If you're buying it because you think the person would benefit from one, you might be making a mistake. The recipient may not appreciate it or may be resentful and think you're casting aspersions on their organizational skills. Your gift will go unused and unappreciated, and you'll be resentful also.

Now, if you know you're purchasing a Palm handheld for the right reasons, either for yourself or as a much-desired gift, you have to answer a couple questions. What manufacturer? What model?

If you were a Palm handheld, which one would you be?
What do you want to do with a Palm handheld? What type of user are you: casual or power? In what environment will you primarily use it: personal or business/enterprise? How much do you want to spend? Are you the type of person who must have the latest and glitziest model? If the model that best suits you isn't the latest and greatest, will you be happy with it and not feel that you're missing out? For a better understanding of that philosophy, read Claire Pieterek's article on the new Handera 330, and you'll see why she stuck with her trusty Palm IIIx for so long. That's at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200107/handera0701001.html.

At the low end
Are you looking to upgrade your inexpensive electronic organizer that you carry phone numbers in but not much else? Maybe you have an old Sharp or an old Casio, and you're tired of its credit card size, squinting at the screen and trying to input data on its Lilliputian-sized keys. Perhaps you're looking for an alternative to your paper planner; it's dog-eared and full of crossed out telephone entries, but it's compact and easy to tuck into your pocket or purse. You jot a quick note such as a shopping list or to do list to yourself in it, but you usually have trouble finding it later on. Some days you don't refer to your organizer or planner at all.

If you identify with the above, you're a casual user and shouldn't invest a lot of money in a PDA. An entry-level model such as Handspring's Visor or the Palm m100 with 2MB of memory would most likely suit you. Will 2MB be enough for you? My thought is no. Even if you remain a low volume or casual user, with over 10,000 applications written for the Palm OS, sooner or later you'll find yourself in a memory crunch.

For a few dollars more, you can get a model with 8MB. The Visor Deluxe or Palm m105 gives you a lot more memory for not a lot more cash. In the lower end models, I like the Palm m100 line. They have snap-on faceplates, similar to the Nokia phone faceplates. You can find the perfect cover to express your personality, or buy a few and and change them to suit your mood. The advantage of the Visor line is the Springboard, the cartridge-like module that lets you expand the uses and programs that the Visor runs. The Visor can also make use of all programs written for the Palm OS.

If the lower end models aren't what you're looking for, read on, and we'll see if we can find something to suit you.

At the high end
Does this sound like you? You're a hardcore paper planner user. You anxiously await the new Franklin Covey or Daytimer catalogs. You haunt the office supply superstores for various pages and forms to customize your planner. Your planner weighs a lot. It doesn't fit in your bag or brief case. Your physician has ordered you to lighten your load, to which you reply, "But my life and business are in this thing!" Do you manage a household, a family, a business, or any combination of those? Does this involve detailed record keeping?