The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) says: "A regular PDA such as the Palms and PocketPCs currently available that do not include a phone component may be better for in-hospital use because they tend to have more functionality and better memory, including wi-fi which some schools and hospitals provide. If you like your cell phone and don’t mind carrying it around, this might be a better deal."

PDA Operating Systems

• Almost all software is available on both Pocket PC and Palm PDAs.
• Pocket PC works well with campus email. The Web portal for Sunrise works on the iPAQs PDA browser.
  • New! Pocket PC Discount HP iPAQ 2790 Discount Available
• Palm pricing is somewhat lower generally, medical students have discounts available through AMSA for Palm with software (http://www.amsa.org/member/pdamd.cfm)
• Combined PDA/cell phones includes Smart Phones/Treos. This technology allows access to email and Internet and includes varying degree of PDA functionality.

iPhone

• Forces the user to have a contract with AT&T with additional fees based on usage – phone, text messaging, data charges for Internet, etc.
• Not supported by UAMS at this time due to the lack of support for secure email communications. 3rd party tools are being developed.
• Runs on OSX which does not support PDA type applications at this time. Advertised as a phone, music device, and web browser. The apps that are offered right now are banking, ovulation calendars, and other very specific web based apps.
• Built on 2nd generation technology that will soon be obsolete. (The iPhone was introduced with the idea that they would be strictly offered by AT&T. Right now AT&T is running 2nd generation hardware on a lot of their phones so this phone interacts with their network in a wide area of support. There is a lot 3rd generation hardware out there and like all cell phones, soon this technology will be obsolete.)
• Has a limited storage size – 8GB

BlackBerry

• Forces the user to have a contract with AT&T with additional fees based on usage – phone, text messaging, data charges for Internet, etc.
• The only PDA application listed on our mobile devices page that can be run on a Blackberry at this time is LexiComp.  Other applications are being developed at this time.

Accessories

We recommend that if you buy a handheld device you also purchase an external memory card because many programs require large amounts of memory, especially the database files. Storing the data files on a memory card keeps the main memory free so performance doesn’t degrade. Please see the Wireless Access for PDA's for WiFi accessories.

There are a variety of accessories for both the Palm and Pocket PC from hard cases to fold up keyboards. A compact wireless (Bluetooth) keyboard available from HP ($125) or a Belkin keyboard that uses the universal Bluetooth drivers is available at Staples for about ($60).

Buying a Device

• How do I Choose a PDA: pdaMD
• PDA Buyer's Guide: PDA cortex
  

Tutorials and How-To Guides

• Guides: pdaMD
• Palm Support
• Windows (Pocket PC) Mobile Troubleshooting
  

Security

• UAMS Administrative Guide: practices to protect confidential information
• Implications of HIPAA on Handheld Clinical Applications, Part 2
  

Discussion Lists

• pdaMD's Discussion Board
• Nursing PDA Listserv