Datebook: Admittedly it may take a little time to get used to viewing and flicking through an electronic datebook. However, this is soon out-weighed by advantages such as having alarms set for important events, doing detailed searches, sharing copies of your datebook with other people, editing its contents on your desktop computer and knowing that all your data is backed-up. If the datebook format provided with your PDA doesn't suit your schedule, then you can always have a look round the web to find an alternative that works better for you. (For Palm OS check out Datebk3 or for EPOC take a look at BusyView.)

Address Book: This must be one of the most obviously useful in-built applications on a PDA. The first time you fill it in you can do so on your desktop computer and after that you need never re-write an address book again. Once again there are numerous advantage in having this information stored in an electronic format. This application is particularly useful in clinical practice where you have numerous colleagues and departments to keep in touch with.

To Do Lists: You can replace all those "post-it" note reminders and shopping lists with this application and you can even integrate items with deadlines into the diary application too. Categories, priorities and even expandable outlines will help to keep yourself organized.

Memo Pad: Although only the larger PDA's contain fully functional word-processors you can still jot away in this application and transfer your notes to your desktop computer in due course. Some people even store their "peripheral brain" or collection of "aides-memoir" in this format - though a database application is probably a better choice overall. (EPOC has an in-built database application or there is List for Palm OS and ListPro for Windows CE.)

Expenses: I guess we all like to travel and we all hate filling in expense forms! At least with your PDA you can easily keep a track of all these details in real-time and produce a comprehensive summary to convince even the most stringent of expenses administrators. (Windows CE has no in-built expenses application, whereas EPOC users tend to use the in-built spreadsheet application for tracking expenses.)

Email: You can easily synchronize your desktop email files with your PDA in order to compose and read emails. Receiving and sending is also possible if you have a modem for your PDA. In addition, if you have a mobile phone with a built-in modem and infra-red capability, then you may be able to do all this in a truly "wireless" fashion with EPOC.

Calculator: Maybe you don't often need a calculator, but when you do I'll bet you really do! If you do use a calculator often then why carry two devices when one will do? If you need a calculator to perform specifically medical calculations then you may well find that somebody has already written a program to do just that (see the calculators section on the products page).

Voice Recorder: Once again you could replace a separate device by using the functions of your PDA. Although voice messages take up a lot of memory there are many PDA's with removable memory cards which can overcome this problem. Hence it should be possible to dictate your clinic letters onto a removable memory card and give it your secretary to type up. (While most PDA's that run Windows CE or EPOC have voice-recorders built-in, those using Palm OS will require third-party add-on devices.)

Security: This is an issue that many people are concerned about and particularly so if they are planning to use a PDA in their clinical work. Any of the individual files that you store on a PDA can be made secure using the in-built security features. You can even secure the PDA as a whole so that once it has switched itself off (after a set period of inactivity) it will require a password to "unlock" it.

Synchronisation: An essential feature of PDA's is their ability to synchronise data with a desktop computer. All Palm OS, Windows CE and EPOC devices come with synchronisation software and a desktop Personal Information Manager (PIM) application provided. Palm OS and EPOC machines will work with either Windows or Apple Macintosh systems, whereas Windows CE machines will only work with Windows systems. People who prefer to use a third-party PIM (such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Organiser, or CorelCentral) will need a "conduit" application from somewhere like Puma Technology in order to synchronise their PDA with their chosen PIM.