pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

Handheld Evolution

Psion’s success prompted other companies to start looking at the PDA market. Notable amongst these was Apple Computer, whose launch of its first Newton MessagePad device in mid-1993 was heralded as a major milestone of the information age. Apple was soon joined by several other handheld communication devices from established electronics manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard Co., Motorola Inc., Sharp Electronics Corp. and Sony Electronics Inc.

Because of their size, entering data into a PDA requires either a tiny keyboard or some form of handwriting recognition system. The problem with the former is that they’re too small for touch-typing. The problem with the latter is the difficulty in making it work effectively. What differentiated Apple’s Newton technology from its competitors was its ambitious attempt to support data entry via touch-sensitive LCD screens and highly complex handwriting recognition software. In 1997 Apple launched the eMate, a new PDA that persisted with the Newton technology. Notwithstanding the fact that the Newton’s handwriting recognition technology had come on leaps and bounds in the years since its first appearance, it never became fast or reliable enough. In 1998 Apple announced its decision to discontinue development of the Newton operating system.

In 1995 Palm Computing was acquired by US Robotics and a year later the PDA market was transformed by the introduction of the company’s keyboardless Pilot products. Data entry with these devices was via a stylus and touch-sensitive screen, using the company’s proprietary Graffiti handwriting system. This relies on a touch-screen display and a simplified alphabet – which takes about 20 minutes to learn – for data entry. Typically, PDAs with the Graffiti system provide the option to write directly onto the display which translates the input into text, or to open up a dedicated writing space which also provides on-line examples and help.

Following a further change in ownership – US Robotics being subsumed into 3Com in mid-1997 – the Palm products became formidable players in the handheld computing arena and led to a burgeoning in the PDA market. Their success has also led to a segmentation of the market into users of the two major form factors; devices that have a keyboard, and stylus-based palm size devices that don’t. The former are increasingly viewed as companion devices for desktop PCs and often run cut-down versions of desktop applications. The palm-size form factor generally have less functionality, retaining their emphasis on the tradition Personal Information Manager (PIM) application set. The choice depends on personal preference and the level of functionality required.

  • Handheld Organizer origins
  • Handheld Evolution
  • Palm Pilot
  • Handheld Operating Systems
  • Handwriting Recognition
  • Handheld Synchronization
  • Handheld Applications
  • Guide to UMPCs – Ultra Mobile Personal Computers

Filed Under: PDA's and Other Handhelds

Latest Articles

Installing Windows 98 – Upgrading to Win98SE

In 1999 Microsoft released an upgrade to the original version of Windows 98, known as Windows 98 Second Edition. This included many improvements and enhancements not present in the original version of Windows 98, notably: Support for DVD-ROM Internet Connection Sharing Microsoft … [Read More...]

AMD Sempron

In the summer of 2004, AMD announced the availability of its Sempron processor range. Initially positioned as the successor to the successful Duron CPU and direct competitor to Intel's 90nm-based Celeron D processor, the Sempron range in … [Read More...]

UI Regression Testing as a Tool to Build a User-Friendly Product

Developing a new product, whether it is an application or an online website, is a quite challenging task, which requires a well-planned and structured approach and in-depth preparation from the entire team. You can invest a lot of money in a new project but get negative reviews and sales decline. … [Read More...]

Why Cross-Chain Trading Is the Future of Crypto Investing?

The rapid growth and evolution of the cryptocurrency market have opened up exciting opportunities for investors. Within this dynamic landscape, … [Read More...]

Revolutionize Your Internet Experience with Orbi 960 – The Ultimate WiFi System

In a world where seamless connectivity is essential, slow and unreliable internet connections are a major problem. Whether you are running a business, … [Read More...]

Do You Need a VPN When Trading Cryptocurrency?

There’s no doubt that the biggest global industries in 2023 are tech-driven, while there remains a significant crossover between many of these … [Read More...]

Goodbye Bitcoin: the 3 alternative cryptocurrencies that have great upside potential, according to experts

Bitcoin has been a very lucrative investment for people that got into it early. One report from The Motley Fool pointed out that $10 of bitcoin … [Read More...]

Self-driving cars face their Achilles’ heel and may be targets of hackers

The market for self-driving cars is booming. Customers spent $22.22 billion on these autonomous vehicles in 2021 and they will likely spend more in … [Read More...]

How to avoid scams with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies got a bad reputation when scams multiplied like ants on a piece of cake. Even today many people associate bitcoin and other … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

How to Remove Security Solution 2011

How to Remove Security Solution 2011 Security Solution 2011 can be a hard threat to remove. This fake security client is related to several other … [Read More...]

Differences Between Spyware, Malware and Others

There are countless ways that your computer can be infected by harmful elements but the vast majority of them come down to the four usual … [Read More...]

TeamViewer Remote Access Software

Being able to get to your computer on the road is a great benefit to many people. these days people have multiple devices like tablets, laptops and … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors