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

BEST BUY

Don't let the Pilot 5000's Pop-Tart size fool you. The most diminutive PDA in the group is also the best at doubling as your desktop PIM. It packs five pen-based applications--address book, calculator, date book, memo pad, and to-do list--and delivers near-perfect handwriting recognition. Plus, it can synchronize with your computer in the tune it takes to read this sentence.

There's just one thing the Pilot can't do: talk with the outside world. Although its unique docking cradle puts it in instant contact with your PC, the Pilot lacks fax and e-mail capabilities. If you need a communications-equipped PDA, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Operating the Pilot is a point-and-tap affair. Using a plastic stylus, you can enter information simply by tapping an on-screen keyboard, or by drawing letters and numbers in the lower portion of the screen. Graffiti, the Pilot's handwriting-recognition system, affords near-perfect accuracy and is easy to master with just a little practice.

The unit's LCD screen isn't backlit, but it's crisp and readable when viewed under direct light. There is one caveat: The smallish characters may prove frustrating for those with declining eyesight. You can switch to a larger font, but, oddly, only in the memo pad.

Pilot has no operating system to speak of, but navigation couldn't be easier. A single menu contains icons for all the applications; simply tap the one you want, and it appears instantaneously. The applications themselves cover the basics very nicely. The address book includes fields for e-mail addresses and pager numbers, plus four customizable fields. The date book supports only daily and weekly views, but it's easy to jump to any date. To-do list, memo pad, and address book entries may be sorted into categories--up to 15 of them, all customizable. What's missing is a sketchpad for drawing graphics or jotting handwritten notes.

When the Pilot is docked, you can synchronize the data between the PDA and a desktop or notebook PC with the press of a button. Although the included Windows software effectively mimics the Pilot's applications, you'll probably want to stick with your existing PIM. There are optional links available that will make the Pilot directly compatible with Lotus Organizer, MS Schedule , and Sidekick, to name just a few.

The Pilot 5000 runs on two AAA batteries and has the capacity to store roughly 2,500 addresses, four years of appointments, 500 to-do items, and 500 memos. (The Pilot 1000, which costs about $70 less, has one-fourth the memory.) Virtually any piece of data you enter into the Pilot may be assigned private status and thus can be viewed only by password clearance. Should you forget your password, your only recourse is to delete it--and all your private-tagged entries, which will vanish with it.

The Pilot certainly isn't the most robust PDA in the group, but if all you need is to put your PIM in your pocket, there's no better solution for the price.

INFO TO GO
Even though all of the PDAs weigh in at under two pounds
(and some are even well under one), they aren't yet quite
small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket. Maybe somdday.

Product                 Newton            OmniGo 120
                        MessagePad 130

Manufacturer            Apple Computer,   Hewlett-Packard,
                        800-538-9696,     800-443-1254,
                        www.apple.com     www.hp.com/handheld

Rating                  ***               ** 1/2
List Price              $799              $399
Fax/Modem Included      No                NO
No. of PC Card Slots    1                 1
Backlit Screen          Yes               No
Type of Input           Pen/onscreen      Pen/keyboard
                           keyboard
Method of Data          Direct/Infrared   None
Exchange: direct/
infrared

Third-Party Software    Yes               Yes
Available

Batteries               Four AA           Two AA
Macintosh Compatible    Yes               No
Weight                  1 pound           11.6 ounces
Warranty                1 year            1 year
                        CIRCLE 138 ON     CIRCLE 139 ON
                        READER SERVICE    READER SERVICE CARD
                        CARD



Product                 Envoy 150         Series 3a

Manufacturer            Motorola,         Psion,
                        800-894-7353,     800-997-7466,
                        www.mot.com/wdg   www.psion.com

Rating                  ***               ** 1/2
List Price              $875 and up       $499
Fax/Modem Included      Yes               No
No. of PC Card Slots    2                 2
Backlit Screen          No                No
Type of Input           Pen/onscreen      Keyboard
                            Keyboard
Method of Data          Infrared          Direct (optional)
Exchange: direct/
infrared

Third-Party Software    Yes               Yes
Available

Batteries               Rechargeable      Two AA
                          Ni-Cad
Macintosh Compatible    Optional          Optional
Weight                  1.7 pounds        9.7 ounces
Warranty                1 year            1 year
                        CIRCLE 140 ON     CIRCLE 141 ON
                        READER SERVICE    READER SERVICE CARD
                        CARD



Product                 Zaurus                Pilot 5000
                        5800FX

Manufacturer            Sharp Electronics,    U.S. Robotics,
                        800-BE-SHARP,         Palm Computing
                                                  Div.,
                        www.sharp-usa.com     800-881-7256.
                                              www.usr.com/palm

Rating                  ***                   *** 1/2
List Price              $599                  $369
Fax/Modem Included      Yes                   No
No. of PC Card Slots    1                     None
Backlit Screen          Yes                   No
Type of Input           Pen/keyboard          Pen
Method of Data          Infrared              Direct
Exchange: direct/
infrared

Third-Party Software    Yes                   Yes
Available

Batteries               Two AA                Two AAA
Macintosh Compatible    Optional              Optional
Weight                  14.7 ounces           5.5 ounces
Warranty                1 year                1 year