A pocketful of PDAs - evaluations of Apple's Newton MessagePad 130, HP's OmniGo 120, Motorola's Envoy 150, Psion's Series 3a, Sharp Electronic's Zaurus 5800FX and U.S. Robotics' Pilot 5000 personal digital assistants - includes related product summary box - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, Dec, 1996 by Rick Broida

Why Lug a Notebook When a Personal Digital Assistant Can Fill in--for Less Money and Weight?

CLONE YOUR OFFICE. LEAVE THE ORIGINAL AT HOME, and keep the copy by your side. Wherever you go, you'll have instant access to your appointment calendar, address book, notepad, and e-mail account. And when you get home, you can connect the two offices to update all your information.

What witchcraft is this? Actually, it's the promise of the personal digital assistant (PDA) come to fruition. Unlike paper-based daily planners, which can't communicate with the outside world, many PDAs now offer e-mail, fax, and even Web-browsing capabilities. Unlike notebooks, which are heavy and can cost thousands of dollars, PDAs weigh ounces instead of pounds and have three-digit price tags.

Of course, you've heard this pitch before. For a long time, PDAs were little more than Pretty Disappointing Accessories: high-priced novelties that failed to live up to our expectations. The perfect PDA--the one that costs under $300, flawlessly interprets your handwriting, and sends e-mail through the air--has yet to arrive, but it's getting closer. In the meantime, we tested six of the latest and greatest models to hit the streets: the Apple Newton MessagePad 130, Hewlett-Packard Omni Go 120, Motorola Envoy 150, Psion Series 3a, Sharp Zaurus 5800FX, and U.S. Robotics Pilot 5000.

What's important in a PDA? Above all else is the quality of the screen: If it's too dim or suffers from too much glare, you might as well toss the unit out the nearest window. We took communications into account as well: It'd be nice if you could send a fax and check your e-mail while traveling. We also looked at the quality of included applications and availability of third-party software; ease of use; and caliber of hand-writing recognition (if applicable).

These units come in all shapes and sizes, with different strengths and weaknesses. Some emphasize communications; others are more self-contained. Some use only a pen for input; others add a keyboard. Many have screens that will make you squint; a few offer backlighting. All the models we reviewed (with the exception of the HP OmniGo 120) allow you to transfer data from your desktop or notebook. We're convinced that all of these models are good enough to carry your most vital data. All you need to do is choose the one that best meets your needs.

Apple Newton MessagePad 130

Rating: ***

The Newton MessagePad has come a long way since it was first released a few years ago. The latest iteration adds more memory, a backlit screen, and a new operating system. Unfortunately, these desirable improvements have kept the MessagePad's price from coming down.

The MessagePad is one of the most flexible PDAs on the market. It has lots of communications options (CompuServe and America Online e-mail among them), and it supports third-party applications. You can install commercial Newton software or download hundreds of programs and text files from online services and the Internet. A particularly noteworthy add-on is AllPen Software's NetHopper, which lets you use the MessagePad to surf the Web (albeit in a text-only mode).

Previous models lacked adequate internal memory, but this MessagePad's 2.5MB of RAM can accommodate plenty of extra software. Of course, it packs some good applications to begin with. In addition to the PIM basics--address book, notepad, daily planner, and calculator--the MessagePad includes Pocket Quicken to help you organize your finances. Optional software from Intuit lets you synchronize the data with your desktop version of Quicken. However, there's no easy way to synchronize planner or address-book entries with those of your desktop PIM.

True to its name, the MessagePad works best as, well, a message pad. The combination of strong handwriting-recognition software and a roomy screen on which to write makes this the best PDA for scribbling notes during a meeting. You can enter information as printed or cursive text, and you can draw graphics. The text recognition is surprisingly good, provided you write legibly. If you can't make the MessagePad understand your chicken scratch, you can tap-type using an onscreen keyboard. There are three fonts in three sizes to choose from, and you can boldface or underline anything.

The MessagePad's screen is superb, especially when backlit. When you find yourself in harsh- or low-light situations, simply toggle the backlighting on. The screen brightens considerably. The downside is that this drains the four AA batteries more quickly--a good argument for buying the optional rechargeable battery pack.

The MessagePad's expandability is virtually unmatched by other PDAs. Its Type II PC Card slot supports a memory card, industry-standard fax/modem, or an optional wireless-messaging card that turns the MessagePad into a pager. Its LocalTalk serial port supports external modems, Apple printers, and an add-on keyboard. The optional PrintPack adds compatibility for non-Apple printers, including those with a parallel interface. Bundled cables afford Serial links to both Macs and PCs, and the MessagePad's infrared dataport provides wireless information exchange with similarly equipped computers and printers.