You can connect your iPAQ to your PC in a variety of ways for synchronization and connectivity:

• Universal serial bus (USB) cable
• Serial cable
• LAN connection (wired or wireless)
• Infrared port

The most common method is to connect with a USB connection. Your iPAQ will have arrived with either a cradle with a USB or serial connector that plugs into your PC, or a sync cable that plugs into the bottom of the iPAQ and into your PC. It is important that you not connect your cables to your PC until after you have installed ActiveSync (described in the next section). Also included in your iPAQ kit will be an AC adapter for charging your batteries. This adapter will plug into the back of your cradle, or can plug directly into the bottom of your iPAQ if you only want to charge and not sync. You can also buy sync cables from third parties. We highly recommend the Belkin iPAQ sync/charger cable (www.belkin.com). It enables you to charge your iPAQ from your USB port using a single cable. If you travel, it saves having to take your adapter with you on the road. In addition, it comes with a cigarette-lighter adapter allowing you to charge your iPAQ in your vehicle, which for road warriors is invaluable. As a final bonus, this cable costs less than one-third the price of the same cable from HP. Most people will sync their iPAQs with a USB cable, but if you don’t have a USB port on your computer (older computers may not have a USB port), then you can sync with a serial cable. The higher-end iPAQs ship with a cradle that has both a USB and a serial connector. If you have a cable with only USB and you need the serial connector, it can be obtained at significant additional expense from HP. It is probably cheaper to buy a USB card for your PC than to buy the cable. Serial syncing is also very slow, so it is not recommended. You can also sync your iPAQ with your infrared port. Many laptop computers have infrared ports that allow you to sync with your iPAQ if the ports are aligned and the port on your laptop is active. Desktop PCs rarely have infrared ports. This is also a slow sync method and is rarely used. However, it is useful to know that it can be done if you are on the road with your laptop and have forgotten your cable at home.
The fastest way to sync your iPAQ is through a network connection. To obtain a network connection, you must use an expansion sleeve to insert either a CompactFlash or PCMCIA networking card. One of the ways of networking your iPAQ that is rapidly growing in popularity is to use a wireless 802.11b wireless local area network (WLAN) card to connect your iPAQ to your network. That way, as you roam around your office, your iPAQ is always connected in real time to your network.

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