New PDAs keep coming with features galore. Let's look at what Palm, Dell and ASUS have been up to lately.

Palm has just released the Palm TX. This PalmOS device, running version 5.4, with support for 65,000 colors is the newest in the Palm 480x320 pixel display series. It is powered by a 312 MHz ARM processor and has 128 megabytes of flash memory with 100 megabytes available to the user. It uses the Palm 5 way navigation control and has the usual Palm built-in applications. This device supports both Bluetooth and 802.11b WiFi connectivity. It has a SD slot for memory expansion and audio output capability. The device size is 3.08" W x 4.76" H x .61" D and it weighs 5.25 ounces. It comes with a large array of add-on software. The price is $299.00. More information is available at www.palm.com.

For the more budget minded, Palm has also released the Z22, a 160 x 160 pixel color device with 32 megabytes of non-flash memory. It is powered by a 200 MHz ARM processor and is not expandable. It has no audio capability. It is a reasonable entry level device and costs just $99.00. More information on the Z22 is also on the Palm website.

Dell has released an updated version of the Axim X50 and X50v called the X51 and X51v. These models are essentially the same as the earlier models, but now run Microsoft's new Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. The new operating system includes updated Microsoft Office software and memory storage for more efficient data management, a powerful multimedia experience with Windows Media® Player 10 Mobile and support for micro hard drives. The X51 is based on an Intel XScaleTM PXA270 Processor running at 416MHz. It includes a 3.5" color 320 x 240 pixel TFT display and integrated Bluetooth wireless. It has 64MB SDRAM and 128MB Flash ROM, integrated CompactFlash Type II and Secure Digital/MMC card slots, and supports an optional high capacity battery. It comes with a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a built-in microphone and speaker for easy recording on the go. The device size is 2.9" W x 4.7" H x .7" D and it weighs 5.9 ounces. It sells for $299. For $399 you can upgrade to a 520 MHz processor and add 802.11b WiFi capability. The Axim X51v has a 624 MHz processor, a 640 x 480 pixel display, an integrated Intel® 2700G multimedia accelerator with 16MB video memory and 256MB of Flash ROM. It is the same size, but weighs in at 6.2 ounces. It sells for $499. More information is at www.dell.com.

ASUS is a company best known for desktop motherboards and add-on video and network cards. They have recently added a line of Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition PDAs. The flagship of the line is the MyPal A730W which is based on the Intel XScaleTM PXA270 Processor running at 520MHz. It has a 3.7" color 640x480 pixel TFT display. The device comes with 64 megabyte Flash and 128 MB SDRAM, one CompactFlash Type II Card Slot and one SD slot, an integrated microphone, speaker and 3.5 mm earphone jack. It supports both Bluetooth and 802.11b WiFi. It comes with an 1100 mAh Lithium Ion battery which can be upgraded to an 1800 mAh battery. It also includes a 1.3 million pixel camera. The device size is 2.9" W x 4.6" H x .7" D and it weighs 6 ounces. It sells for $599. More information is available at www.asus.com.