When shopping for a PDA, a busy student, a soccer mom, and a seasoned executive all have something in common. Everyone wants a good deal. That doesn't mean buying the cheapest PDA you can find, but it does mean finding the most value for your dollar.

Though some products are better than others, much of your decision will depend on what you want the phone to do. One brand may have exceptional battery life while another does a phenomenal job at managing several e-mail accounts. If you want your PDA to also be your phone, you're looking for a smartphone. And believe it or not, there are some PDA's out there that don't do anything except the basic Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. There is no perfect PDA, but there are a few that rise to the top.

It's been awhile since anyone released a PDA that didn't come packaged with a phone. HP is betting there are still a few of us left who don't want to combine all our mobile devices into one. Just released is the HP iPAQ 210 Enterprise. It's the first pocket PC to run Windows Mobile 6. It packs lots of features into a small design including a 624 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM, 256 MB of flash memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to all those Bluetooth accessories. It's considered an "entry level" device with a price tag of $299.

The T-Mobile Shadow is aimed at first time smartphone users, those ready to move up from the cell phone but maybe not quite ready for an all-out business device. The Shadow is a phone first, with the popular Fav-Five home page and a navigation wheel to access. The face slides up to reveal a keyboard with two letters per key, just like the BlackBerry Pearl. It runs Windows Mobile 6 for viewing and editing of Microsoft Office documents, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera, and a micro-SD card slot for added memory. Priced at about $150, the Shadow does much for the money.

For the AT&T (Cingulair) customers, Samsung has improved on the original BlackJack with the BlackJack II. The big improvements have been in hardware, now offering burgundy and black cases. A 2 megapixel camera takes better shots and a larger viewing screen has been added. Below the screen, there is a QWERTY keyboard. The small, cramped keys have been addressed by adding dedicated keys. The size is a bit thicker but for good reason. The original BlackJack had battery issues so the increase in size allows for a larger battery, great for viewing videos or music playback. The device now runs Windows Mobile 6 which allows

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