Personal digital assistant with real time search capability

The present invention is a method and an apparatus for searching a personal digital assistant (PDA) data base utilizing a search criteria and displaying the result so that the user can determine whether the search yielded the intended result, whether the search needs to be refined, or whether the outcome should be used to initiate an electronic communication such as a telephone call. After successfully obtaining the specific name and recipient information, such as a telephone number, telefax number, numbers for an Internet server and related E-mail address, the numbers may be applied to a telephone for establishing a PSTN or telephone connection. Thereafter the PDA, utilizing the telephone unit links the user to a line or employs data transmission capabilities of a wireless network to send telefaxes, short messages, E-mail and to connect with remote computers. Using a keyboard the user can store data in a data base, alter the data base and input search criteria. The directory is similar in appearance to a telephone book listing where the information comprises at least a name and telephone number or address associated with a particular field in a data base record. Because names are primarily what interests the personal digital assistant users, searches based on the name field typically yields related phone numbers and other record data, although the user is not precluded from searching on other types of information.