Personal Digital Assistant

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Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant (PDA) was a multi-purpose mobile device which functioned as a personal information manager. Following a boom in the 1990s and 2000s, PDAs were mostly displaced in the early 2010s by the widespread adoption of smartphones. In particular, smartphones based on iOS and Android took their place, causing a rapid decline in PDA usage. A PDA had a flat-screen display; many later PDAs also had color displays, and instead of navigation buttons, resistive touchscreens; or even capacitive touchscreens. Most models also had audio capabilities, allowing usage as a portable media player, and also enabling some of them to be used as telephones. By the early 2000s, nearly all PDA models had the ability to access the Internet via Wi-Fi; these models generally included a web browser. The concept of the PDA was eventually combined with that of the cell phone, the camera, and the GPS navigation system to produce the smartphone. To a lesser extent, the tablet computer also replaced PDAs, offering larger screens and newer operating systems.

Web Search Results

• Personal digital assistant - Wikipedia

  A personal digital assistant (PDA) was a multi-purpose mobile device which functioned as a personal information manager. Following a boom in the 1990s and 2000s, PDAs were mostly displaced in the early 2010s by the widespread adoption of smartphones. In particular, smartphones based on iOS and Android "Android (operating system)") took their place, causing a rapid decline in PDA usage. [...] A virtual keyboard, where a keyboard is shown on the touchscreen. Text is entered by tapping the on-screen keyboard with a finger or stylus. An external keyboard "Keyboard (computing)") connected via USB, Infrared port, or Bluetooth. Some users may choose a chorded keyboard for one-handed use. Handwriting recognition, where letters or words are written on the touchscreen, often with a stylus, and the PDA converts the input to text. Recognition and computation of handwritten horizontal and vertical formulas, such as "1 + 2 =", may also have been a feature. [...] access to key facts and through consolidation of knowledge via repetition. The PDA 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.

• What is PDA & How does a PDA differ from a smartphone? - Lenovo

  Learn More ## What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)? A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a handheld device that combines computing, communication, and organizational features. PDAs were popular before smartphones became widespread. Typically pen-based and equipped with touchscreens, PDAs allowed users to manage tasks such as scheduling appointments, taking notes, and storing contact information. They also often featured basic productivity tools, file management, and sometimes wireless connectivity. PDAs were predecessors to modern smartphones, which integrate similar functionalities along with cellular capabilities. While standalone PDAs have largely faded from the market, their influence persists in the form of smartphone technologies and applications. [...] # What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)? ## ### Lenovo Glossary Hero Learn More ## What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)?

• Notetakers and Non Display Based Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)

  # Notetakers and Non Display Based Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs) Notetakers and PDAs are portable computers designed to act as organizers, note takers, or communication devices. Non-display based PDAs are often used as alternatives to touchscreens, handwriting recognition, or miniature keyboards. They were designed specifically for individuals who have a visual impairment. Non display based personal digital assistants can have a QWERTY keyboard or Braille keyboard for inputting text. They are also known as a portable information manager or note taking device, because they provide a mobile method for taking, storing and retrieving notes. Word processing is the main feature of these devices, but they can also includes additional features such as: [...] Productivity suite (e.g. word processing software) Email access Calendar Calculator and/or scientific calculator Clock Address list management Internet browsers Media players and book readers Bluetooth & WiFi connectivity Voice Memos Feedback either through voice output or through refreshable Braille display Connection to desktop or laptop computer so that information can be transferred between devices Some models also have features like GPS, social network links, and visual display for real-time translation and viewing by sighted observers, peers or teachers. [...] ### Usability + What is the physical layout of the keyboard and buttons? Do the buttons allow smooth and comfortable navigation without awkward movement? + What is the layout and size of the Braille keys if using a Braille keyboard? Does it have a physical keyboard, a touch keyboard, or both? If a touch keyboard, is there tactile feedback? + Are the buttons easy to tell apart (e.g., different sizes, tactile labels, different enough positions?) + Is the menu system organized and logical? + How easy it is to take with you if portability is required? (e.g., size, weight, carrying case, battery length) + Which file formats can it read? (e.g., PDFs, DOCX, PPT, Daisy, TXT, HTML, etc.) ### Speech output

• How PDAs Work

  Advertisement # How PDAs Work A man operating a PDA. A man operating a PDA. The main purpose of a personal digital assistant (PDA) is to act as an electronic organizer or day planner that is portable, easy to use and­ capable of sharing information with your PC. It's supposed to be an extension of the PC, not a replacement. PDAs, also called handhelds or palmtops, have definitely evolved over the years. Not only can they manage your personal information, such as contacts, appointments, and to-do lists, today's devices can also connect to the Internet, act as global positioning system (GPS) devices, and run multimedia software. What's more, manufacturers have combined PDAs with cell phones, multimedia players and other electronic gadgetry. Advertisement [...] PDA development, like the rest of the computing world, moves very quickly. The models available today have more functions and can be less expensive than the models available a few years ago. Eventually, PDAs will merge with cell phones and use a cellular network to communicate via voice as well as text. It is also likely that PDAs will become faster and have more memory as computer technology advances. The key to buying a PDA that suits you is to consider what you will use it for, then buy the model that will fill that need. Think of the function rather than the form. For example, if your primary need is for an organizer to keep your appointments and contacts, you will be able to use any good PDA for years to come. If you are the kind of person who develops "computer envy," then you might [...] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

• The Golden Age of PDAs | PCMag

  Copied Error! Copy Link Email") Comments At a time when just about everyone I know carries a smartphone with them all day, we take for granted the concept of having a handy pocket computer ready to take notes or do calculations. These gadgets (which now do much more than just take notes and plan our schedules) stay beside us as we sleep—they are practically extensions of our brains. And they all came from the same progenitor: the Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA.