 Hand
Held Computers
Computers in the Palm of Your Hand
First Published: September 2000
Last Update: April 2002
Author: Computer Partners
There are two ways to create a new product. You can turn an inventors dream
into reality and see if people will buy it. Or, you can ask people what they
want and then build to suit. The second method is usually the most successful.
In the history of hand sized computers it appears that the first approach
is often taken. There have been dozens of amazing miniature computers created in
the last decade. None met with commercial success until 1996 when one company
finally built a product people were willing to buy. And they have been buying it
in large quantities.
After watching many miniature computers products fail or meet with mediocre
response, like the now discontinued Apple Newton,
a small company in California still thought their design could succeed. They had
already written a popular hand writing recognition system called Graffiti for
use with other devices, including the Newton. They combined Graffiti with a
device of their own and created a market leader with over 10 million sold. It
was called the Pilot - later renamed Palm Pilot and finally just Palm. The
company was purchased by U.S. Robotics and
then 3COM and now has been spun-off on its own
as Palm Inc.. Despite these changes the
devices have remained very similar.
The success of the Pilot was attributed to several factors. It was small,
about the size of a deck of cards and therefore fit in a shirt pocket. It was
user friendly and could be mastered by most people with little use of the
manual. It was extendable through the addition of new programs from many
different Software vendors. Its' Graffiti input system was quick and easy to
learn. It was designed as an add-on to your regular PC - not a replacement. So
it had the innovative feature of being able to synchronize important information
with your PC. Perhaps more important than all the other factors, it was
affordable. The current range of Palm devices retain all of these
characteristics.
The devices are far from technologically advanced. The Apple Newton which
predates it and numerous devices to come out since can all claim technological
superiority. None have better suited what people want in a small computer.
The strongest competition has come from Microsoft
and its partners like Philips, Hewlett-Packard
and Casio. The first attempt was the Hand
Held computer with flip up displays and tiny keyboards. When they failed to
steal market share from Palm Microsoft went back to the drawing board. Next came
the Palm Sized PC. They had the same size and form as the Palm but added sound
recording, a more compilcated user interface and dramatically worse battery
life. They also failed to steal market share. In early 2000 Microsoft and its
partners tried again with the Pocket PCs. They added color displays and a
streamlined user interface. Palm was not unprepared. They too had a model with a
color display. They had made their operating system (Palm OS) available to other
companies. Handspring, which was
founded by the creators of the Pilot, IBM, Sony
and Nokia have devices based on the Palm OS.
Compared side by side, it is hard to choose between the Pocket PC and Palm
devices. For individual features like battery life (Palm) or screen resolution
(Pocket PC) it is fairly easy to pick a winner. When you consider the whole
package it becomes an individual decision. And the choice gets harder as both
groups continue to introduce new models and innovative features.
Unlike in the personal computer world where Microsoft's Windows operating
system is leader, devices running the Palm operating system have a clear lead in
the pocket computer market. They have thousands of software and hardware
products available for them, a large retail distribution network and the biggest
user base. It will take some time for any competitor to overcome the momentum of
the Palm.
If you are considering purchasing a pocket computer we recommend you take the
following approach:
- Determine if any features are critical.
- Prioritize non-critical features.
- Pick the device that has all the critical features and the most high
priority features.
Features:
- Optional Keyboard (for faster input)
- Wireless Internet Access
- Modem Internet Access
- Availability of specific add-on software (i.e.: financial calculator)
- Battery Life (1 day, 1 week, 1 month...)
- Color display
- Ability to synchronize with Mac or other non-Windows computer
- Availability of specific add-on hardware (i.e.: business card scanner)
- Record and playback of sound
- Size & Weight (some are larger and heavier than others)
- Compatibility with friends and co-workers
Here are some web sites with more information:
Palm - Home of the Palm devices
PalmOS - Home of the Palm operating
system with links to alternative device manufacturers
Microsoft Pocket PC - Home
of the Pocket PC operating system with links to device manufacturers
Handango - Software and Information for
and about the Palm and Pocket PC devices
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