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My first PDA was the original Palm Pilot, before the company was forced to drop the “pilot” from their name.  A greyscale screen and absolutely no curb appeal, that first PDA was like a diamond in my hand.  The year was 1998.

Since then I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I’ve owned probably ten or so PDA’s.  I’ve dated HP’s, Sony’s, Handsprings and other Palm’s and it’s safe to say that I am now a connoisseur (translate: geek) of the personal digital assistant. Today, PDA’s are making a comeback and reclaiming their rightful place in the productivity landscape.  Sure, smart phones are cool and very useful, but a muscle-bound hand-held still turns heads.

Here are three new PDA’s, introduced in the past few weeks, that are sure to make a splash:

HP Ipaq 210: running Windows Mobile 6 Classic, the sweet-screen PDA has arrived with great reviews, although a hefty size and $450 price tag might scare some folks off.

Apple iPod Touch: for around $300, you can grab an iPhone without the phone.  Huh?  Apple introduced one of the very first PDA’s back in the 80’s called the Newton so they’re not totally unfamiliar with the market.  The touch is feature-rich and of course has a very sweet interface.

HP Ipaq 110 Classic: slimmer than its older brother the 210, this $300 PDA should be popular with the mainstream crowd as it allows speedy web browsing via Wi-Fi.

Resources for the Road
Palm Centro is on the way: a $100 smart-phone?
iPod Touch guided tour
Cnet: Best 5 PDA’s