The main difference between the smart phone and the hybrid phone is that the hybrid cell phone includes many of the features associated with a PDA. The smart phone is a PDA with a cell phone added. Both of these gadgets make it possible to communicate both voice and data with the same device. Whether these omnibus devices are with us to stay or are a passing fad remains to be seen. The popularity of the Blackberry or the Palm is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

You may recall when the three-in-one (printer, fax and scanner with limited photo copying), devices were hailed as the answer to office clutter. We still see them around but one ventures to say that most of them are now used only as faxes. The reason that they are now consigned to the corner is that while they did everything they were touted to do they did none of them well. And then, there was no concern of power constraints.

These marvelous smart phones and hybrid phones are capable of many functions but the word one hears on the street is this: smart phones are excellent as PDAs and