Personal
Digital Assistants (PDAs)
Once the computer revolution had brought
information bursting into our offices and homes, it wasn’t
long before manufacturers realised there was a demand
for portable computers. Although the first “portables”
were more like suitcases, the trend was clear and before
long laptops brought some of the power of a desktop computer
to commuters - who could ‘balance the books’
whilst on the train to work.
But
there was an early departure from the laptop way of
thinking - in 1984
the Psion 1 was launched. It wasn’t a fully
blown Personal Computer, but a Personal Digital Assistant
(PDA) - in essence it was a calendar, phone book and
calculator all rolled into one. Incredibly Psion was
virtually the only player in this field until the 1990s
when Apple launched its Newton Message Pad in 1993.
Although the product itself wasn’t a great success,
and was dropped within five years, it did mark the beginning
of great interest in the market.
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