By Rick Broida
(June 29, 2005)

So, you've decided to abandon the Palm PDA camp in favor of a Windows Mobile Pocket PC. Just one problem: how to migrate your data from the old handheld to the new one.

If you've been syncing with Microsoft Outlook all along, it's a no-brainer: just install ActiveSync from the software CD that came with your Pocket PC, connect the new PDA, and it'll sync right up with your existing Outlook data. But for users entrenched in Palm Desktop, the migration process requires a few more steps and possibly a little cash--twenty bucks, to be precise.

If $20 sounds too steep to you, don't worry. There's also a free way to transfer your data from a Palm PDA to a Pocket PC, but it's definitely a bit more involved. In this Weekend Project, we'll show you how to move your data from your old PDA to your new one, both ways.

Before you do anything else, make sure Outlook stands ready to inherit the most current data. In other words, HotSync your Palm handheld one final time. Now you're ready to choose between manual, free migration or an automated method that'll cost you 20 smackers.