Tiny Titans: Try a personal digital assistant and you'll wonder how you ever got by without it. So grab a Visor; Aero, or Jornada and go

Latin CEO: Executive Strategies for the Americas, June, 2000 by Oscar Musibay

HEWLETT-PACKARD JORNADA 545 POCKET PC

The popular Jomada series from Hewlett-Packard has spawned a handheld model with a Spanish-language color interface designed to compete cradle-to-cradle with Compaq. The Jomada wns Microsoft Windows for Pocket PC, which includes Outlook, Word and Excel. Calling it a "Pocket PC" isn't a stretch, considering the machine comes standard with a 133MHz 32-bit processor and 16MB of RAM. The built-in Lithium-Ion battery has only eight hours of life; however, recharging is quick and easy. The interface is seductive and extremely easy to navigate.

US$499

305-269-5415

www.hewlett-packard.com

* COMPAQ AERO 2100 SERIES

The Aero 2100 is powered by a 70MHz processor utilizing 8,16 or 24MB of RAM. Colors are crisp and it's no wonder -- the Aero comes equipped with a TFT liquid-crystal display, found in high-end portable computers. Like the Jomada (below), the Aero is powered by a Lithiumlon battery, but the 2100 has a little more punch, providing 10 hours of use. It also has a flash card slot for memory expansion and other addons. Even without an add-on, it produces quality audio, if that's what you're looking for. Or listening for.

Starting at US$399

800-888-5858

www.compaq.com

* HANDSPRING VISOR DELUXE

Although not yet shipping to Latin America, the AAA-battery powered Visor Deluxe is a handheld worth buying while on a trip to the US. It has the same interface as the Palm line of handhelds in a slightly smaller and lighter package, at half the price. Economy isn't the only advantage: The Visor is designed for addons, such as an MP3 player. The dilemma is that add-ons are hard to find. A Spanish-language interface is expected by year's end, but there is no clear date for distribution in Latin America. Nonetheless, this unit is the best available if you don't care about a color screen.

US$249

888-565-9393

www.handspring.com