PDA vs Smartphone
PDA’s are Personal Digital Assistants that help people organize their schedules but also offer many of the functions of modern smartphones. The younger generation may not be aware of these devices as they have become used to smartphone that have all the functionalities of a PDA plus some more features. This article will highlight the major differences between a PDA and a smartphone to help people choose a device that better suits their requirements.
While a smartphone is basically a phone that has additional features, a PDA is not meant for calling but shares many of the features of a modern smartphone. A smartphone, besides many call options, has features such as ability to browse, create documents and spreadsheets, listening to music and watching videos, connecting with friends through social networking sites and taking pictures and HD videos. These smartphones also have a full QWERTY sliding keypads or virtual keypads that help in input of data and easy emailing. However, despite so many features, the main functionality of a smartphone remains telephony around which all other features are wrapped.
A PDA on the other hand shares some of the functions of a smartphone without the capability of making calls, though they can be used to connect with friends via chat and also for sending and receiving emails. PDA’s are more focused around providing organized schedules and contact list and making calls is not an option with PDA devices. They are used more for taking notes with a larger screen for the purpose and for creating documents.
PDA’s were quite popular among businessmen and busy executives to plan their schedule with an address book and a calendar where one could set alarms for his appointments. But with passage of time and advancement in technology all these functions have become standard on all smartphones which is the reason people prefer to have smartphones rather than having to keep two devices for such functions. A smartphone today is not just a mobile to make calls but has all the features of a PDA device such as a contact manager, ability to connect with a computer, ability to browse the net with Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and also support for emailing. These phones today have larger screens which were once a monopoly of PDA devices. They also boast of QWERTY keyboards for easy input of data and emailing. The facility to run third party applications, which was a feature of PDA devices, is now common with new smartphones such as cash organizers and even gaming.
The one big difference that still exists between smartphones and PDA’s is that whereas smartphones are carrier dependent and you cannot change your service provider without buying a new phone, PDA’s are carrier independent and you can switch over to any service provider anytime you so desire.
In terms of connectivity, smartphones are far ahead of PDA devices as they connect to a cellular network. Thus it is easy to browse the net from anywhere but in the case of PDA devices, cellular network is absent thus providing a kind of connectivity which is limited and slower than smartphones.
In conclusion it can be safely said that smartphones have taken over PDA devices completely and PDA devices are on the verge of extinction.