The Times: Tech special - The rise of the PDA
Today's electronic organisers have far more in common with a laptop than a diary. David Rowan examines why so many of us are turning to pocket computers
THE rise of the pocket computer, or PDA - short for personal digital assistant - began in 1984 when the chunky Psion 1 challenged the Filofax as a convenient way to carry a combined diary and contacts book.
It was heavy and slow, however, and it took another decade - with the arrival in 1993 of Apple Computer's Newton MessagePad - for the personal electronic organiser to find its own market. That market exploded in 1996 when a Californian firm called Palm Computing released the elegant pocket-sized PalmPilot. For the first time, a mobile computer really could fit into the palm of the hand. Since then more than 20 million Palm-based devices have been sold worldwide, with more than 13,000 dedicated software applications offering everything from games to financial spreadsheets and sports scores.
But Palm is not the only player in this field: for companies ranging from Microsoft to Compaq, handheld computers have become big business. Partly this is because they are cheaper and more convenient than desktop computers for many uses. It is also because, as wireless phone and Internet access becomes an integral part of the PDA, it really does deliver the mobile office.
Doctors store patients' medical records on them for use on ward rounds. Waitresses type orders into them directly to the kitchen. Travelling sales executives have them connected to the Internet to collect and send e-mails while on the road; and couriers rely on them to confirm deliveries and pick-ups.
As the computer converges with the Internet and the mobile phone, PDAs are emerging as the future of the mobile workplace. You can also use them to play music you have downloaded or to read an online magazine. Some models help drivers navigate using the global-positioning satellite network; others can be linked to a digital camera and display photographs.
One of the reasons for the PDA's success is the ease with which it can be synchronised with a desktop or laptop computer. You place it on a docking station, known as a cradle, or make a connection using a wireless network, a modem or infrared light. For as little as £100 you have a lightweight mini computer that can talk to your main home or office PC. For a fair amount more, you have an Internet terminal in your pocket (see buyers' guide, pages 4 and 5).
There are some downsides. You need to make sure everything is backed up on your home computer - a flat battery in your PDA can wipe out all your data in one go. Some are frustrated by the clumsy handwriting recognition software, small display screen and limited memory.
But, once hooked, you may wonder why anyone ever got excited over a simple Filofax.
(The Times, April 10 2002)
THE rise of the pocket computer, or PDA - short for personal digital assistant - began in 1984 when the chunky Psion 1 challenged the Filofax as a convenient way to carry a combined diary and contacts book.
It was heavy and slow, however, and it took another decade - with the arrival in 1993 of Apple Computer's Newton MessagePad - for the personal electronic organiser to find its own market. That market exploded in 1996 when a Californian firm called Palm Computing released the elegant pocket-sized PalmPilot. For the first time, a mobile computer really could fit into the palm of the hand. Since then more than 20 million Palm-based devices have been sold worldwide, with more than 13,000 dedicated software applications offering everything from games to financial spreadsheets and sports scores.
But Palm is not the only player in this field: for companies ranging from Microsoft to Compaq, handheld computers have become big business. Partly this is because they are cheaper and more convenient than desktop computers for many uses. It is also because, as wireless phone and Internet access becomes an integral part of the PDA, it really does deliver the mobile office.
Doctors store patients' medical records on them for use on ward rounds. Waitresses type orders into them directly to the kitchen. Travelling sales executives have them connected to the Internet to collect and send e-mails while on the road; and couriers rely on them to confirm deliveries and pick-ups.
As the computer converges with the Internet and the mobile phone, PDAs are emerging as the future of the mobile workplace. You can also use them to play music you have downloaded or to read an online magazine. Some models help drivers navigate using the global-positioning satellite network; others can be linked to a digital camera and display photographs.
One of the reasons for the PDA's success is the ease with which it can be synchronised with a desktop or laptop computer. You place it on a docking station, known as a cradle, or make a connection using a wireless network, a modem or infrared light. For as little as £100 you have a lightweight mini computer that can talk to your main home or office PC. For a fair amount more, you have an Internet terminal in your pocket (see buyers' guide, pages 4 and 5).
There are some downsides. You need to make sure everything is backed up on your home computer - a flat battery in your PDA can wipe out all your data in one go. Some are frustrated by the clumsy handwriting recognition software, small display screen and limited memory.
But, once hooked, you may wonder why anyone ever got excited over a simple Filofax.
(The Times, April 10 2002)
posted by David Rowan at Wednesday, April 10, 2002
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