Talk:Personal digital assistant

message: I'm not being sarcastic at all -- is anyone (outside of the 'ruggedized' realm) still making PDAs? As in, a smart device without cellular telephony capabilities? Is there a single widely-available product on the market that is not sold as an entertainment device? HP/Compaq quit making them AFAIK, same with Dell and Sony; Palm is no more, and Microsoft's mobile OS is called Windows Phone. (And they don't even make a non-phone product anymore -- Zune is dead, too.) The iPod touch and comparable Android devices technically have PDA functions but are not sold as such -- they're all entertainment devices that happen to come with calendar and note-taking apps. It's like saying a car is a portable radio because it moves and has a radio in it. If nobody who sells them calls them PDAs anymore, I think that should be noted. Most of the products in the "Popular consumer PDAs" section have been discontinued for years. I really think this whole page should be re-framed as a product line that evolved into smartphones and entertainment devices, and no longer exists in the form it originally did -- unless you count those junky 4-line "electronic organizers" you can buy in drugstores. (And I'm pretty sure anyone can draw a clear distinction between cheap "electronic organizers" and the PDAs of yore.) BrianAshe (talk) 05:34, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
thread_title: It's 2013

message: I removed the line "Ugh its like holding a small book to your head." for the following reasons
* I have never heard the word "Ugh" in an article
* It should be "it's" not "its"
* Since when have PDAs been held to one's head?  
If anyone objects then please revert the page MichaelBillington 06:59, 20 April 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Since PDA devices incorporated mobile phone technology... AndyyE 19:03, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: they are like a book when u hold them when taking a call its stupid and why do you correct this guys point??annoying?? :D:D<<<<hunter>>>>  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.206.231.125 (talk) 09:04, 21 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Ugh its like holding a small book to your head

message: The Star Trek PADD is said to have been one of the inspirations for PDAs user:ted-m 6-6-2005
:Hmm, that's an interesting observation. On a related note, I remember Jake Sisko in DS9 writing a novel using a PADD with a Palm-style freehand area below a text display, so it's been a nice two-way exchange. BTW, you can make the Wikipedia automatically sign your posts by entering four of these things in a row: ~ . Thus: Sockatume 03:09, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text:  Considering the first PADD was seen in Encounter at Farpoint in 1987, and the first flat calculator-like PDA was in 1978, it is not likely the former influenced the latter. Corvus 19:23, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: good point. I hope you don't mind my copy-and-paste of your comment into the PADD article. --DavidCary 15:23, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: PADD

message: Over in Talk:Laptop, I've been chatting about things like the Cambridge Z88, and the TRS-80 Model 100 line, and the AlphaSmart Dana, and the Atari Portfolio.
They don't quite match up with current perception of laptop computers -- they are instant on, have long battery life, can't run Windows, etc.
I think of them as "PDAs plus full-size keyboards".
This personal digital assistant article claims that the Dana is a PDA, and those other devices seem to me to be very similar to the Dana.
So, should I tag them all with :Category:PDAs, or would it better to make some other sub-category of :Category:Portable_computers to put them in?
--DavidCary 15:23, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Please note that smartphones have full pledged OSs(Windows CE, Symbian, Linux). There is also an Information appliances article that are charactized by their 'smartness ' and touchscreen. There is also a handheld device article... Does the keyboard characterize portable computers?--Jondel 04:05, 15 July 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  "PDAs plus full-size keyboards" 

message: I removed the old comments, I hope people don't mind. (If you think any of the comments are still relevant, just add them back.) Anyway, I think the link sections still need some kind of cleanup, there are still too many links IMHO. Also I'm not sure if all the info in the overview section is necessary, in particular the section which I've named "Increasing popularity". Not sure about "Popular PDAs" either, this section should maybe just link to some of the most known? But the "History" part could probably be longer, although I don't know much about the history myself.
PS: If someone works on the "See also" section, consider adding Handheld PC.
--Mythril 19:37, 31 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Wikipedia:How to archive a talk page. It is customary to archive, not delete, talk pages.--Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus Talk 16:24, 24 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, please don't delete from Talk pages.  For one thing, I often see the same arguments (discussions?) multiple times on a page.  We can't FORCE editors to read previous topics, but at least they should be available for reference.  And, PLEASE, sign and date your posts.  I don't know when the "sig-bots" were implemented, but there are a lot of confusing, run-together, unsigned posts on this page.  Thanks ;).  Rags69.171.178.88 (talk) 09:49, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cleaned up a bit and stuff 

message: I don't think all modern PDAs support game emulation software.  Somebody should denote what brand of PDA dosen't support it, and other purposes.  Nobody wants to buy the wrong PDA for the wrong reason as some PDAs are not as versatile as others. --Nintendude 09:33, 31 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Removed the mention of emulators, as it's not really useful to the article.--Mythril 19:37, 31 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Other purposes 

message: While not necessarily inaccurate, these numbers don't mean much in isolation. For instance, the numbers alone do not indicate if all Palm OS-running handhelds and phones were compared to all Windows CE-running handhelds and phones, or if the comparison was single-function PDAs alone (not including smartphones). If I am right about which study is being referred to here, the study excluded smartphones -- which would include Palm's most popular line, the Treo. -- Steven Fisher 19:41, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I am removing it for lack of references. Alexius08 (talk) 13:33, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Study details needed 

message: Is Palms/Palm Pilots really used as a generic term for PDAs?  First I've heard of it. 86.132.0.242 01:55, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Overview: History 

message: Is there room in this article to add a short discussion of PDA watches, or would that go better somewhere else?
I'm thinking of things like the original Timex Data Link, which I think was one of the first organizer watches.  It also used that blinky CRT method to download data, which made it sort of interesting.  I'm just not sure where it goes. (prev unsigned, guess the bots missed it)
:I enjoyed my Casio Databanks, but I don't think they qualify: only addressbk, calendar, calc functions.  I'd say, if the watch had PIM/PDA functions, it should be included.  There are probably much better ones on the market, now, though I'm not up-to-date.  Someone more familiar should add them.
:Rags69.171.178.29 (talk) 09:19, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  PDA Watches 

message: The educational section reads like it was copied from an advertisement. Han-Kwang 09:24, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree - having taught for many years PDAs are still too slow for effective note-taking, I am observing increasing use of digital audio recording, often without requesting permission first, but no note taking using PDAs. I suggest this section needs revision or deletion. Tony Davies (talk) 10:23, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I noticed this too, and think a problem with it is that it reads like an essay (both in the sense of reading like a personal reflection pushed as facts and the general tone of the writing), so I added the template for that. If it's to be fixed, it looks like it will need a major revision or rewrite done to it. — Northgrove 18:15, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I took a pass at this while performing a general copy-edit.  How does it look now?  I don't see anything terribly non-neutral about it at the moment, although it could sure use some references for the claims made. Macwhiz (talk) 04:11, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Educational - POV

message: Can people please remember that the correct plural is "PDAs", not "PDA's"?  The apostrophe should not be there. --Tiberius47 04:04, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Grammar 

message: Please remember the following things when you edit stuff regarding operating systems:
*Desktops are not operating systems. They are, just like Linux, components in an operating system. Plese treat them as such.
*Only one name covers an operating system. Each operating system will have differences and each of them will want to be treated differently -- even if they do share some components or have similar functionality. If you want to refer to some missing functionality in an operating system, please do not refer to one of it's components, but use the full name of the operating system. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by FrederikHertzum (talk • contribs) 08:31, 2 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Operating systems -- things to remember 

message: Good catch on that. Alatari (talk) 14:28, 12 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  external keyboards 

message: Those images are nice but the are pushing the POV towards Palm devices.  Unless the machines are the top sellers of all time maybe we should stick with a stylized image to avoid favoring one brand. Otherwise we'll have to put up pics up an iPhone, Ipaq, Treo, Toshiba e-series, etc, etc. Alatari (talk) 00:51, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Images 

message: Changes should be self-explanatory, but in a nutshell: previous section version (titled "PDAs for the Visually Impaired") was both inaccurate and written in a personal voice. Comments were insulting and ill-informed.  kid shelley (talk) 01:03, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  People with disabilities 

message: Deleted "OQO..." from list of popular PDAs.  The OQO products are considered UMPCs, not PDAs.  They are comparable to the Laptop in functionality, similar to the Samsung Q1 series, the Asus EeePCs, and TabletKiosk's eo models.  See Ultra-Mobile PC for more information.
Jedaniel (talk) 04:22, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Popular Models 

message: "Stand-alone PDA sales fell 43.5% from 2006 to 2007. Approximately 4 million PDAs are sold per year. However, with smartphone sales increasing from levels of approximately 60 million per year, more telephones are being used as PDAs with phone capability.
According to a Gartner market study, the overall market for PDAs grew by 20.7% in the third quarter (Q3) of 2005, compared to Q3 2004, with marketshare resolving as follows (by operating system):[citation needed]"
This data is confusing, the market is declining it seems however there are statistics of an increasing market years prior. Is this necessary? SupersawLead (talk) 08:36, 3 November 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Furthermore, the article currently states: "Over 150 million smartphones are sold each year, while "stand-alone" PDAs without phone functionality sell only about 3 million units per year." How does one reconcile 3 million units per year with 960 million iPod touch PDAs sold in roughly four and a half years? Or does the ability to run the Skype app count as "phone functionality"? --Damian Yerrick (talk | stalk) 23:23, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Confusing Statistics. 

message: I agree the stats part is very confusing. I'll first establish the growth part - ie the smartphone part (is 150 M in 2008), then show that meanwhile the stand-alone PDA market keeps on shrinking (is 3 M in 2008). 
I'll also put the operating system stats into order of size of current market share first (from Gartner) before the growth/decline percentages.
Tomi T Ahonen (talk) 18:30, 26 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Am doing major revision of the stats part, here my reasoning 

message: There is not even one purposeful PDA on the market. Why isn't there a PDA the size of credit card you could easily slip into any pocket, waterproof so sweat can't harm it, with batteries you worry about only once in 6 months at most, memory of no more and no less than 4MB, qwerty keyboard and a simple monochromatic display you can actually READDD in direct sunlight! PDA you can actually relay on...  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.216.31.46 (talk) 23:07, 22 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Catastrophic situation 

message: Perfect PDA could also be a wristwatch - so it is readily available on your hand instead of dragging it in your pockets, but not like those programmable Palm-OS ones with touchscreen - no - it consumes too much power. The perfect PDA wristwatch is the one like those old ones with keyboard. Such perfect PDA wristwatch would operate at least two months on one CR2032 battery, and would have alphanumeric buttons circling the circular watch face (that is a simple matrix LCD).  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.216.31.46 (talk) 19:22, 1 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  PDA wristwatch 

message: The article's lead states that PDAs have the ability to access the Internet.  This wasn't true for virtually all early PDAs in and of themselves.  The Palm series, up through the Palm III at least, did not have built-in Internet access; you could add different modem modules as an accessory.  I think that this language should clarified to indicate that current PDAs typically have Internet access; there are plenty of cheap off-brand ones that do not. Macwhiz (talk) 00:38, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: The newer PDAs had integrated Internet support, but I think the earliest PDA was the Palm VII with a Mobitex data option from 1999. I have a Sony Clie from 2003 that has provisions for a CompactFlash Wi-Fi card. GB86 02:10, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I went ahead and modified the lead of the article so that Internet connectivity is referred to as a common feature of modern PDAs, rather than a required feature for inclusion in the category of PDAs.  GB's recollection matches mine, and I can think of several cheapie discount-store devices currently available that I'd (technically) call PDAs that have no Internet capabilities whatsoever. Macwhiz (talk) 04:11, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Definitely agree, IP-over-serial (wire or IrDA) was an add-on to PalmOS in 1997 or so, but you needed a modem or another computer to act as the other end of the serial connection, which is no where near the always-on behaviour we have today. I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but in my mind PDAs were always about being extensions of the owners memory--replacing rolodex, personal calendars, etc., vs being communication devices. Early on, Palm and its developers remained focused on this fact, to the point where by the time Internet access was important and going to happen, Palm was ill-prepared to deal with it. So I think the statement "Nearly all current PDAs have the ability to connect to the Internet" in the second paragraph really needs to be toned down significantly. I believe few of the PDA users had connectivity other than periodic batch synchronization (HotSync). Jdimpson (talk) 23:42, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Internet access necessary part of PDAs? 

message: The article currently states (emphasis added) I'd like to see a source to back this up. In my experience, most PDAs that have a USB port use it for synchronization, to charge an internal rechargeable battery, or to connect accessories.  It seems to me that USB flash drives are among the least typical uses for a PDA's USB port. Macwhiz (talk) 01:49, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I see what you mean. I know that some Windows Mobile PDAs (and none that run PalmOS) have USB host functionality that allows use of a USB drive; however the USB port's main use is for data and/or power. GB86 02:07, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  USB on PDAs 

message: I suggest merging this article with Handheld PC due to the identical roots of development. --THE FOUNDERS INTENT PRAISE GOOD WORKS 16:21, 1 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Merger proposal

message: If you merge articles, please distinguish between PPC and PDA.  Sometimes the difference is important.  For example, there are programs designed to record moves at chess tournaments that are allowed to be used on PPCs but not on phone-based PDAs, since outside communication is not allowed during a chess tournament.
See U S Chess Federation website, and their approval of the e-Notate software: http://main.uschess.org/images/stories/scholastic_chess_resources/electronicscoresheet2.pdf
75.53.202.224 (talk) 15:45, 17 November 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: "Pocket PC" refers to PDAs running a Microsoft OS. But do the chess leagues' rules specifically mention a Microsoft product? Would the software be allowed on an iOS-powered iPod touch, an Android-powered Archos 43, or an Android-powered Galaxy Player? Like a Pocket PC, these handheld computers have only Wi-Fi, not cellular. --Pino (t|c) 23:39, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  PPC vs PDA 

message: The statistics in this article are over 5 years old.  Won't someone help to update?
Rags69.171.187.81 (talk) 10:51, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Old numbers

message: The article should mention Galaxy Note, because it's a smartphone with pen referencing to older PDAs.Piotrek54321 (talk) 18:20, 28 April 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Samsung Galaxy Note 

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thread_title: File:Samsung Galaxy S2 (3).jpg Nominated for speedy Deletion

message: Every device listed in the "Popular consumer PDAs" section of the article is at least 5 years old.
I wonder, when exactly "is a mobile device that..." in the first sentence of the article should be changed into "was a mobile device that..."? 37.0.68.80 (talk) 00:50, 11 January 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: The BlackBerry, which remains in production and use is called a "smartphone," but is certainly a PDA. The language has moved on. User:Fred Bauder Talk 13:45, 17 July 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: I guess something about the change in technology and language should be included in the lede. What is a good source? User:Fred Bauder Talk 13:48, 17 July 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  is/was 

message: Is an iPod Touch, by technicality, a PDA? Tharthandorf Aquanashi (talk) 15:07, 18 April 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Of course, any smartphone is. Just as any automobile is a carriage, "a wheeled vehicle for people." User:Fred Bauder Talk 13:39, 17 July 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Well, aside from the fact that an iPod touch isn't a smartphone…. (I thing it was Jobs who called it "an iPhone without the phone"). The term PDA as-a-device is archaic; no device currently in production is even technically a "PDA". The functions of a PDA are now a subset of the functions of a Smartphone, but a PDA as-a-device no longer exists. CRobClark (talk) 21:09, 4 November 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  A query... 

message: This link http://www.2t.com is an eye-opener whether it is a PDA or not. So what is an handheld device that reads bar codes, prints, and you can carry around a workplace called? User:Fred Bauder Talk 13:38, 17 July 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: List of PDAs

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just added archive links to  on Personal digital assistant. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add  after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add  to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: I don't think the term is obsolete.  It is the only term that encompass all type of device such smartphone, tablets or any pass or future hand handled device that is use by an individual  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.35.210.19 (talk) 20:58, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Obsolete or not 

message: The article states "PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly capable smartphones, in particular those based on iOS and Android.[3]"
So what are the models that are in use today, who manufactures them, who uses them??? Setenzatsu.2 (talk) 10:41, 29 February 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  PDA today ?? 

message: I believe distincion needs to be made; when a pocket PC is a PDA and when a PD is not a Pocket PC. For example we have HTC Magician and HTC Universal which are both. I am aware of the first sentence in the Pocket PC article but it needs to be explained in this article also. There is also a problem of linux pocket pc - there are a number of those that have native linux support. Just below (Cosmo Communicator) we have one with dual android/linux os. 89.201.184.159 (talk) 00:13, 26 April 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  v Pocket PC 

message: Cosmo Communicator, Gemini PDA 4G are smartphones, but are also like a hand-held laptop (design and OS, linux  (with android)). Smartphones are basically PDA's with phone call and SMS functions, maybe it's time to turn around. There are a few "laptops" the size of a smartphone or phablet with call/sms function. 89.201.184.159 (talk) 00:40, 26 April 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Resurgence ?? 

message: There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:PDA (disambiguation) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you.  —RMCD bot 22:46, 7 May 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Move discussion in progress