Throw Away Your Filofax, Get A PDA

IF YOU STILL don't have a personal digital assistant, or PDA, now could be the time to get with the program. Both Palm and Handspring — the two biggest players on the hand-held front — have recently released new models equipped with all sorts of snazzy features. And that means that the prices on the slightly older (but still very useful) models have fallen dramatically.

What will you give up by not getting the latest and greatest versions? Well, while Palm (PALM) and Handspring (HAND) both took different routes to get there, their newest PDA offerings are now pretty similar in terms of functionality and look. On the new Palm m500 and the m505 (which has a color screen), Palm has added USB ports so you can attach everything from your digital camera to an MP3 player to a global positioning system, or GPS, receiver (which is a small device that tracks your location) to your hand-held. Additional expansion slots also allow you to add dictionaries, games or more memory. The suggested retail price for the Palm m500 is $399.99, while the m505 goes for $449.99.

Handspring, on the other hand, already included these options in its older models. Its new Visor Edge model has a slimmed-down design and a metal casing, copying the look of the sleeker Palm models. The Visor Edge, which does not include a color screen, has a suggested retail price of $399.99.

Now, these new models are not likely to be discounted for quite a while. But provided you aren't striving to be the coolest propeller-head on the block, an older — and suddenly much cheaper — model might suit you just fine.

Here's a rundown of the best models:

Palm Vx

When this popular model came out, hand-held lovers everywhere were wowed by its power and sleek looks. It comes with eight megabytes of memory capacity (compared with the 2MB that came with the Palm V, which is no longer being manufactured), and is encased in a streamlined, polished shell. While the Vx model is still a looker, the frenzy has died down. It's now available for a suggested retail price of $299.99 (originally $449.99).

Palm VIIx

Weighing in at 6.7 ounces (compared to four ounces for the Palm Vx), the Palm VIIx is a clunker, but it includes a built-in modem to surf the Internet on the go. Prices have dropped from $449.99 at its release in August 2000 to a suggested retail price of $199.99, says a Palm spokeswoman. And if you sign up for the Palm.net wireless service, you'll receive an additional $100 rebate, bringing the price to a bargain-basement $99.99.

Palm IIIc

Another chubby cousin of the Vx, the IIIc doesn't have much going for it aesthetically. But it makes up for its lack of looks with its Technicolor screen. Prices on this model have also dropped from the originally suggested $449.99 to around $299.99.

Handspring Visor Deluxe and Platinum

Even the older Handspring models come with some nice features that you won't see in an older Palm, like the ability to download photos from a digital camera (which turns your hand-held into a photo album). The Handspring Visor Deluxe now goes for a suggested price of $199 (originally $249.99) and the Visor Platinum is now at a suggested retail price of $249.99 after a mail-in rebate (originally $299.99). The difference between the two? The Visor Deluxe comes in fun Day-Glo colors, while the Visor Platinum is all business, with 50% faster processing speed and "high-performance colors" — silver and graphite.

We were able to find even cheaper prices on all these models on the Internet. Here's the skinny: