Your boss has one. Your best friend has one. Even your kid sister has one. We're talking about handheld computers -- also known as "personal digital assistants" (PDAs). These mini wireless computers are a far cry from the original models that simply acted as a calculator, address book and calendar. The new breed of PDAs now allow users to do anything from take digital photos to download e-mail to surf the 'Net. Some are larger, with more bells and whistles, while others fit in the palm of your hand. With so many options, how do you decide on the most suitable device for your needs?

The Internet is a good place to start. Type "personal digital assistant" in your favourite search engine and thousands of sites will appear, all intending to give you the latest and greatest information about PDAs. That's a good place to begin, but if you're seriously thinking about buying one, you'll want to check out sites such as Future Shop, Radio Shack or Battery Plus. With these sites, you have the option of either ordering online or wandering down to a bricks-and-mortar outlet and picking up your device in person. Shop Wireless and Canada Buy also sell a number of PDAs. If you're looking for a retail store that offers more specialized service, take a look at Palm Top Shop, which deals exclusively in PDAs.

Sizing up the PDA selection

In the world of PDAs, there are really 2 different spheres right now. The easiest way to determine what kind of PDA you're considering is by looking at the price. PDAs cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000 and up. If you're looking at a $600 model, you're probably purchasing a palm-sized PDA. Pay anything over $600 and it usually means you've moved into the handheld PC market.

It's in the palm of your hand

Palm-sized PDAs run on batteries and act as a companion to your desktop computer. They're great for small amounts of information: addresses, calendars and schedules. The best PDAs synchronize with your computer's calendar and e-mail programs so you can keep everything straight, both at the office and on the road. While you can't browse the Internet using most palm-sized PDAs, you can receive "pushed" content, that is, content you specifically request, such as maps and stock quotes. Most models have handwriting-recognition software and don't rely on keyboards. You use a stylus pen instead. Writing on the "silk screen" takes a little practice, but once you've got it, you've got it.

Hands up for handhelds

Handheld PCs are an excellent choice if you want Internet browsing and the ability to work on spreadsheets while away from the office. They're usually bigger, heavier and more robust than a palm-sized PDA, and often look like mini laptop computers. They usually have condensed keyboards, larger screens and abbreviated desktop applications such as a word processor. Many come with a stylus pen too, so you can write instead of type. But remember -- handheld PCs are excellent if you want a laptop computer without the weight or bulkiness, but they also drain batteries faster than a palm-sized PDA.

What do you want?

What you want and what you need are very different things when it comes to shopping for a PDA. And there's a good reason for this. The more extras you buy, the more your handheld computer will cost -- and the faster you'll run through batteries. Do you really need voice recognition? How about a colour screen? Is the extra you want something you'll depend on, again and again? Sure, if you never have the chance to write anything down, voice recognition might be something you feel you can't live without. But if you just want a colour monitor because it looks cool, well, we don't want to burst your bubble, but perhaps it's best to think about it before you slap down hundreds of extra dollars.

Of course if you really want colour, go for it. You might as well buy something that you'll be happy with for years, rather than always feeling the itch to upgrade. And don't be shy about telling the salesperson what you want if you plan to buy your PDA in person. A good salesperson will ask you questions before they give you answers. "First we need to find out what they want to use it for, because everybody is an individual and so we want to make sure their Palm is going to work for them," says Brett Banks, a "Palm specialist" for The Palmtop Shop in Toronto.

Ask around

The best way to decide which PDA is right for you is by asking around. Know someone with a Palm Pilot and another friend with a Jornada? Ask them what they like about their handheld computers -- and ask them what they don't like. Chances are, you'll gain a good understanding about what you can live with and what you can't.

And that's what's so amazing about these little machines. People who own them love to talk about them. "It's an immediate communicator for people. It gets people talking," says Banks. "And it's getting to be like a cult!"

Glossary

Pushed content consists of small bundles of information from the Internet without rich media or hotlinks.

Silk screen is the writing surface of a PDA.

Stylus is a lightly sharpened stick that looks like a pen and is used to apply concentrated pressure to the PDA's writing surface.

Quirks

Is your PDA acting sick? Maybe it's time to take it in for repairs. Check out http://www.410palm.com/, the web site for Palmtop Support Services, a Toronto-based company that not only sells PDAs, but also repairs them. A great place to refer to if your PDA goes belly-up.