PDA, PC, and Accessory Manufacturers

Here’s a list of the major manufacturers of popular PDAs, PCs, and accessories. It’s not exhaustive by any means, but it’s a good start.

Dell (www.dell.com)

Founded in 1984, DELL is one of the largest personal computer manufacturers in the world; Dell also produces a line of handheld Pocket PCs.

Garmin (www.garmin.com)

Founded in 1989, Garmin primarily manufactures handheld GPS units (which can be used when wardriving) and produces the IQue, the first Palm OS PDA with integrated GPS capability.

Gateway (www.gateway.com)

Ted Waitt founded Gateway in 1985 in his Iowa farmhouse. Since then Gateway has grown into one of the world’s largest personal computer manufacturers. Gateway focuses on providing consumers with custom PCs and consumer electronics.

HP (www.hp.com)

Founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, HP is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of digital equipment, including PCs, printers, and networking gear. HP also produces the popular iPAQ series of Pocket PC handhelds.

Kensington (www.kensington.com)

Founded in 1981, Kensington is a leading manufacturer of peripheral equipment for computers and PDAs. In addition to peripherals, Kensington also produces the Wi- Finder, a consumer device for locating Wi-Fi hotspots.

palmOne (www.palmone.com)

Palm Computing was founded in 1992, acquired by U.S. Robotics (and then 3Com), and spun off as an independent company again in 2000. In 2003 after acquiring Handspring, Palm became palmOne. Today palmOne manufactures Palm OS handhelds.

StuffBak (www.stuffbak.com)

An innovator in property identification, StuffBak produces ID labels for all of your personal property, including computing equipment. Through its unique program, StuffBak facilitates the return of your lost property. Because the labels really work, I highly recommend that you use StuffBak’s identification labels on all your mobile devices. The service is inexpensive, and easy to use.