(compiled by Angela Willis, Matt Oster, and Jon Rittenberger)

What’s the difference between a Palm OS system and a Windows system?

Palm OS is the operating system first created specifically for the Palm Pilot brand of Handhelds. It was then integrated into all Handheld computers as the operating system. It is not Windows compatible in that you cannot directly download files from your home computer AS IS. For instance, if you have a document saved in Microsoft Word and you want to add it to your Palm, you will first have to convert it into a Palm format using a specific program. It will not directly translate all of the paragraph settings however, so it will not look exactly like the document on your computer. An added benefit is that most of the programs and files that you can download for your Handheld are designed specifically for the Palm OS system since that was the first system on the market. However, don’t let that confuse you in terms of the communication between your home computer and your Handheld. All Palm devices communicate directly and seamlessly with your computer, it is only the transfer of Windows documents that need translation.

Windows is obviously the same operating system that operates on your home computer (unless you own a Mac, of course). These are the newer Handhelds and therefore may cost more than the standard Palm OS Handhelds. The benefits of a Windows operating system are obvious: no need to translate files from you computer to your Handheld. In addition, they often come with more memory as a standard feature compared to most of the Palm OS devices. However, that is changing and many Palm OS devices have comparable on-board memory to the Windows devices. One of the disadvantages is that most of the programs and files that you can download for your device are written for the Palm OS system, not the Windows system. However, this is rapidly changing and most Windows device users don’t feel that they are at a disadvantage. The Windows Handhelds may one day become the standard palm operating system, but this is not happening as quickly as the industry thought it would, so both systems are in primary use at the moment and are continuing to compete with each other.

Palm vs. PocketPC

Without question PocketPC is currently more powerful than Palm OS, with the upcoming Palm OS 5, Palm has just started making up a significant amount of ground with support for more multimedia use and with much faster processors. However, that being said, Palm OS based PDAs are far more commonplace, esp among medical students and residents, and for this reason, I would recommend them to medical professionals. In addition, the superior battery life and compact size of the Palm OS PDAs make them better for busy medical residents.