Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

PDA Technology

 * PDA’s are handheld mini-computers that allow users to store, share, receive, and organize multiple types of information from many different sources (PCs, cameras, mobile phones, printers, etc.)


 * PDAs are also used to organize personal information such as calendars, communication information and contacts, and business documents.


 * PDA technology has evolved to include Internet as well as mobile phone technology as well.

Important terms used when referring to PDA Technology
Syncing: sycronizing your computer and PDA to make the best of the Palm technology (making the transfer of data from one source to another smooth and simple.

Beaming: the capability of other PDA users to send you their business cards and other free software (using infrared technology just like a TV remote—to transfer information you just line up the infrared beams of your PDA and another person’s.

Graffiti: the handwriting recognized by PDA’s (slightly different from the regular style of writing---it actually looks like you are writing on an Etch-A-Sketch because you write without lifting the stylus (pen).

How does PDA technology affect job performance, productivity, and working conditions?

 * PDA technology improves job performance because it is an easy way to combine many different types of technology (communication generated by the user, communication or documents users need to download or have sent to their PDA, and information that is on other technological devices that can be quickly transferred to the handheld PDA.
 * PDAs improve job productivity in that they enable the user to manage many different types of information and information from many different technologies all in one step and very quickly. This makes combination of documents and working with different types of information quick and simple, allowing each employee to get a maximum amount of work done at one time.


 * PDAs improve working conditions for employees by enabling them to have all sources of media and communication information that they need all on one handheld device. This will make it easier for users to complete work because they won’t have to worry about one of their machines breaking or jamming or taking a long time because the PDA makes it possible to accomplish everything they need to with one machine.

How do PDA’s affect law enforcement or military strategy?
*PDAs affect law enforcement and military strategies in that they have one small tiny machine that can organize and store multiple sources of data and can be taken just about anywhere (and most have internet capability built right in and covered in the service plan.

*PDAs also have some security risks such as: theft of the handheld component itself password theft viruses data theft These issues are of major concern to law enforcement or military units that rely on PDAs because the information that they carry and share with others in the same field is usually of the utmost importance and is very classified, meaning that if these security risks were to become a problem, the important information that the law enforcement and military officials carry could get into the wrong hands.

Communication problems solved by the use of PDAs?
*Some communication problems solved by PDA technology are that the PDA is compatible with nearly any other electronic device (although adaptors may need to be purchased), that many different types of media and communication technology can be used on the one handheld machine making it quicker and easier to communicate with others than ever before, and that the system provides an organization system for all different types of media so confusion is lessened when working with different types of media and information at the same time.

Communication problems created by the use of PDAs?
*Security is always an issue with communication technology, but because the PDA can contain many different types of information (personal and business) from many different sources, it is a big problem. This has made PDAs a target for con-artists that try to steal personal and business information from unsuspecting users.