While the first PDA models were around for two or three years before being replaced with newer models, the latest entourage of PDAs are replacing barely 6-month old units - and what's worse, the operating system to support these new units will most likely not be available until these brand new units are obsolete.

As the consumer continues to spend obscene amounts of money to keep their handhelds from becoming obsolete, PDA manufacturers continue introducing newer models to the PDA market faster and with more integrated options. This year, however, manufacturers have crossed what in my opinion is an invisible ethical line in their game of planned obsolescence to where the products being sold are not only steps down, but also designed to force the unit into obsolescence within six months.

Some of the models I speak of include the new iPaq 5450 and the Toshiba e740. If you look at the latest features you will undoubtedly become dazzled by the integrated WiFi and XScale processor, and probably be tempted to trade in your two-month old "dinosaur" for one of these babies. What you don't know is that these models will be obsoleted by newer models before they ever see operating system support, and even if they last long enough, the integrated hardware will force you to upgrade.

What the manufacturer doesn't bother telling you is that the XScale processor, at a blazing 400Mhz, is noticeably slower than the ARM processor at 206Mhz due to lack of operating system support (until the release of PocketPC 2003, allegedly). Let it also be noted that the integrated WiFi doesn't include the new 802.1x protocol and will not function on newer wireless networks requiring authentication. Finally, the battery life will be unpredictable under PocketPC 2003 since nobody knows just what kind of power consumption will result when the new processors are finally put to use, a mistake already made with previous models.

Let's back up for a moment and take a look down the road of miserable mistakes made by our friendly PDA manufacturers in the past. The iPaq is the perfect example of what not to do in the PDA business. The first Compaq handhelds miserably underestimated battery life, correcting this in the 3800 series. The 3800 series was quietly ushered out and replaced with the 3900 series when SDIO and the XScale processor were introduced, and is now obsoleted by the 5450 - having never been truly given a chance by the manufacturer to live up to its full potential with PocketPC 2003.

The new 5450, which now includes integrated WiFi, will again not see PocketPC 2003 most likely until it's already obsolete. By the time this happens, the integrated WiFi will also be obsolete due to lack of 802.1x support required by newer networks, and you'll probably have to pay another $200 or so for a high capacity battery when it starts acting like a 400Mhz PDA. This makes me wonder if this expensive battery is why the 5450 has a smaller battery than its predecessors. Just in case you didn't waste enough when buying that $700 beast, spend that extra $200 for a battery that probably won't work in the next line of PDAs because they changed the "shape" of it.

Now when I speak of PocketPC 2003, it is with the assumption that XScale support is actually provided. If the manufacturers have shown us anything it's that there are no guarantees that your PDA won't wind up on the shelf in a couple of months - or worse, eBay. When I speak of "no guarantees", I'm obviously speaking of Microsoft.

Microsoft's track record isn't exactly flawless in the PDA realm and there are no guarantees that they'll pull through. The consumer has taken several blows from Microsoft for lack of product continuity with both the discontinuation of MIPS and SH3 processor support in their operating system (forcing consumers to buy a new PDA to run PocketPC 2002) as well as in features such as a Terminal Services Client (which they finally implemented) and Messenger. Is Microsoft jumping in bed with Intel? The track record suggests so. First the death of the Motorola PowerPC and then the death of MIPS and SH3 after Microsoft's infamous "Intel StrongARM Only for Pocket PC 2002!" decree. I wonder how many kickbacks it will take to extinguish Intel's older ARM processor. Forgive me but my trust in a software firm marred with Anti-Trust suits and a track record of poor software practices is going to be slightly skeptical.. or is it?

The PDA industry will probably continue to fleece consumers in this fashion until the consumer starts demanding an ethical and sane product offering - one that at least coincides with operating system releases. Though it's doubtful this will happen with only a few people refusing to buy these desgined-to-be-dinosaurs products. Consumers buying these products knowing all this deserve what they get - a worthless unit. HP's Trade-Up program has been reported to be considered "ridiculous" by some of their own employees, offering a mere $100 for a unit less than six months old. You can't even push a slightly older model on eBay without losing money.