There are many differences between PIMs and PDAs. This paper analyses those differences from an operating system-specific perspective. The inclusion of more support for devices and increasingly network-centric applications is discussed along with an overview of the fundamental differences between PIMs and PDAs. Comparisons of interface types, applications and add-on devices is also provided.
PIM vs. PDA
Analysis of the Differences Between PIMs and PDAs
Both Personal Information Managers (PIM) and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) share common attributes, the most prevalent of which is the ability to store a wide variety of personal information. A PIM is more designed to support the more important personal information people rely on in their personal lives and in business (Ayers, 1999). These include telephone numbers, significant dates and times including calendaring functions, support for e-mail and instant messaging over low-end telephone systems networks (Noack, 2000). A PIM can also support inbound communication via RSS feed (Ayers, 1999) and also supports storage of text data. In advanced models there was the option of also supporting digital content including photos and videos (Noack, 2000).
The Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) was designed to support higher-speed Internet connectivity, and commonly had a touchscreen interface making it easier to use (Bayus, Jain, Rao, 1997). The operating systems in PDAs also were designed to support more Web-based applications, including support for integration directly into corporate intranets and wide area networks (Gessler, Kotulla, 1995). Finally PDAs were designed to provide for more effective use of communications applications, with keyboards being included on the touchscreens (King, 1995). Additional models included swivel-out keyboards, making texting and writing more efficient. There are also models that include stylus input, like Palm, and support for keyboard attachment to PDAs as well (Gessler, Kotulla, 1995).
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