Since the abacus, humankind has been struggling to develop a device that is simpler than devices used before for calculating, organizing information, and communicating. The history of the PDA began in the 70s with the development of calculating machines that were more sophisticated than ordinary calculators. These mini computers would store calculations, but would not really do much else, and were quite primitive compared with the devices we have nowadays. Although these small machines were not really PDAs, they paved the way for the devices that would come afterwards.

Newton Makes History (again)

The first PDA as we know it was developed by John Scully of Apple and was a handheld device that would store phone numbers, appointments and would send and receive messages. This device was to be the answer to the portable personal computers and would mean PDA history. However, 1993 was not meant to be the year of the PDA, and these devices were not able to deliver on the vision imagined by Scully. Sales were not so strong to begin with and dwindled until they became a distant memory. However, it wasn’t long before a truly effective device brought progress to PDA history.

Palm Pilot

In 1996, PDA history was made with the introduction of the Palm Pilot, a device that delivered on Scully’s vision back in 1993. This device did everything Scully had imagined for the Newton and more. Suddenly, sending messages did not require one to hurriedly find a computer, and organizing data became as easy as touching a tiny screen with a small wand. The Palm Pilot was a pioneer PDA that developed the industry and paved the way for future PDAs as the history of PDAs continues

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Now many other companies have developed their own PDAs, and competition is getting fierce to make the PDA with the most features that are advanced and easy to use. Smart phones are being added to current devices and these portable phones should continue to advance the history of PDAs. As the technology improves, we will continue to see these devices with all kinds of features. Competition between companies leads to advanced technology as each major company tries to come up with the ultimate small device which will store, send, and process information quickly and accurately. Smart phones are advancing the technology and are raising expectations for what we look for in a PDA. Ultimately, ever major task we need will be right at our fingertips.

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