Mike's question is: "I am currently living in Canada but I am planning a trip to Singapore. If I buy a PDA in Singapore will I have any trouble running it here?"

In general, PDAs a not regionally limited, except in the case of the installed ROM. Most handheld makers will customize their devices for specific regions, though they tend to stick with the major ones (i.e. French, German, Japanese, Italian, etc...). On the other hand, since there are many English speaking travellers, foreign vendors will often carry English stock, at least in the tourist-populated areas (such as the Akihabara in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan) where visitors are more likely to buy.

The only real limitation to regional-specific hardware is the ROM. If you intend on purchasing a Palm OS based device, make sure the ROM is actually Flash ROM, which can be upgraded. If the device is "regionalized" then you can Flash the ROM with an English version. Of course, all this is moot if you can't get the ROM. The only way to get other ROMs for Palm devices is to join their developer program. Makers don't just leave ROMs laying around for anyone to have. And the devices that have static ROMs simply cannot be modified at all.

All in all, the best thing to do is make sure you can get an English version device before you go. Even better, buy it in Canada or from a US vendor. The problem there is that some vendors will not honor replacement or repair claims unless they specifically offer the device and/or state support is available for it. Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware.

I hope that helps, Mike!