With all of the journalistic cheesiness we can muster we kick off this Back To School issue of PHM Monthly with this phrase, "Run, don't walk, to your closest gadget dealer!!" Okay, maybe not the closest, as they're likely not to have the deals you need to stay on the cutting edge without breaking the bank, but we have the solution to that problem here in the pages of this guide. Of course, we don't just cover PDAs and wireless gear here. What kid heading back to school doesn't want a hot new Nintendo Game Boy Advance with the backlight hack? Who can live without a 20GB Apple iPod with Windows compatibility now that there is one? What PDA owner on the planet doesn't want a 512MB CompactFlash card for their device?

Oh, but we do have some educational items, too. There are all kinds of gizmos and gadgets that are available to help the student make it through school at the top of their class, and we even have a gadget for the teachers! So, get out your notebooks, sharpen that #2, and leave the Apple (iBook, please) on your favorite Editor-in-Chief's desk, and get ready to go Back To School in style.

Getting Started

You can't get into the PDA space without a PDA, so the first items on our list are, well... PDAs.

Palm m100 -- The original Palm device redesign platform delivers extreme value in the form of a mere $57 from CompuVest [C|Net Price Page]. It may be a refurbished unit, but it works! Watch out if you want to upgrade, though. The m100 is limited to 2MBs of RAM and uses fixed ROMs.

Sony PEG-CL10 -- If you're looking for something with a little more panache and a significant lifespan, look at the brand new Clie PEG-SL10. It's a monochrome device, but it sports a 320x320 resolution, 8MBs of RAM, a Sony Memory Stick slot, and compatibility with the Sony Clie Memory Stick camera accessory. Sony is blowing these out at US$149 and is offering free shipping. It even comes with a free copy of Documents To Go!

HP Jornada 548 -- Looking for color and something in a Microsoft hardware partner? At US$245, the Jornada 548 is a powerful machine for those on a budget [C|Net Price Page] and no need to synchronize to an Apple computer. The only limitations are a Type I CompactFlash slot and no upgrade path to Pocket PC 2002.

Compaq iPaq 3765 -- If your budget can withstand US$329 [C|Net Price Page], then you can slip yourself into a shiny new iPaq, the least expensive model to ship with Pocket PC 2002. Snatch one up quickly, though. HP may soon stop making these models since they are focusing on the newer, far more expensive 38xx and 39xx series devices.

Sony PEG-NR70 -- If you're looking for the latest in Palm technology, look no further than the NR70. Priced as low as US$422 [C|Net Price Page] this is the device for the cool school-goer. The built-in keyboard also makes it easier to enter data quickly, if your fingers are slim enough!

Decking Out, Dude!

Now that you've selected a PDA, you'll need some extra gear. The following is the low-down on what's hot and stuff you can't get away with not having.

Bic e.3 Combo Writing Instrument -- You simply can't beat this gadget on any level. It has price (US$4.99), functionality (it combines a pen, mechanical pencil, and stylus in one), and grip (it has a nice, wide, rubber rimmed barrel).

Flash Expansion Cards -- Anywhere from US$18.99 for a SanDisk 16MB CompactFlash card to US$245.99 for a 1GB IBM MicroDrive makes sure you have enough space on your PDA for whatever you're doing. Check out the C|Net price page for more items of expansive desire.

Stow-Away Keyboard -- The quitessential PDA accessory comes in flavors enough to suit any handheld user. Think Outside seems to deliver Stow-Away's as fast as the manufacturers can release new handheld models. It's not cheap at US$99, but it's the best durned keyboard there is.

Vaja Cases -- Don't spend $500 on a PDA and then go out and scratch it up! Get a case, and Vaja makes about the nicest cases anywhere, and for the widest range of products. The best part? If they don't make a case to fit your device or your special configuration, they'll make one for you, but at a price.

Spread The Word

You can try to edit Word documents on a Palm in its default configuration, but you won't get anywhere. By the same token, if you need any advanced word processing abilities on your Pocket PC, forget it. There are Palm solutions, though!

WordSmith -- Tyler's favorite portable word processor for the Palm still kicks butt, but forget it if you need integrated spreadsheet editing. Regardless, for getting Word documents whipped into shape on the go, there's nothing better. It can be had for US$29.95 from Blue Nomad.

Documents To Go 5.0 -- Not to be outshined, DataViz has just released version 5.0 of DTG Premium Edition, which is Palm OS 5.0 ready and now works with Apple's MacOS X. While not as slick at DOC file handling, it does incorporate spreadsheet editing and can even display Adobe's PDF file format. The requested scratch is a little steep at US$69.95, but if you need all of those functions, its worth the price.

No More School Fool

Don't be the butt of the joke because you keep missing class, forgetting assignments, or not being able to remember who's sitting in seat 14G. Here's some sweet solutions for smart schooling!

RollCall 1.0 -- For you teachers out there here's a cool tool to get your classes and assignments organized. The screens are intuitive and organization is quite easy. At US$19.95 from Pocket Innovations you can't beat it with a stick... a yardstick, that is!

HonorRoll 1.0 -- For you students on the fast track here's a gizmo for the Pocket PC to get your classes and assignments organized. The screens are intuitive and organization is quite easy. At US$14.99 from Fieldsien Software its a real deal, too.

4.0Student -- For both the Palm OS and Pocket PC, 4.0Student is the premier school management software period. You can even get both versions on a single CD for one price. Handmark sells 4.0Student for US$19.99, but wait... there's more! Handmark now offers the FourOStudent.net service for only US$20 more. That US$39.99 gets you the software and one full year of the online service. The service allows you to create, modify, archive, print and share class information and then sync it with 4.0Student on the PDA. No cheating, you hear!

Now For The Fun Stuff!!

All work and no play makes student clinically depressed! We'd better be careful, then. To take the edge off of all the work during the school year, here's a selection of fun gizmos and gadgets.

Targus PDA Mouse -- This bizzare little gadget actually works quite well, and lends itself to one-handed operation, something the Palm series has always lacked in. Of course, this is more fancy gadget than real producivity tool, because you have to take it off to go back to Graffiti. Then again, it does work with the Targus-branded Stow-Away keyboards. However you look at it, its somewhat odd, but can be had for US$19.99.

Apple 20GB iPod -- Music is life for a lot of people and being able to simply stick it into a light little silver and white box and listen whenever and wherever is super cool. Apple's first iPod weighed in at 5GB. When that wasn't enough, Apple delivered a 10GB unit. Now, with popularity increasing, Apple not only ships a 20GB version but also one that can work with Windows! A tad steep at US$499 and you'll need to get a FireWire card for your Windows PC if you don't already have a jack, but its certainly a sweet device.

AlphaSmart Dana -- At US$399, this Palm OS based device is not what you might expect. Think of it as a keyboard with a screen attached, and you're on your way to getting the idea. Developed by AlphaSmart, the leader (and only competitor) in the smart keyboard market for educational settings, the move to Palm marks a significant step in the right direction for the company. In fact, several long time Palm developers have already ported their software to work with Dana's unique 560x160 display.

Cybiko Xtreme -- Possibly the least recognized phenomenon in the handheld wireless market is this oddly shaped beast from Cybiko Inc., a worldwide company with offices in Chicago, Moscow, and Taiwan. The device in question is a mish-mash of technologies that includes wireless communications, peer-to-peer networking, and even access to the internet. All of this can be had in a device costing around US$99 at your local Toys 'R' Us. We suggest you check out the web site before investing, though. This is a wild device, but it requires others to get the most out of it, since it was designed for a school environment.

See You Next Year!

Well, that wraps up our first annual Back To School buyers guide. We hope you get a lot out of this guide, but if not or if you have some suggestions of your own, post in our Back To School forum now.

--The PHM Staff