. Most of the managers there just need to be able to carry their diaries with them and don’t need the complexity of a PDA. A smartphone works well for them. They can keep the amount of hardware they carry around to a minimum and maintain a simple computing environment.
Both the PDA and the smartphone are great devices. Both serve their purposes well and it’s impossible to say which is better. The answer to which is better is about as easy to answer as what is the nicest food? It really just depends on what you want and like.