How to Put Wikipedia on a PDA or Pocket PC

Wikipedia, the free human-powered encyclopedia as some refer to it, is an invaluable source of knowledge. There always seem to be two types of individuals - though who love and and those who hate it. For those who love Wikipedia, they tout the usefulness of being able to search and find an entry for nearly anything you can think of. The critics, however, often sight the lack of verifiability it has, being open to the public for any idiot to edit.

While there have been cases of individuals adding false information to Wikipedia for kicks and giggles, one cannot deny that, for the most part, the entries are valid and that suspect information is quickly fixed or marked as such. For the average person who needs to search the extinction date for the T-Rex, Wikipedia will do just fine.

If you're one of those lovers of Wikipedia, and you love the thought of being able to carry the vast amount of knowledge around in your pocket sans the need for an Internet connection, placing Wikipedia onto a PocketPC or modern PDA is the method for you.

PocketPCs are small and light, easy to carry and edit. Older, yet just-as-powerful Dell X30 Axims can be found on eBay for about $100. If you already own one, then you're set to go. To get put Wikipedia onto your Pocket PC or PDA, follow the next simple steps.

Items Needed:

Modern Pocket PC or PDA with a 8gig SD or CF card
TombRaider Wikipedia download
Host computer

Step 1: You'll need a relatively new Pocket PC if you don't already own one. A good option, and one I use quite often, is a Dell Axim X30. This isn't the newest in the Axim line, so it can be found cheaper on eBay, but it is still quite powerful and enjoyable to use.

In addition, you'll need an SD card that is 8 gigabytes in size. You might be able to get away with 4gigs if you don't download any pictures - but without pictures, what use is it searching for the ancient script of the Elves?