In November 1996, Microsoft released Windows CE, its first operating system for mobile devices. Not to be outdone, Microsoft had been working on various forms of portable computing, including PenWindows and tablet computers. Users used a stylus and the Graffiti language to input data. Part of its small size was due to the lack of a keyboard. The PalmPilot ran for weeks on AAA batteries, was easy to use, and could store thousands of contacts, appointments and notes.

It cost less than $300, ran on its own Palm operating system, fit in a shirt pocket and synchronized with consumers' PCs. The original PalmPilot was introduced in March of 1996 by Palm Computing (owned by U.S. However, the Newton MessagePad was too big, expensive and complicated, and its handwriting recognition program was poor. Some of the Newton's innovations have become standard PDA features, including a pressure-sensitive display with stylus, handwriting recognition capabilities, an infrared port and an expansion slot. It provided users with an electronic notepad, to-do list, calendar, telephone log and address file applications. In 1993, Apple introduced the Newton MessagePad at a price of $700. The Psion Organiser II, released in 1986, was especially popular and more than half a million were sold. Support for specialized software such as games and spreadsheets was also included. They included small keyboards for input, a small display, and basic features such as an alarm clock, calendar, telephone pad and calculator. These early devices, which were intended to be portable computers, came out in the mid- to late 1980s. Predecessors of the modern PDA include the Psion Organiser and the Sharp Wizard. We'll also examine how PDAs work and give you some pointers on how to select one. In this article, we take a look at the PDA - where it's been, how it is converging with other devices, and where it's headed. As its capabilities continue to grow, the standard PDA device is changing.

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