"Which Pocket PC is the best?" The answer depends on who you talk to and what features are most important to you.

Even our editors disagree. Dr. Ed Zabrek loves the flexibility and expandability of the Casio E-200. Diane Dumas likes the reliability, price and compact size of the Audiovox. Exec editor Rich Hall is a fan of the sleek, large-screen, expandable iPAQ 3850 with Bluetooth connectivity. I personally like the HP Jornada 567 and its long-life battery features, flip cover, and keyboard accessory. The recently introduced NEC MobilePro P300 has not been out long enough to inspire a following, but with its dual expansion slots and built-in USB host capability, it will.

The recently introduced NEC MobilePro P300 has not been out long enough to inspire a following, but with its dual expansion slots and built-in USB host capability, it will.

The iPAQ 3700 is a slim, less expensive device without internal storage options.

The compact Toshiba e570 (above) with SD and CF slots is similar to the Audiovox Maestro except the e570 has 64Mb of RAM.

This article provides various subjective and objective tools to help you decide which Pocket PC is best for you. First, we compare and rank each Pocket PC 2002 devices by feature. Then we report the results of extensive benchmarking of the devices. We follow that by having our editors tell you why they like their particular unit the best. Finally, we will "bottom line" the pros and cons of each unit.

MORE SIMILAR THAN DIFFERENT

In truth, thanks to stringent Microsoft hardware requirements for Pocket PC certification, Pocket PCs are more similar than different. Businesses and end-users will likely be reasonably satisfied no matter which one they choose.

All Pocket PC 2002 devices have the same Microsoft Windows CE operating system and built-in productivity applications. Check out a complete description of this software in the 2002 edition of the Pocket PC magazine Buyer's Guide, or on our Web site (www.pocketpcmag.com/bg04/MS_Software.asp).

In addition, all Pocket PCs use Microsoft's ActiveSync desktop PC synchronization software. One of the most useful and immediate benefits of using a Pocket PC is synchronizing contacts, appointments, tasks, and e-mail between the Pocket PC and your desktop PC's Outlook program.

Fortunately, all Pocket PC 2002 devices store the operating system and built-in applications in Flash ROM. That means that they can be easily upgraded, and that means Microsoft and the manufacturers can choose to make new versions of the operating system and built-in applications available on CD or for download. Already, at their Web sites, HP, Casio, Audiovox, and Compaq have announced the availability of free service packs, which fix problems and add capabilities. However, hardware advances, including faster processors, better display technology, and more efficient batteries will mean that improved Pocket PC hardware will be introduced as often as every few months. And as frustrating as that can be if you just bought a Pocket PC, improved hardware and software generally mean improved productivity. Many of you reading this article will end up purchasing a new Pocket PC every year or two.