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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from ZDNet Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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PDA memory storage basics By Michael Jackman, TechRepublic April 29, 2002 URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/soa/PDA-memory-storage-basics/0,139023731,120264887,00.htm
One of the advantages of Palm PDAs is that they are RAM-based "always-on" devices. This is also one of their disadvantages. Because volatile RAM requires a constant current, when the batteries run down, your information is erased. You lose whatever data hasn't yet been synced to the desktop. 
To remedy this problem, PDA makers now include slots for nonvolatile flash memory in their products. These memory cards retain data when the power is turned off. Your data can be backed up to the card and then restored in case of a power failure, or even a catastrophic operating system failure (such as dropping your PDA at the airport).
Not surprisingly, there is more than one type of memory used in Palm-based PDAs. Before deciding on a PDA purchase, review the extended storage options presented here. Storage standards Palm device manufacturers use four types of storage for their products. Listed in order from smallest to largest by type and PDA manufacturer, they are:
Making use of the CF interface is a hard drive made by IBM. Called a Microdrive, it fits HandEra PDAs and offers high-capacity storage. Price and storage capacity Figure A lists the suggested retail prices and common storage capacities of these nonvolatile memory cards. As the table shows, with the exception of Handspring's Springboard module, prices are competitive between types.
 Based on the information in Figure A, here are a few tips to consider when purchasing a Palm-based PDA and nonvolatile memory.
PDA memory tips:
Memory card specifications
These memory cards (IBM Microdrives) have the advantages of small size, portability, ruggedness, and good data rates for PDA use. Memory Sticks are the slowest (at present) and CF cards the fastest, but the differences between them aren't that critical. The following tables give basic specifications for comparison for flash memory types.
Adapters By now, PDA and memory card makers have realised that users need portability. For those times you need cross-platform compatibility, such as when your enterprise has two types of handhelds with different memory cards, you can purchase adapters.
Some of the available adapters are:
These adapters let you use a PC as a middleman:
CF cards give the best value, based on price, speed, and capacity. Unfortunately, only one Palm-based PDA maker has gone the CF route—HandEra. Not as well known as its competitors, HandEra deserves a closer look. By having both an MMC and CF slot, the HandEra enables you to increase memory and add a peripheral at the same time. Many peripherals, such as bar code readers and wireless cards, exist for CF slots and are less bulky than their Palm or Handspring counterparts. However, if your storage and peripheral needs are modest, a PDA with either the Memory Stick, MMC, or CF formats will be sufficient. Least attractive, in terms of memory, is the Handspring. The proprietary format, lower capacity, and higher cost of Springboard expansion modules make them less competitive.
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