Freeware for Your PDA

April 30 -- Ever consider taking your Personal Digital Assistant to bed?

You would if you have the PalmaSutra, an abbreviated digital version of the venerable Kama Sutra text that you can install on your PDA for free.

Sounds ludicrous? Well, in a day and age where people are relying on their Palm Pilot for entertainment and information, it may not be so far off target.

The PalmaSutra, along with thousands of other programs, are right at your fingertips, and quickly uploaded to your PDA. Programs range from news and informational portals, to organizational and professional utilities, to games.

So Many Programs, So Little Memory

It may seem appealing to have increased functionality and programs on your PDA, but one thing to remember is that memory comes at a premium. Experts believe that if you are interested in increasing the flexibility of your PDA, then it's wise to purchase one with at least 8 to 16 MB of memory.

"Unlike PCs, you cannot easily expand memory on a PDA by adding a new internal or external hard drive. If you run out of memory, you will be forced to delete programs or purchase a new unit with more memory," said Tony Ferrara, vice president of Internet marketing for Software Archives, a portal site that includes links to different freeware and shareware sites for personal computers and PDAs.

Beware of Viruses

Like your desktop computer, your PDA is also susceptible to viruses, especially if you wish to upload software onto it. Although it would be helpful on any PDA, anti-viral software is especially important for PDAs with wireless Internet access. If you're using your HotSync button to upload new information, anti-virus software on your PC can normally detect contaminated files; your wireless PDA could be defenseless without the software.

And if you think you're immune from Web-borne viruses because your PDA doesn't have Internet access, be warned. Experts across the Web say that malicious techno geeks will be able to beam viruses right to your handheld.

Software companies, such as Symantec and McAfee, have anti-viral software for your PDA that cost about $30 each, but you can test the software for a limited period of time for free. (See below for one example of a free application.)

Palm OS Vs. Windows CE OS

The majority of PDAs make use of the Palm Operating System. (All of the programs tested run on the Palm OS.)

However, Ferrara mentions that the Windows CE OS is very similar to Windows 95, 98 and 2000, which could make the transition between the PDA and a PC easier.

"If users are planning to sync data with PC-based applications such as Microsoft Office and Outlook, it is often better to go with a Windows CE-based PDA versus a Palm Pilot," he said. "Syncing data between Microsoft products on a Palm Pilot requires the use of third-party programs which can often be buggy or limited on features."

As far as gaming is concerned, the gaming quality and graphics will pale in comparison to a Sony PlayStation 2. Even though the PDA applications are comparatively prehistoric at best, they still gobble up important memory. So it's wise to keep games down to a minimum.

But the most important point before downloading: Keep in mind the term freeware.

"There is an abundance of PDA products on the market that offer many similar options, which can cause confusion among users when deciding on what software products they should choose," said Ferrara. "Freeware is the best option because you can have unlimited use of a product at no expense."

10 Best Bets

Avantgo

http://avantgo.com/frontdoor/index.html

If you want news, one option is to download this site's free program. You will be issued a login, and the framework with which you can customize where and how much news, information and resources you want. With a daily synchronization, you can get the front page of The New York Times, a trivia column called the Daily Dose of Useless Knowledge, or the latest from CNN.com, Cnet.com or, (yours truly at) ABCNEWS.com. There are hundreds of news, entertainment, travel, business, education, and shopping sites available to download.

Vindigo

http://www.vindigo.com/http://www.vindigo.com/

Imagine having Zagat's restaurant reviews, plus all of the local movie listings, and reviews of the best bars and hangouts all in one program. That's what's offered by Vindigo, an entertainment and food guide. The program is free, but HotSyncing is necessary to have the latest information. Just enter your location, and the program will give you reviews (if available) of the nearest restaurants, as well as directions. The program is available for 20 U.S. cities, and London.

Metro

http://home.worldnet.fr/~patriceb/Technique/Metro/Metro-en.html

This site boasts that it has "nearly every subway system in the world." Select the cities you want to download, and you'll get fastest route from point "A" to point "B," including transfers. This is a great program for the savvy traveler who needs to know how to get around in different cities.

PC-cillin Anti-Viral Software

http://www.antivirus.com/free_tools/wireless/

This free anti-virus application is probably one of the best out there for nothing. It helps users filter out malicious URLs, scripts, and e-mail messages with viral attachments. Not only does the software notify the user, but also isolates the virus so it doesn't infect the rest of the PDA. The site also has a very good support available, but it is ambiguous as to how long the freeware will remain "free."

English-Spanish Dictionary (other languages also available)

http://www.palmblvd.com/software/pc/Travel-Dictionary-SpanishPFI-2001-2-28-palm-pc.html

This free dictionary boasts to have close to 500,000 words, all of which are easy to look up, whether from English to Spanish, or vice versa. It's a good reference guide for travel. French, Portuguese and Italian dictionaries also available.

qRx Version 4.0

http://www.epocrates.com/products/qRx4/

There's a wealth of PDA programs geared for those in medical circles, but this program is easy to understand for people who are health-conscious. The program gives an easy-to-understand prescription interaction guide, as well as the latest prescription news and pricing. It's a worthwhile addition for people who may feel that their prescription medicines are starting to get confusing. The one major downside: The program takes up a full megabyte of diskspace — which is a lot if the average PDA has only eight.

Palmasutra

http://palmfun.multimania.com/en/MainFrame.html

Consider this a handheld, miniature version of the beloved Sanskrit text, the Kama Sutra. The illustrations are, well, graphic (thus not appropriate for young children) but along with the grayscale or black-and-white illustration comes an explanation for each move and position. And user feedback is welcomed and easy to provide, and it would be forwarded to the software creator's Webmaster when you synchronize. And for a program that has a great deal of graphics, it's still relatively small at 45K.

PortaBush (or another pet)

http://www.eruptor.com/wireless/portapets/index.html

OK, so you probably went to the Erupter.com site, and said "wait a minute, that's not free!" Well, the programs cost $4.99, but the free trial, equipped with a quarter of the features, can give you hours of amusement. This program is a little more warped than the PC virtual pets (definitely not recommended for kids), in that along with the traditional pets such as a fish, kitten or a monkey, you can get other pets including PortaPam (Pamela Anderson). The newest addition to the PortaPets is the PortaBush, who can be programmed to pig out at Texas-style barbecues, drink beer, and fight.

Tetris (or Ted-Truss)

http://www.arcosoft.com/ted-truss.htm

The classic, portable arcade game must-have now comes in a format suitable for your PDA. Unlike other versions of the game available, this one consumes a small amount of memory, and is also available in color as well as black and white.

Drinks Freeware

http://www.freewareforpalm.f2s.com/index2.html

This application is guaranteed to make you the life of a party. It has over 200 easy-to-follow cocktail recipes, including what and how to mix each drink, and what glass to serve it in. You can also add your own to the growing database of drinks every time you HotSync.