Handheld Devices: Tips on Purchase Recommendations

Use these simple, low-tech tips and best practices to minimize your handheld device support headaches and maximize the security of your clients’ incredibly valuable data.

Pay Attention to Product Reviews

Don’t take Plug-and-Play claims at face value. Over the years, Microsoft Windows hecklers have taken many a cheap shot at the OS family by branding it "plug and pray".

Before making a handheld device purchase recommendation, check out some independent product reviews in leading personal technology magazines and online portals. Pay particular attention to comments regarding device drivers and ease-of-installation.

Make an Informed Recommendation

Do your homework before making the handheld device purchase recommendation. Because of their small size and minimal costs, PDAs are often impulse purchases for your clients. However, making the "right" hardware and software selections can have an enormous impact on clients’ computer support costs.

Iron Out Who Will be Responsible for Installation and Support

Watch out for dangerous end user installation snafus. Unless your clients’ end users are very PC savvy, you probably don’t want to leave users to install and support their own handheld device to desktop connectivity. All too often, a user inadvertently will break a multitude of key software configurations while accepting default installation settings.

Determine What Can Be Stored on Handheld Devices

Consider if any proprietary data should be "PDA-banned". Be sure you and your clients have thought through what kinds of sensitive data can be stored on these handheld devices, given that the pocket-sized PDA devices are inherently vulnerable to theft.

The Bottom Line about Handheld Devices

In the same context of data security, establish some kind of backup procedures for your clients. We’ve all heard the horror stories of users losing three years of appointments and 2,000 customer names that were stored on their handheld device and not backed up anywhere else. Don’t let your clients’ organizations or supported users become one of these statistics.

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Handheld Devices: Tips on Making the Right Purchasing Decision

To help you and your clients get started on the right track with handheld devices, here are some simple tips to help you find your clients’ the right PDA to avoid frustrating tech support headaches. Purchase Handheld Devices Wisely Be very cautious when considering brand-new, unproven handheld device models. Major design and software bugs are usually fixed in the first three to six months following the initial release. Unless you and your clients are prepared for the risks and demands of being an early adopter, let "someone" else endure these all-too-common headaches. Get software, peripherals and accessories bundled with your handheld device purchase. This shopping approach will not only save you money and installation time, but you’ll also dramatically reduce the compatibility risks. Know What You Are Getting Into Pay attention to vendor support offerings for handheld devices. Technical support and warrantees are not created equal! This is almost a mantra of personal technology adoption: who you buy something from is often as important (or even more important) than what you buy. Make sure the handheld device is compatible with the desired operating system. If your clients’ offices are wedded to a particular version of Microsoft Windows or another OS, be sure your PDA can sync up its data with their desktop or notebook PCs. The Bottom Line about Handheld Devices Lastly, insist on a PDA that is "well connected". USB interfaces tend to be the easiest to configure and troubleshoot, while providing the best performance. Avoid older, legacy serial interfaces whenever possible. Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}