All pupils over the age of 10 in the selected schools will be given the devices, as will some 6,000 teachers.
The children will also be given access to free wireless Internet under the £25m ($62m) scheme, which could be funded by The National Lottery.
The four Lothian councils involved are understood to be considering founding a charitable trust so as to become eligible for Lottery funding.
The move follows a pilot scheme in Wolverhampton which reported improved results in mathematics and science after school children were given PDAs to use full time.
Free mobile access to the internet at all times is seen as a practical benefit to keep children interested in schoolwork by allowing online access to course material and homework.
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