Personal Digital Assistant

1. Definition

PDAs are handheld computers that were originally designed as personal organizers but became much more versatile over the years. PDAs are also known as pocket computers or palmtop computers.

2. Description of the technology

PDAs have many uses: calculation, use as a clock and calendar, playing computer games, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving E-mails, video recording, typewriting and word processing, use as an address book, making and writing on spreadsheets, use as a radio or stereo, and Global Positioning System (GPS). Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities enabling them to be used as mobile phones (smartphones), web browsers, or portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs). One of the most significant PDA characteristics is the presence of a touch screen.

3. What Can PDAs Do?

• Touch Screen

Many original PDAs, such as the AppleNewton^? and the Palm Pilot, feature touch screens for user interaction, having only a few buttons usually reserved for shortcuts to often used programs. Touch screen PDAs, including Windows Pocket PC devices, usually have a stylus that come with them. The stylus is a small, detachable instrument used to touch the screen of a PDA. Interaction is then done by tapping the screen to activate buttons or menu choices and dragging the stylus to, for example, highlight. Text input is usually done in one of two ways:

Using a virtual keyboard, where a keyboard is shown on the touch screen. Input is done by tapping the letters. Using letter or word recognition, where letters or words are written on the touch screen, and then "translated" to letters in the currently activated text field. Despite rigorous research and development projects, end-users experience mixed results with this input method, with some finding it frustrating and inaccurate, while others are satisfied with the quality. [1] Recognition and computation of handwritten horizontal and vertical formulas such as "1 + 2 =" were also under PDAs for business use, including the BlackBerry^? and Treo, have full keyboards and scroll wheels or thumb wheels to facilitate data entry and navigation, in addition to supporting touch-screen input. BlackBerry^? also has additional functionality as push based email and applications. There are also full-size foldable keyboards available that plug in directly, or use wireless technology to interface with the PDA and allow for normal typing.

Newer PDAs, such as the Apple iPhone, include revolutionary user interfaces using other means of input. The iPhone uses a technology called Multi-touch which uses fingers as input.

• Memory Cards

Almost all PDAs now have some form of a memory card slot. At first, nearly none did. A standard on modern PDAs is the SD (Secure Digital) slot. Although originally designed for memory, in recent years the invention of the SDIO standard has allowed such things as Wi-Fi cards and Webcams to be used in the same slot. Compact Flash slots are used in many PDAs to provide extra expandability. For example, one slot is used for memory and the other for Wi-Fi. Some PDAs also have a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, mainly for USB flash drives.

• Connectivity

Many PDAs have an IrDA^? (Infrared) port for connectivity. This allows communication between two PDAs, a PDA and any device with an IrDA^? port, or between a PDA and a computer with an IrDA^? adapter. Most universal PDA keyboards use infrared technology because all PDAs have it, and infrared connectivity is low-cost to manufacture. Most modern PDAs also have Bluetooth wireless connectivity, which is used by many mobile phones, headsets and GPS devices.

• Synchronization

An important function of PDAs is synchronizing data with a PC. This allows up-to-date contact information stored on software such as Microsoft Outlook or ACT! to update the database on the PDA. The data synchronizing ensures that the PDA has an accurate list of contacts, appointments and e-mail, allowing users to access the same information on the PDA as the host computer.

The synchronizing also prevents the loss of information stored on the device in case it is lost, stolen, or destroyed. Another advantage is that data input is usually a lot quicker on a PC, since text input via a touch screen is still not quite optimal. Transferring data to a PDA via the computer is 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 PC. This is done through synchronization software provided with the handheld, such as HotSync^? Manager, which comes with Palm OS handhelds, or Microsoft ActiveSync^?, which comes with Windows Mobile handhelds.

These programs allow the PDA to be synchronized with a personal information manager. This personal information manager may be an outside program or a proprietary program. For example, the BlackBerry^? PDA comes with the 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 Palms such as the Treo 650 had the built-in ability to sync to Palm Desktop and/or Microsoft Outlook. Third-party synchronization software is also available for many PDAs from companies like Intellisync and CompanionLink^?. This software synchronizes these handhelds to other personal information managers which are not supported by the PDA manufacturers, such as GoldMine^? and Lotus Notes.

• Customization

As with personal computers, it is possible to install additional software on most PDAs. Software can be bought or downloaded from the Internet, allowing users to personalize their PDAs to their liking. An example of this would be the display theme for the PDA. Almost all PDAs also allow for adding some form of hardware. The most common is a memory card slot, which allows the users to get additional and exchangeable storage space on their handheld devices. There are also miniature keyboards that can be connected to some PDAs for quicker text input. PDAs with Bluetooth capabilities use Bluetooth devices like headsets, mouse and foldable keyboards with their PDAs.

4. A brief history of the technology

The term "personal digital assistant" was coined on January 7, 1992 by then Apple Computer CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple Newton. In 1989, the Atari Portfolio, although technically classed a palmtop, was an early forerunner imitating the form of some of the more modern pocket devices. Earlier devices like the Psion and Sharp Wizard already had the functionality to be considered as PDAs. In fact, PDAs by other names were available as early as the mid-1970s -- first as very advanced calculators, then as electronic organizers, and later as palmtops. [1]. PDAs are some times referred to as "Palms" or "Palm Pilot" after an early PDA created by Palm, Inc. This usage is a case of genericized trademark.

• PDA image.jpg:
  

More Links: http://www.snarc.net/pda/pda-treatise.htm

http://www.palminsider.com/

http://www.pdablast.com/

Hi

-- Ruilan Gong - 11 Feb 2007

-- HildyWalkowiak - 01 Mar 2007

-- JennaGriffin - 11 Mar 2007
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