Pen pad amstrad — Wikipedia

The Pen Pad Amstrad is one of the first personal assistant models of the British firm Amstrad. Released on 17 mars 1993 Under the name PDA 600 ^{[ first ]} , it presents itself in the approximate format of a pocket book with a flap to protect the touch screen to which the user can write with a stylus.

The PDA 600 will not meet success and production will be stopped quickly. Product devices will be sold by Tandy Corporation for 50 books per unit, or half of their production cost per Amstrad.

• Logo : «  User Friendly “(” Easy to use “or” user -friendly “);
• Monochrome liquid crystal screen of 240 x 320 points, not backlit it requires an adjustment with a lot of contrast to be readable, preferably far from a light source;
• Functions: Agenda, address book, notepad;
• Dimensions: height 16 cm, width 11.5 cm, thickness 2.7 cm;
• Weight: 400 g;
• Processor: Z80 of Zilog;
• Food: 4 stick batteries and a lithium battery, four hours of autonomy;
• 8 -pin serial connector and software to communicate with IBM, ASCII export.
• Housing for PCMCIA card to store data (1 to 2 For ) and load applications.

The user has the obligation, during the first use, to write each letter one by one in boxes so that the device can recognize their writing. The recognition of written characters identifies the letters only by one and this therefore prohibits the user from binding them.

The screen displays tabs that allow access to settings and features. We can :

• adjust the contrast;
• Create new pages;
• Use a virtual calculator, an office and an eraser;
• Click on two buttons to navigate in the pages (rear front);
• Access the telephone directory, the note block, the list of things to do;
• use a universal conversion table (meters in miles, liters in gallons, degrees Celsius in fahrenheit etc.);
• Set alarms to remember important events.

The entry of characters is limited to 21 signs, punctuations and spaces included, the abbreviation is required. The drawing area which allows you to quickly draw a sketch, is the only area where the user can write by linking the letters. Le Pen Pad turns automatically if it is not used for five minutes.

Other software can be loaded with the PCMCIA card and can be installed:

• a bilingual dictionary;
• word processor;
• a database and form manager;
• a spreadsheet;
• Plans of large cities.

These additional software is first developed for England and then for France.

Already in this year 1993 Amstrad developed cell phone devices with an integrated agenda usable with a stylus. A PAD note with touch screen, a telephone handset and a printer to issue and receive fax. Another Pen Pad which transcribes into text what the user dictates to the voice. Amstrad had even studied the development of a GPS browser before the time, to put driver on the dashboard. This firm already created electronic leisure devices before embarking on computers was a homecoming.

Controversy on the use of the term “PDA” [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Apple had presented the Newton in the summer of 1992 to the Consumer Electronic Show in Chicago, a device that the firm had called “personal digital assistant” (PDA) without having placed the term ^{[ 2 ] , [ 3 ]} . Amstrad had then released his pen pad as “Personal Digital Assistant” in mars 1993 , which did not please Apple, who will only release his Newton August 1993 ^{[ 2 ]} .

• Revue SVM n ^O 105, May 1993