TECHNOLOGY TIPS - MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED A PDA
With all the drama surrounding the iPad's release this past weekend, something came up in my conversation with the manager at the Ritz Camera on Chicago and Rush.
My concern was that while it's a great gadget to have, I need something more practical and smaller. At first, we discussed my need for something size appropriate, good cell coverage and access to email and the Internet. With my phone contract still in effect for another year, I really didn't want to break one plan and start another. As the conversation went on, we decided that what I need is a MID, also known as a Mobile Internet Device. It's also got to be a newer generation, which is now in the 2.0 range, to get the most current capabilities. As a side note, technically the iPad is MID because the current release does not have a built-in phone.
According to Wikipedia, a MID is "a multimedia-capable handheld computer providing wireless Internet access. They are designed to provide entertainment, information and location-based services for personal use, rather than for corporate use."
The best way to think of the MID is that you can have one of these devices, pay approximately $30 per month and have the same connectivity you would with a PDA, laptop or netbook. The only major difference is that you'd be looking at a device that is the same size as a PDA. With so many of these MIDs available, it's a question of how you'll use it.
CATHY MALLERS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
