53-485: The Archos PMA400 is a personal digital assistant (PDA) from Archos , with a hard disk drive and audio and video playback and recording capabilities, so it also functions as a portable media player (PMP). The PMA400 was the most expensive within the line of products that they supplied. Based on the Linux Qtopia Embedded operating system, the device is more like a personal digital assistant than
106-419: A CompactFlash slot or a combination of the two. Although designed for memory, Secure Digital Input/Output (SDIO) and CompactFlash cards were made available that provided peripheral accessories like Wi-Fi or digital cameras to devices with software support. Some PDAs also have a USB port, mainly for USB flash drives . Some PDAs use microSD cards, which are electronically compatible with SD cards, but have
159-535: 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. 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
212-599: A portable media player , and also enabling many of them to be used as telephones. By the early 2000s, nearly all PDA models had the ability to access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi or Wireless WANs , and since then generally included a web browser . Sometimes, instead of buttons, later 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
265-502: A tablet -like device with handwriting capabilities, he worked with AT&T Corporation to develop a low-power processor, Hobbit , for the project. However, slow progress and other issues led to Sakoman leaving Apple in 1990 to form Be Computer, Inc. The Newton project would be revitalized by Michael Tchao and Steve Capps who pitched the idea directly to CEO John Sculley ; Apple invested in Acorn Computers who developed
318-508: 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. By the mid-2000s most PDAs had morphed into smartphones as classic PDAs without cellular radios were increasingly becoming uncommon. A typical PDA has
371-517: A PDA, reducing the number of textbooks students were required to carry. 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 were studied with results showing that learning occurred in context with timely access to key facts and through consolidation of knowledge via repetition. The PDA
424-490: 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 experienced mixed results with handwriting recognition systems. Some found it frustrating and inaccurate, while others were satisfied with
477-529: A developer could define new types, for instance "client", "patient", etc. Stand Alone Software, Inc. also created a Newton software package called the Stationery Construction Kit, which allowed users to make stationery themselves without aid of any other tools. Dates supplied calendar, events, meeting, and alarms functions, including an integrated "to do" list manager. It offered many different display and navigation styles, including
530-569: A hierarchical outline / tree . When a bullet point was dragged, the entire sub- tree of child bullet points underneath it (if any) would be dragged along as well. If a bullet point had child bullet points, tapping the parent's bullet point once would "roll up" all the children ( "windowshade" effect ). Tapping the parent bullet point again would make the children re-appear. Because this functionality arrived in Newton OS 2.0, several third parties made similar software before for OS 1.x Newton machines,
583-544: A list view, graphical day "time blocking" view, or a week, month, or year grid. As with Names and Notes, Dates items created either on the Newton or on a Windows or Macintosh desktop PIM could be synchronized to each other. From Apple : From Motorola : From Sharp : From Digital Ocean : From Siemens : From Harris : NewtonScript is an advanced object-oriented programming language, developed by Apple employee Walter Smith . Some programmers complained about
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#1732794260169636-418: A much smaller physical size. While early PDAs connected to a user's personal computer via serial ports and other proprietary connections , later models connect via a USB cable. Older PDAs were unable to connect to each other via USB , as their implementations of USB did not support acting as the "host". Some early PDAs were able to connect to the Internet indirectly by means of an external modem connected via
689-451: A normal media player. The PMA400 features the following: Though it remains Archos's only dedicated PDA, some of its features can be seen on the later 604WiFi including touchscreen and web browsing. The original firmware had some major bugs that are now being gradually fixed in an open source firmware by the open PMA project. Added functionality from openPMA are: Personal digital assistant A personal digital assistant ( PDA )
742-403: A source of mockery . Sales of the Newton were well below Apple's expectations, and despite significant improvements in later hardware and version 2.0 of Newton OS, the platform was discontinued in 1998 at the direction of CEO Steve Jobs . Despite its commercial failure, the Newton was considered technologically innovative for its time and influenced many ideas for Apple's later popular products,
795-444: A specific ARM6 -based RISC processor for the device. Apple introduced the Newton on May 29, 1992 ( 1992-05-29 ) , and shipments began on August 2, 1993. The Newton was marred with issues before its public release; bugs and software instability played a part in a series of continuous delays of its shipment date, while post-release problems with its handwriting recognition feature led to negative publicity and became
848-402: 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 soft keys , 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,
901-473: A touchscreen or small-scale keyboard was slower than a full-size keyboard. Transferring data to a PDA via the computer was, therefore, a lot quicker than having to manually input all data on the handheld device. Most PDAs come with the ability to synchronize to a computer. This is done through synchronization software provided with the handheld, or sometimes with the computer's operating system. Examples of synchronization software include: These programs allow
954-424: Is a multi-purpose mobile device which functions as a personal information manager. Following a boom in the 1990s and 2000s, PDA's were mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of more highly capable smartphones , in particular those based on iOS and Android in the late 2000's, and thus saw a rapid decline. A PDA has an electronic visual display . Most models also have audio capabilities, allowing usage as
1007-801: Is now the VP of iPad Product Marketing. Since 2004, the Einstein Project has been working on emulating the Newton for use as an alternative OS on other platforms. It is currently available for the Sharp Zaurus , Apple's Mac OS X , Nokia Maemo , Microsoft Windows , and the Pepper Pad 3. The emulator is an open source project, but requires an original Newton ROM to be installed in order to function. iPhones and iPads run Einstein since September 2010. The Android operating system runs Einstein since March 2011. Programs have been written for
1060-714: The Newton Connection Kit , which was sold separately and only worked for Newton devices that used the 1.x versions of the Newton OS. The Notes application allowed users to create small documents that could contain text that had been typed, or that had been recognized from handwriting, as well as free-hand sketches, "Shapes", and "ink text" . In version 2.0 of the Newton OS , the Notes application (as well as Names) could accept what Apple termed "stationery", 3rd-party created plug-in modules that could extend
1113-472: The iPhone and iPad . Most Newton devices were pre-loaded with a variety of software to aid in personal data organization and management. This included such applications as Notes, Names, and Dates, as well as a variety of productivity tools such as a calculator, conversion calculators (metric conversions, currency conversions, etc.), time-zone maps, etc. In later/2.x versions of the Newton OS these applications were refined, and new ones were added, such as
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#17327942601691166-496: The "Print Recognizer" part of the Newton 2.1 handwriting recognition system into Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar . It can be used with graphics tablets to seamlessly input handwritten printed text anywhere there was an insertion point on the screen. This technology, known as " Inkwell ", appears in the System Preferences whenever a tablet input device is plugged in. Larry Yaeger was the author of the original Rosetta recognizer on
1219-528: The $ 1000 cost of the Toolbox programming environment. Additionally, it required learning a new way of programming. The Newton project was a personal digital assistant platform. The PDA category did not exist for most of Newton's genesis, and the phrase "personal digital assistant" was coined relatively late in the development cycle by Apple's CEO John Sculley , the driving force behind the project. Larry Tesler determined that an advanced, low-power processor
1272-414: The 1990's to 2006, typically had an IrDA ( infrared ) port allowing short-range, line-of-sight wireless communication. Few later models used this technology, as it had 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 contemporary printers have IrDA receivers, allowing IrDA-equipped PDAs to print to them, if
1325-477: The Newton since its cancellation, including an RSS reader. The Apple Newton and its poor handwriting recognition was lampooned on the episode of The Simpsons titled " Lisa on Ice " in 1994. In the 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion , handheld devices modeled on the Newton can be seen multiple times, serving various internal functions within NERV. In the 1995 film Under Siege 2: Dark Territory ,
1378-426: The Newton, and was also responsible for porting it to Mac OS X. Patent applications were issued for a tablet based Macintosh. At an All Things Digital conference in 2004, Steve Jobs made reference to a new "Apple PDA" which the company had developed but had decided not to bring to market. In September 2009, Michael Tchao, who pitched the original Newton concept to John Sculley, returned to Apple. Michael Tchao
1431-740: 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. Email, calendar entries, contacts, tasks, and memos kept on the company's server are automatically synchronized with the BlackBerry. The most common operating systems pre-installed on PDAs are: Other, rarely used operating systems: Some PDAs include Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Other PDAs are compatible with external GPS-receiver add-ons that use
1484-715: 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 , Palm Pre , Pre Plus , Pixi , and Pixi Plus , as well as devices running the 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. Although many early PDAs did not have memory card slots, later models had either some form of Secure Digital (SD) slot,
1537-458: The PDA manufacturers (for example, GoldMine and IBM Lotus Notes ). 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 calendars can be synchronized between
1590-528: 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 came 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
1643-432: The PDA's operating system supports it. Universal PDA keyboards designed for these older PDAs use infrared technology, due to cost and a lack of wireless interference. Most PDAs can synchronize their data with applications on a user's computer, allowing 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
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1696-401: 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". Apple Newton The Newton is a specified standard and series of personal digital assistants (PDAs) developed and marketed by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1993 to 1998. An early device in the PDA category —
1749-927: The PDA's processor and screen to display location information. PDAs with GPS functionality can be used for automotive navigation. Integrated PDA's were fitted as standard on new cars throughout the 2000's. PDA-based GPS can also display traffic conditions, perform dynamic routing, and show known locations of roadside mobile radar guns. TomTom , Garmin , and iGO offered GPS navigation software for PDAs. 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
1802-615: The PDA's serial port or "sync" connector, or directly by using an expansion card that provided an Ethernet port. Most PDAs use Bluetooth, a popular wireless protocol for mobile devices. Bluetooth can be used to connect keyboards, headsets, GPS receivers , and other nearby accessories. It is 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. All smartphones, and some other PDAs, can connect to Wireless Wide Area Networks, such as those provided by cellular telecommunications companies. Older PDAs, from
1855-513: The PDA—or transfer updated information from the PDA back to the computer, eliminating 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 found that data input was quicker on their computer than on their PDA since text input via
1908-499: The Treo 650—have the ability to sync to Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft's ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center only synchronized with Microsoft Outlook or a Microsoft Exchange server. Third-party synchronization software was also available for some PDAs from companies like CommonTime and CompanionLink . Third-party software can be used to synchronize PDAs to other personal information managers that are not supported by
1961-872: The Works word processor and the Newton Internet Enabler, as well as the inclusion of bundled 3rd party applications, such as the QuickFigure Works spreadsheet (a "lite" version of Pelicanware's QuickFigure Pro), Pocket Quicken , the NetHopper web browser, and the Netstrategy EnRoute email client. Various Newton applications had full import/export capabilities with popular desktop office suite and PIM (Personal Information Manager) application file formats, primarily by making use of Apple's bundled Newton Connection Utilities and also
2014-424: The development team, and the stylus, which he disliked as it prevented the use of the fingers. Furthermore, with Apple already suffering heavy losses which jeopardized its survival, this made the unprofitable Newton a tempting target to axe. Jobs was likely also motivated by the fact that the Newton was the pet project of his old adversary John Sculley. However, Jobs saw potential in the technology and concept, if not
2067-424: The execution, and eventually led Apple to create its multi-touch devices inspired by FingerWorks , the iPhone and iPad . Before the Newton project was canceled, it was spun off into an Apple wholly owned subsidiary company, Newton, Inc . Speculation continued for several years that Apple might release a new PDA with some Newton technology or collaborate with Palm . Feeding a bit of speculation, Apple put
2120-459: The functionality of the basic applications. One of the new types of Notes stationery added to Newton OS 2.0 was a hierarchical , bullet-ed , collapsible, multi-line " Checklist ", an implementation of outliner software. This could be used for organizing tasks, "to do" lists , sub-tasks, etc. Each bullet point could contain as many lines of text as desired. A bullet point could be dragged and placed underneath another bullet point, thus forming
2173-484: The main character Casey Ryback ( Steven Seagal ) connects an Apple Newton PDA to the telephone network of the hijacked train on which the film is set, and sends a fax to his workplace, which is then forwarded to Admiral Bates, Ryback's contact at the Pentagon. The hijackers subsequently discover and hack the Newton, thus learning of Ryback's presence on the train. In the 1998 interactive video game The X-Files Game ,
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2226-403: The main character uses an Apple Newton to make notes, read e-mail and navigate the different locations of the game. During Apple's March 21, 2016, keynote conference, a celebration video called "40 Years in 40 Seconds" was unveiled. The video featured flashing text of names from Apple's most notable products and taglines in their forty-year history, including Newton. However, in Newton's case, it
2279-610: The more familiar PDA style, including a full keyboard. The term PDA was first used on 7 January 1992 by Apple Inc. CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , Nevada , referring to the Apple Newton . 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
2332-866: The most notable of which was Dyno Notepad, released in 1993. The Names application was used for storing contacts. Contacts created either on the Newton device or on a Windows or Macintosh desktop PIM could be synchronized to each other. Entering a date in Names for fields such as birthday or anniversary automatically created corresponding repeating events in the Dates application. Each contact had an attached free-form notes field available to it, that could contain any mix of interleaved text, ink text, Shapes, or Sketches. Like Notes, Names could be extended by developers, to create special new categories of contacts with specialized pre-defined fields. Names shipped with three types of contacts, "people", "companies", and "groups", but
2385-541: The quality of the recognition. 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, were made available for many models. External keyboards may attach to
2438-452: The term personal digital assistant was coined to refer to the Newton. According to former Apple CEO John Sculley , the company invested approximately $ 100 million to develop Newton. The Newton was considered innovative at its debut, but it suffered from its high price and problems with the handwriting recognition element, its most anticipated feature. The handwriting software was barely ready by 1993 and its tendency to misread characters
2491-411: The term itself originating with the Newton — it was the first to feature handwriting recognition . Newton devices run on a proprietary operating system , Newton OS ; unlike the company's Macintosh computers, Apple licensed the software to third-parties, who released Newton devices alongside Apple's own MessagePad line. Apple started developing the platform in 1987; concepted by Steve Sakoman as
2544-432: The use of these devices to scan product or item codes. Typical applications include: PDAs and handheld devices were allowed in many classrooms for digital note-taking. Students could spell-check, modify, and amend their class notes on a PDA. Some educators distributed course material through the Internet or infrared file-sharing functions of the PDA. Textbook publishers released e-books , which can be uploaded directly to
2597-506: The words "Catching on?" as "Egg Freckles", a phrase that became widely repeated as symbolic of the Newton's problems. This phrase was subsequently included as a trigger for an Easter egg in later editions of the MessagePad, producing a panel from the strip when it was entered on the device. In acknowledgement of the strip, Apple subsequently gifted a MessagePad to Trudeau. Although the software improved substantially in Newton OS 2.0, it
2650-559: Was an important addition to the learning ecology rather than a replacement. Software companies also developed PDA programs to meet the instructional needs of educational institutions, such as dictionaries, thesauri , word processing software, encyclopedias, webinars and digital lesson planners. PDAs were 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
2703-514: Was needed for sophisticated graphics manipulation. He found Hermann Hauser , co-founder of Acorn Computers which had developed the Acorn RISC Machine as first ARM architecture device, and put together Advanced RISC Machines, now Arm Ltd. A smaller device was then designed by Jonathan Ive . Although PDAs had been developing since the original Psion Organiser in 1984, the Newton has left one particular lasting impression:
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#17327942601692756-411: Was not enough to inspire strong sales. The Newton became popular in some industries, notably the medical field. However, the debut of the competing Palm Pilot substantially reduced its market share. Apple struggled to find a new direction for the Newton, and when Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, he killed the product line. He was critical of the device's weak performance, the management of
2809-543: Was widely derided in the media. This was parodied in The Simpsons episode " Lisa on Ice ", where a scene makes fun of the Newton's handwriting recognition turning "Beat up Martin" into "Eat up Martha". Garry Trudeau also mocked the Newton in a weeklong arc of his comic strip Doonesbury , portraying it as a costly toy that served the same function as a cheap notepad, and using its accuracy problems to humorous effect. In one panel, Michael Doonesbury 's Newton misreads
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