From The Digital Diary To Smartphones
Casio launched the first hand held computer in 1983 with its Casio PF-3000. The product was a plain digital diary. Psion of United Kingdom developed the first pocket computer in 1984. Called the Psion Organiser I, it consisted of a flat-file data base, calculator and clock. There was no operating system. These products opened up a new range of hand held computers that came to be called Personal Digital Assistants, palm pilots and palmtops. These products sent waves of excitement amongst consumers. The first to join by launching their own handheld computers were such companies as Apple and Palm Computing. Palm Pilot that became a popular PDA was launched at the end of 1990s. The first mobile phone to be launched with the PDA functionality was in 1996 by Nokia. This PDA, called 9000 Communicator, topped the sales chart globally. Soon smartphones, a new class of phones, made its way into the market with products such as Nokia N-Series, the RIM Blackberry and Apple iPhone.
The Multi Headed Device: The PDA
A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a handheld computer. It is also known as a palmtop computer as it has the key functions of a computer. It is the size of the palm which makes it extremely convenient to carry around. It acts as a media player, web browser and mobile phone. Wi-Fi or Wireless Wide-Area Networks enable many PDAs to access the Internet, intranet or extranets.