Movies Unspool On Handheld Gear; Technology Is Evolving; Though it gives travelers something to do, PDA movies are still novelties.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: DAVID NOACK

On a recent flight from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, Matt Coddington reclined in his chair and settled in to watch a movie.

But he didn't have to pay for the in-flight film. Nor did he have a laptop or portable DVD player.

Instead, Coddington watched the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" on his Pocket PC, a personal digital assistant that's equipped with the bells and whistles of a personal computer.

PDAs now have greater processing power, colorful screens and lots of memory. That allows them to handle movies or other forms of entertainment.

"I plugged in my headphones and thoroughly enjoyed myself," said Coddington, who runs pocketpclouisville.com, a Web site for Pocket PC enthusiasts in Louisville, Ky. "It was great. I also like downloading the latest movie trailers, as well as a variety of animated short films."

Once viewed as portable tools for jotting notes, keeping addresses and phone numbers -- and maybe playing a few games -- handheld devices have come a long way. They're now challenging the traditional computer in many respects.