Backup and Other Options

One basic configuration step to take on your PDA is to enter your contact information in the Owner fields of the device. On a Palm, you can find these fields under Preferences, and on a Pocket PC, you can find them under the Personal tab. Making this kind of information available makes it much easier to return the device if it should become lost. If the person who finds it doesn't even have contact information for the device, the chances of it being returned to its rightful owner are close to zero. Having your name and phone number appear on the screen should be enough information for someone to reach you. Alternatively, if your PDA is stored in a case, you might even tape your business card to the case. That way, even if the person doesn't know how to turn the device on, he will at least see some kind of contact information.

Pocket PC has a feature that allows you to display owner information when the device is turned on, even if you have activated password protection. Although Palm owner information is stored in Preferences, if you turn on the password lock-out feature, a Palm device displays owner information along with a password request when activated.

Every time you synchronize your PDA, the data is backed up to your PC. However, several applications offer supplemental backup to protect your data even more securely.

BackUpBuddy, BackupPro, and JackBack are all software backup tools for backing up applications and data on a Palm-based device. But only BackUpBuddy works with a standard Palm. The other two require a Palm-based device with removable Flash memory, such as a Handspring Visor with Flash Module, a Sony Clie with Memory Stick, or a TRGPro Palm device with CompactFlash.

Like the Visor, TRGPro, and Clie, all Pocket PCs come with a removable memory slot—either CompactFlash or, in the case of Casio, Multimedia Cards. You can use this expandability to add memory and features and to back up your PDA when you're not near a PC.