A greatly overlooked element of owning a PDA is that you actually need to take care of them if you want them to last. For most people this will mean two things - getting some software protection for your PDA and getting it a physical case to stop it getting knocked around.

As everyone knows, desktop and laptop computers need to be protected with firewalls and antivirus software. With so much malware, spyware and adware around it is pretty much a necessity. Unfortunately the same thing has to be done for your PDA. A good money saving tip is to search for software that can be used on both your computer and your PDA. There are tons of options available with Avast4 PDA Edition and Airscanner software both being very popular choices for protecting PDAs. Installing this software should be very high on your agenda when getting a new PDA as an unsecured device is just as vulnerable to attack as an unsecured PC.

The other thing you will need to consider is some physical protection for your PDA. The fact is that PDAs will get knocked around a lot in general use (even more if you are a PDA addict!). For this there are luckily an incredible amount of choices. You can go with a soft case or a hard case. The choice should really depend on how heavily you use the PDA - with heavier users perhaps being well-advised to stick with hard cases. Soft cases are fine for general users, but obviously they will not stand up to the same level of abuse as a hard case. Of course having a cool looking case is important too! Luckily there are no shortage of funky cases either!

By protecting your PDA both physically and from a software point of view you will extend its effective life significantly. As with any investment it is wise to protect it and get your money's worth!

Rob Wood runs a PDA Accessory website at http://pda-assistant.info

The next step in the Nintendo DS technological evolution will be handwriting recognition capability in games.

Nintendo Co. Ltd. has just inked a licensing agreement allowing it to harness this technology, previously most prevalent amonst the PDA and smartphone masses.

Full details in a Nintendo DS National Post article were announced today.

Seasoned gamers are well used to split decision thinking, and now mastering quick cursive script is yet another bid for even more speed.

Ambiguous PDA shoppers may be lulled by the idea of Palm shorthand gaming on the Nintendo DS, thus hijacking a portion of the Palm and Pocket PC gaming market.

There's a great deal of functional convergence taking place in today's handheld technology wars.

My recent WiFi hotspots gaming article mentioned the recent McDonald's and Nintendo joint agreement to provide some wireless gaming action to the former's high-calorie consumers.

The entrance of the video iPod means yet another contender, hijacking a fraction of the undecided who would have probably picked up a Pocket PC for its MPEG-4 capabilites instead.

Emerging hardware acceleration capabilities for Pocket PCs allows such PDA owners to harness power previously restricted to the dedicated gaming Nintendo DS and Sony PSP handheld crowd.

It appears that handheld devices are becoming more uniform in development.

WiFi access, MPEG-4 playback, handwriting recognition … it may all sound a little too familiar. You can probably think of half a dozen devices performing similar functions.

My iPod upgrade trauma article speaks of the blistering technology evolution unfolding with this device.

With concurrent upgrades taking place amongst various platforms, only time will tell whether or not devices like Nintendo DS will be distinguishable from any other.

_______________________________________________________________

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

Nintendo's WiFi plan for Nintendo DS handheld gaming is pushing it a few leagues ahead of the pack.

According to the TechNewsWorld site, Nintendo DS WiFi gamers on the move will partake of free online WiFi gaming in areas of Asia and Europe.

This will allow Nintendo DS owners to find online users at WiFi hotspots, even jumping in with home-based wireless configurations.

Nintendo has already one-upped Pocket PC WiFi gamers with their recent wireless access deal for McDonald's patrons.

The former delivered a knockout punch in the industry by making 7,500 available hotspots in the UK.

Some free access to fortunate Nintendo DS owners who are probably thanking the gaming gods at the moment.

It'll be sheer WiFi hotspot overload for WiFi PDA gamers who were already there, technology-wise.

Nintendo DS users are not only gaining ground– they're passing the WiFi PDA game community. At least for the moment.

Selecting the wireless connection mode on this handheld is simple next to the comparatively encryption-saddled Pocket PC.

Third-party PDA apps help somewhat, but base WiFi configuration on the Pocket PC can be an exercise in frustration to some users.

It seems to get easier with each subsequent Winows Mobile release.

It's for these reasons that some say Pocket PC gaming is for the more technically savvy.

Let's instead hold out for easier WiFi gaming on Pocket PCs to level out the playing field.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/