PDAs for use in Medicine

Intro
PDA use has exploded in recent years in medicine, with the advent of more features, and more power, use should continue to grow steadily. This begs the question, which PDA should I buy?

Palm vs. PocketPC

Without question PocketPC is currently more powerful than Palm OS, with the upcoming Palm OS 5, Palm should be making up a significant amount of ground with support for more multimedia use and with much faster processors. But for now, you’re stuck with the semi-outdated Palm OS 4. However, that being said, Palm OS based PDAs are far more commonplace, esp among medical students and residents, and for this reason, I would recommend them to medical professionals. In addition, the superior battery life and compact size of the Palm OS PDAs make them better for busy medical residents.

Which brand?
There are currently 3 major Palm OS hardware producers. Palm, Sony, and Handspring. Here we will generalize the major features of each hardware platform, keeping in mind that they ALL share the same software platform. This means that they are all compatible with one another (like buying a Dell vs. Compaq PCs.)

Palm: Currently Palm is the only provider to provide a wireless always-on solution in their i705 model. Palm has continued to drop prices recently, and has supported the use of Multimedia Card (MMC) and Secure Digital (SD) card for memory expansion. The current Palm offerings share the same Universal Connector on the bottom side, which allows them to share hardware add-ons such as keyboards. The current Palms support only 160x160 pixel screen resolution. Palm has models in either B&W or color, and with memory starting at 8MB or 16MB.

Sony: Sony has really flourished in recent months, with the rapid introduction of several innovative models. Sony has support for 320x320 pixel resolution (4x Surface Area of the Palm and Handspring models) on most available models. They also have entry level B&W as well as feature packed color models. Sony is the only one of the roundup to include a model with built in keyboard (NR series) and Built in MP3 players (NR series and some T series). MP3 player add-on is available with all current models. Sony supports it’s Memory Stick standard for memory upgrades. These are currently manufactured by Sony and various third party companies. Sony also has the innovative Jog Dial, kind of like the scroll wheel on your computer mouse.

Handspring: Handspring is last on this list for a good reason. Most of the Handspring models have been stagnant for almost 2 years now. The visor line is sorely outdated, and Handspring has rumored that it may kill off the line eventually. Their current line of Treo handhelds are geared toward cell phone use, but the Treo 90 and possible forthcoming models may continue to innovate. Handspring supports 160x160 pixel resolution. The Treo 90 supports MMC cards, but the Visor line only supports proprietary Springboard modules which are both expensive and hard to find. If you are buying a new PDA, I’d steer clear of Handspring.

Color or B&W?
Most applications now support color, and let’s face it, who likes B&W anyways?
If you are purchasing a new PDA, and you can afford it, make the move to color! Your eyes will thank you for it.

How much memory do I need?
The bare minimum is 8MB, however I strongly recommend 16MB of built in memory. Sure you can add more memory to your 8MB PDA, but the Palm OS memory architecture is poorly implemented. Adding additional memory to your PDA is NOT as seamless as it is when upgrading your PDA. Save the headaches and start with more memory! Almost all current Sony models ship with 16MB currently, and some Palm PDAs as well. When you start adding Epocrates, MedCalc, and 5 Minute Clinical Consult to your PDA, your memory will run out! (and don’t forget the games!)

Does it matter if I have a PC or Mac?
Not really! All Palm and Handspring PDAs sync with both the Mac and PC right out of the box. And although it is not stated on the Box, most current Sony Clie models also sync with Macs (in OS 9 or Mac OS X.) A third party conduit from Markspace also allows other models to sync with your mac.