T-Mobile Sidekick (aka the Hiptop from Danger)
This little mobile communicator from Danger can do it all: email, surf the web, instant messenger, make phone calls, and even take pictures with an attachment.
Choosing a budget handheld to recommend was tough, The price of an entry-level Pocket PC has plummeted in the past year, and there are several excellent inexpensive models out there now. It’s not the lightest, smallest, or best-looking gadget out there, but for the first-time PDA buyer, the basic Axim 5 is probably the best deal: it has a 300MHz processor; 32MB of RAM; a 3.5 inch, 65,000 color, transflective display; both Secure Digital and Compact Flash; and if you buy it from a Dell kiosk, you can get it for just $150.
Still, if you’re just looking for a basic handheld to give your kids, another, even less expensive option is the Zire from Palm. It doesn’t have a whole lot of memory, but it’s a stylish replacement for a regular organizer. Just $69.99 after rebate.
Now this is the handheld that you want to find waiting for you under the tree. Toshiba’s flagship PDA comes with 64MB of RAM, a 400MHz processor, Secure Digital and Compact Flash slots, a 64,000 color screen, and best of all, integrated 802.11b. Just $374.99 after rebate. These used to cost over $600 just a few months ago.
