So if you do buy a PDA, what's really in it for you?

PDAs are quite an information tool for their size. You can maintain all your contact information and appointments in one central place, and synchronize this data with your PC. These days, too, you can use your PDA to send and receive email, surf the Web, and even play games.

There's also no bulk - you're not exactly lugging around a notebook. You can easily toss one into your purse, pocket, or briefcase.

And, unlike battery-draining notebooks, PDAs have a pretty long life without being recharged. You can keep many models running for a month on batteries -- typically a couple of AAA or AA alkaline batteries. (If your PDA has a colored screen, however, alkaline batteries will last a couple of weeks; color drains battery juice.)

They also do far more than organize. You can use them to get online, send and receive e-mail, and listen to music. The most sophisticated of these toys are part of an emerging breed of all-in-one "information devices."