Personal digital assistant

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The Palm TX PalmTX.jpg
The Palm TX
Apple Newton MessagePad (1993) - Computer History Museum Apple Newton MessagePad (1993) - Computer History Museum.jpg
Apple Newton MessagePad (1993) – Computer History Museum

A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a handheld PC , [1] [2] is a variety mobile device which functions as a personal information manager. PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly capable smartphones, in particular those based on iOS and Android, seeing a rapid decline in use after 2007. [3] [4]

Contents

A PDA has an electronic visual display. Most models also have audio capabilities, allowing usage as a portable media player, and also enabling many of them to be used as telephones. By the early 2000's, nearly all PDA models had the ability access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi or Wireless WANs, and generally include a web browser. Sometimes, instead of buttons, PDAs employ touchscreen technology.

The first PDA, the Organiser, was released in 1984 by Psion, followed by Psion's Series 3, in 1991. The latter began to resemble the more familiar PDA style, including a full keyboard. [5] [6] The term PDA was first used on January 7, 1992 by Apple Inc. CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple Newton. [7] In 1994, IBM introduced the first PDA with analog cellular phone functionality, the IBM Simon, which can also be considered the first smartphone. Then in 1996, Nokia introduced a PDA with digital cellphone functionality, the 9000 Communicator. Another early entrant in this market was Palm, with a line of PDA products which began in March 1996. Palm would eventually be the dominant vendor of PDAs until the rising popularity of Pocket PC devices in the early 2000s. [8] By the mid-2000s most PDAs had morphed into smartphones as classic PDAs without cellular radios were increasingly becoming uncommon.

Typical features

A typical PDA has a touchscreen for navigation, a memory card slot for data storage, and IrDA, Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. However, some PDAs may not have a touchscreen, using softkeys, a directional pad, and a numeric keypad or a thumb keyboard for input. To have the functions expected of a PDA, a device's software typically includes an appointment calendar, a to-do list, an address book for contacts, a calculator, and some sort of memo (or "note") program. PDAs with wireless data connections also typically include an email client and a Web browser, and may or may not include telephony functionality.

Touchscreen

PalmPilot organiser on display at the Musee Bolo, EPFL, Lausanne Palm-IMG 7024.jpg
PalmPilot organiser on display at the Musée Bolo, EPFL, Lausanne

Many of the original PDAs, such as the Apple Newton and Palm Pilot, featured a touchscreen for user interaction, having only a few buttons—usually reserved for shortcuts to often-used programs. Some touchscreen PDAs, including Windows Mobile devices, had a detachable stylus to facilitate making selections. The user interacts with the device by tapping the screen to select buttons or issue commands, or by dragging a finger (or the stylus) on the screen to make selections or scroll.

Typical methods of entering text on touchscreen PDAs include:

Despite research and development projects, end-users experience mixed results with handwriting recognition systems. Some find it frustrating and inaccurate, while others are satisfied with the quality of the recognition. [9]

Touchscreen PDAs intended for business use, such as the BlackBerry and Palm Treo, usually also offer full keyboards and scroll wheels or thumbwheels to facilitate data entry and navigation. Many touchscreen PDAs support some form of external keyboard as well. Specialized folding keyboards, which offer a full-sized keyboard but collapse into a compact size for transport, are available for many models. External keyboards may attach to the PDA directly, using a cable, or may use wireless technology such as infrared or Bluetooth to connect to the PDA. Newer PDAs, such as the HTC HD2, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod Touch, and Palm Pre, Palm Pre Plus, Palm Pixi, Palm Pixi Plus, Google Android (operating system) include more advanced forms of touchscreen that can register multiple touches simultaneously. These "multi-touch" displays allow for more sophisticated interfaces using various gestures entered with one or more fingers.

Memory cards

Although many early PDAs did not have memory card slots, now most have either some form of Secure Digital (SD) slot, a CompactFlash slot or a combination of the two. Although designed for memory, Secure Digital Input/Output (SDIO) and CompactFlash cards are available that provide accessories like Wi-Fi or digital cameras, if the device can support them. Some PDAs also have a USB port, mainly for USB flash drives.[ dubious – discuss ] Some PDAs use microSD cards, which are electronically compatible with SD cards, but have a much smaller physical size.

Wired connectivity

While early PDAs connected to a user's personal computer via serial ports or another proprietary connection,[ specify ] many today connect via a USB cable. Older PDAs were unable to connect to each other via USB, as their implementations of USB didn't support acting as the "host". Some early PDAs were able to connect to the Internet indirectly by means of an external modem connected via the PDA's serial port or "sync" connector, [10] or directly by using an expansion card that provided an Ethernet port.

Wireless connectivity

Most PDAs utilize Bluetooth, a popular wireless protocol for mobile devices. Bluetooth can be used to connect keyboards, headsets, GPS receivers, and other nearby accessories. It's also possible to transfer files between PDAs that have Bluetooth. Many PDAs have Wi-Fi wireless network connectivity and can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots. [11] All smartphones, and some other PDAs, can connect to Wireless Wide Area Networks, such as those provided by cellular telecommunications companies. Older PDAs from the 1990s to 2006 typically had an IrDA (infrared) port allowing short-range, line-of-sight wireless communication. Few current models use this technology, as it has been supplanted by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. IrDA allows communication between two PDAs, or between a PDA and any device with an IrDA port or adapter. Some printers have IrDA receivers, [12] allowing IrDA-equipped PDAs to print to them, if the PDA's operating system supports it. Universal PDA keyboards designed for these older PDAs use infrared technology.[ citation needed ] Infrared technology is low-cost and has the advantage of being allowed aboard.[ specify ]

Synchronization

Most PDAs can synchronize their data with applications on a user's computer. This allows the user to update contact, schedule, or other information on their computer, using software such as Microsoft Outlook or ACT!, and have that same data transferred to PDA—or transfer updated information from the PDA back to the computer. This eliminates the need for the user to update their data in two places. Synchronization also prevents the loss of information stored on the device if it is lost, stolen, or destroyed. When the PDA is repaired or replaced, it can be "re-synced" with the computer, restoring the user's data. Some users find that data input is quicker on their computer than on their PDA, since text input via a touchscreen or small-scale keyboard is slower than a full-size keyboard. Transferring data to a PDA via the computer is therefore a lot quicker than having to manually input all data on the handheld device.[ citation needed ]

Most PDAs come with the ability to synchronize to a computer. This is done through synchronization software provided with the handheld, or sometime with the computer's operating system. Examples of synchronization software include:

These programs allow the PDA to be synchronized with a personal information manager, which may be part of the computer's operating system, provided with the PDA, or sold separately by a third party. For example, the RIM BlackBerry comes with RIM's Desktop Manager program, which can synchronize to both Microsoft Outlook and ACT!. Other PDAs come only with their own proprietary software. For example, some early Palm OS PDAs came only with Palm Desktop, while later Palm PDAs—such as the Treo 650—have the ability to sync to Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft's ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center only synchronize with Microsoft Outlook or a Microsoft Exchange server.[ citation needed ] Third-party synchronization software is also available for some PDAs from companies like CommonTime [13] and CompanionLink. [14] Third-party software can be used to synchronize PDAs to other personal information managers that are not supported by the PDA manufacturers (for example, GoldMine and IBM Lotus Notes).

Wireless synchronization

Some PDAs can synchronize some or all of their data using their wireless networking capabilities, rather than having to be directly connected to a personal computer via a cable. Devices running Palm's webOS or Google's Android operating system primarily sync with the cloud. For example, if Gmail is used, information in contacts, email, and calendar can be synchronized between the PDA and Google's servers. RIM sells BlackBerry Enterprise Server to corporations so that corporate BlackBerry users can wirelessly synchronize their PDAs with the company's Microsoft Exchange Server, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise servers. [15] Email, calendar entries, contacts, tasks, and memos kept on the company's server are automatically synchronized with the BlackBerry. [16]

Operating systems of PDAs

The most common operating systems pre-installed on PDAs are:

Other, rarely used operating systems:

Automobile navigation

Some PDAs include Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; this is particularly true of smartphones. Other PDAs are compatible with external GPS-receiver add-ons that use the PDA's processor and screen to display location information. [19] PDAs with GPS functionality can be used for automotive navigation. PDAs are increasingly being fitted as standard on new cars. PDA-based GPS can also display traffic conditions, perform dynamic routing, and show known locations of roadside mobile radar guns. TomTom, Garmin, and iGO offer GPS navigation software for PDAs.

Ruggedized

Some businesses and government organizations rely upon rugged PDAs, sometimes known as enterprise digital assistants (EDAs) or mobile computers, for mobile data applications. These PDAs have features that make them more robust and able to handle inclement weather, jolts and moisture. EDAs often have extra features for data capture, such as barcode readers, radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers, magnetic stripe card readers, or smart card readers. These features are designed to facilitate the use of these devices to scan in product or item codes.

Typical applications include:

Educational uses

PDAs and handheld devices are allowed in many classrooms for digital note-taking. Students can spell-check, modify, and amend their class notes on a PDA. Some educators[ who? ] distribute course material through the Internet or infrared file-sharing functions of the PDA. Textbook publishers have begun to release e-books, which can be uploaded directly to a PDA, reducing the number of textbooks students must carry. [20] Brighton and SUSSEX Medical School in the UK was the first medical school to provide wide scale use of PDAs to its undergraduate students. The learning opportunities provided by having PDAs complete with a suite of key medical texts was studied with results showing that learning occurred in context with timely access to key facts and through consolidation of knowledge via repetition. The PDA was an important addition to the learning ecology rather than a replacement. [21] Software companies have developed PDA programs to meet the instructional needs of educational institutions, such as dictionaries, thesauri, word processing software, encyclopedias, webinar and digital lesson planners.

Recreational uses

PDAs may be used by music enthusiasts to play a variety of music file formats. Many PDAs include the functionality of an MP3 player. Road rally enthusiasts can use PDAs to calculate distance, speed, and time. This information may be used for navigation, or the PDA's GPS functions can be used for navigation. Underwater divers can use PDAs to plan breathing gas mixtures and decompression schedules using software such as "V-Planner".

Models

Consumer

Ruggedized

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CLIÉ</span> Personal digital assistant

The Sony CLIÉ is a series of personal digital assistants (PDAs) running the operating system (OS) Palm OS, developed and marketed by Sony from 2000 to 2005. The devices introduced many new features to the PDA market, such as a jog dial interface, high-resolution displays, and Sony technologies like Memory Stick slots and ATRAC3 audio playback. Most models were designed and manufactured in Japan. The name was initially an attempt at a new coinage term, though it means tool in the Jèrriais language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm OS</span> Mobile operating system

Palm OS was a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants (PDAs) in 1996. Palm OS was designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management. Later versions of the OS have been extended to support smartphones. The software appeared on the company's line of Palm devices while several other licensees have manufactured devices powered by Palm OS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psion (company)</span> Software company in Canada

Psion PLC was a designer and manufacturer of mobile handheld computers for commercial and industrial uses. The company was headquartered in London, England, with major operations in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and other company offices in Europe, the United States, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. It was a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket PC</span> Obsolete type of computer, similar to smartphones

A Pocket PC is a class of personal digital assistant (PDA) that runs the Windows Mobile or Windows Embedded Compact operating system that has some of the abilities of modern desktop PCs. The name was introduced by Microsoft in 2000 as a rebranding of the Palm-size PC category. Some of these devices also had integrated phone and data capabilities, which were called Pocket PC Phone Edition or simply "Smartphone".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm (PDA)</span> Line of personal digital assistants and mobile phones

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smartphone</span> Handheld mobile device

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psion Series 5</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile device</span> Small, hand-held computing device

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Tungsten</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Z22 (handheld)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorola A780</span> Motorola device

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tablet computer</span> Mobile computer with integrated display, circuitry and battery

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Pre</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket PC 2000</span>

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References

  1. ↑ Viken, Alexander (April 10, 2009). "The History of Personal Digital Assistants 1980 – 2000". Agile Mobility. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "History of the HP 95LX computer". HP Virtual Museum. Hewlett-Packard. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  3. ↑ Andrew Smith, Faithe Wempen (2011). CompTIA Strata Study Guide. John Wiley & Sons. p. 140. ISBN   978-0-470-97742-2 . Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ "The Golden Age of PDAs". PC Magazine.
  5. ↑ "The Protea Story". The Register.
  6. ↑ "3-Lib History of Psion" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Newton, Reconsidered - Time magazine , June 1, 2012
  8. ↑ "Palm's market position erodes".
  9. ↑ Kahney, Leander (August 29, 2002). "Apple's Newton Just Won't Drop". Wired. Condé Nast Publications. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  10. ↑ Patrick (December 14, 2006). "Palm PDA Cables". DeepWave. Patrick Khoo. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  11. ↑ "MC55A0 Rugged Wi-Fi Enterprise Mobile Computer" . Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  12. ↑ For example: "HP LaserJet 5P and 5MP Printers — Product Specifications". HP Business Support Center. Hewlett-Packard. Archived from the original on April 25, 2005. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  13. ↑ "CommonTime - Cross platform mobile app development tools". CommonTime. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Sync calendar, contacts, tasks and notes to Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry - CompanionLink" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "BlackBerry — Enterprise Server — BlackBerry BES Server". Research In Motion. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  16. ↑ "BlackBerry — Business Software Features". Research In Motion. Archived from the original on 2012-04-16. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Ernest Khoo: Alternative operating systems on your PDA". Archived from the original on 2012-08-10.
  18. ↑ "Highlights: Knowing the differences in PDA operating systems" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Palm Support: Palm GPS Navigator 3207NA". Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  20. ↑ "10 tips to save on college textbooks". Centre Daily Times. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  21. ↑ Davies, Bethany S.; Rafique, Jethin; Vincent, Tim R.; Fairclough, Jil; Packer, Mark H.; Vincent, Richard; Haq, Inam (1 January 2012). "Mobile Medical Education (MoMEd) - how mobile information resources contribute to learning for undergraduate clinical students - a mixed methods study". BMC Medical Education. 12: 1. doi:10.1186/1472-6920-12-1. PMC   3317860 . PMID   22240206.
  22. ↑ "ROLAND PMA-5 PERSONAL MUSIC ASSISTANT". Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Pidion" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  24. ↑ CATCHWELL. "CATCHWELL - Handheld Mobile Computers" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "M3 Mobile".
  26. ↑ Two Technologies, Inc. "Rugged Handheld Computers and Android Devices - Two Technologies" . Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "unitech - Global Website. Worldwide leading ADC manufacturer".
  28. ↑ "Chainway".
  29. ↑ "Newland".
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