Connecting with Your PDA


Eventually, Tablet PC will probably replace your PDA. For now, however, I strongly suspect that if you have a PDA you just about can’t live without it. (Doubt me? Try this handy self-test: Imagine losing either your child or your PDA . . . you hesitated, didn’t you?)

For you PDA-obsessed people, there’s a seriously handy capability: You can wirelessly connect your Tablet PC to your PDA by using infrared connections that comply with standards developed by the IrDA (Infrared Data Association).

With this futuristic connection in place, you can exchange data and files (such as contact records) or documents (such as notes taken in Word for Windows CE) between the two devices.

There’s not much to connecting two infrared-capable devices.

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Bluetooth versus the radio datasnatchers

If your Tablet PC is enabled with Bluetooth — a wireless technology that circumvents the need for an infrared link — then you can connect your devices by means of a wireless network connection and radio links. Because radio waves can walk through walls (unlike infrared), the two devices don’t have to be lined up within a foot of each other but only in general proximity.

Of course, walking through walls comes at a price. Wireless networks have some significant potential for security flaws; by means of a process called wireless sniffing, unscrupulous people could eavesdrop on what you send by radio wave. Encrypting files (essentially using spy-code stuff) can help keep data in transit secure, but that can get expensive fast. Bottom line: Unless you’re sending the formula for a top secret product, you probably don’t have to worry too much about becoming a wireless-sniffing victim.

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Just follow these steps:

  1. Align the two devices so the infrared windows are within a foot or so of each other.

    The infrared windows are tiny, dark red transceivers mounted somewhere near an edge on each of your devices. When they’re lined up, a feature of Windows XP called Wireless Link starts up and the Wireless Link icon appears in the taskbar.

  2. Use the features of the infrared software that comes with your Tablet PC to transfer files between the devices.

 Tip  If your wireless phone has infrared capabilities, this same technique works with transferring data between the phone and your Tablet PC.




Tablet PCs for Dummies
Tablet PCs for Dummies
ISBN: 0764526472
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 139

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