hp handhelds and pdas

I hated PDAs... Had no use for the things, until this little gem came along. Pop it in, load up some maps and you've got a pretty sophisticated GPS in your pocket. Now my PDA is always by my side.

It took a little practice getting used to it, but once I did, I started finding my way to and from places I never would've found before. I drove down to Atlanta and spent nearly a month in unfamiliar roads, but I never got lost.

One of the great things about it is that it's integrated with the Contact Manager (which gets synched by the PDA software with Outlook and AOL contacts), so you can find anyone in your contact list.

Here are a few things you should know:

1. Make sure your PDA has TWO memory slots. One Compact Flash for the Pharos, and the other for you to place a traditional memory card. In my case, my PDA has a second SD memory slot which I keep a 256MB card in that has maps for about 3 states that I travel to.

2. Invest in the optional car kit. It gives you:

a) A car power cord so your unit stays on, for your trip without losing power (it also charges your PDA).

b) A cool little holder to hang your PDA on your air conditioning vents so it stays put when you drive.

c) An external antenna to give you a stronger signal. In my case I generally don't use it.

3. Practice for a bit on familiar turf. You need to know how to re-route yourself in a pinch if you make an incorrect turn. I found that the routing was generally pretty accurate, but often it doesn't have North/South/East/West designations, so it may just say "highway exit ahead", when in fact there is a fork in the exit giving you an East/West choice... so you are forced to look at the screen and make a guess as to which one to pick.