Nowadays with the capabilities that current technology has, as a society we tend to forget about where some technologies started. Now, almost everything can be accessed from the palm of our hand with a smartphone. Calling, texting, social media, calendar, schedules, lists, games, and so much more. In the 1990s and early 2000s, cell phones could barely do anything more than phone calls and texting. If you wanted something for organization purposes, either you used a physical planner or you bought a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).
What is a PDA?
PDAs used to be known as handheld PCs. However nowadays we have smartphones, which are more like PCs than PDAs have ever been. It is a mobile device, varying in size but similar to the size of a smartphone, but just a bit wider. They are personal information managers. Think of it as a virtual planner. Many of them are touchscreen with very few buttons, and some require a stylus to be used. PDAs main features were things such as calendars, notepads, a calculator, and maybe a few simple games here and there. They evolved into much more however. Newer versions had MP3 capabilities, could be used as telephones, and could connect to the internet. Eventually smartphones adopted all of these features so PDAs quickly were shoved away and forgotten.
The Creation of the Apple MessagePad
One of the more popular PDAs in the mid-1990s was the MessagePad. It was developed by Apple Computer in 1993 alongside its operating system called Newton OS. PDAs were on the rise around this time, but Apple was one step ahead as usual. The MessagePad was fairly similar to other PDAs but it included some new features. The big feature was handwriting recognition software. We’ll touch on this more later on. Similarly, it could also detect drawn shapes or “sketches” which was a newer feature among PDAs. PDAs started to become a ubiquitous piece of technology during this time. Today, PDAs are almost nonexistent but their features are now ubiquitous staples in every smartphone.
Why was the MessagePad created?
The idea of the MessagePad and NewtonOS wasn’t really thought of to solve an issue. Rather, it was to improve PDAs and revolutionize handheld technology. Steve Capps, Newton OS head of UI and software development said,“The goals were to design a new category of handheld device and to build a platform to support it.” Long story short, Apple was looking to develop a new state of the art operating system that they could continue to improve upon. The company has always tried to be one step ahead of the market, so with the popularity of PDAs at the time they figured they would revolutionize them with the NewtonOS and additional new features.
MessagePad Versions
MessagePad 100:
The MessagePad 100 was the first model to be released in 1993. It used an Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) processor, which was a first in Apple products. All Apple products today, except for the Mac, still use ARM processors. This model had very poor handwriting recognition software and a very poor battery. Four AAA batteries were used and if all four completely died, you would lose all your data and storage in the device. The main positive about this model was the Newton OS working fairly well, which was a step in the right direction. The first model had a whopping 640 KB of RAM as well.
MessagePad 110:
Released a year later in 1994, the battery life was much improved. Apple made the switch to four AA batteries and upgraded the RAM to 1 MB. A new version of Newton OS was used as well.
MessagePad 120:
Seven months after the 110 model came out, the 120 model was released. RAM was upgraded once again to 2 MB. It was the first Newton OS product where memory would not be lost if the batteries fully died. This was done using flash memory. Around this time was when Newton OS was being used in other technology such as devices made by Sharp and Motorola.
MessagePad 130:
The 130 model was released in early 1996 but did not bring too many new features or upgrades. The two only new features were the RAM was now 2.5 MB and the devices now had backlit screens.
MessagePad 2000:
With a much larger number in the name came a large device. Apple parted ways with the original ARM processor and added in the StrongARM SA-110 which was eight times faster than the original ARM. 4 MB of flash memory was used as well. The 2000 also had 2 card slots so extra storage could be added if needed.
MessagePad 2100:
The final model of the MessagePad was released eight months after the 2000 model. The main difference was it had 4 MB of RAM and had the best version of Newton OS. The handwriting recognition feature was finally working at an adequate level. The new recognizer was called Rosetta. Not too long after this model was released, Apple discontinued the MessagePad project.
Pricing
The price of a MessagePad may be a surprise to most people. However, once you remember it was made by Apple, it makes more sense. Even in the nineties Apple was selling overpriced products just like they do today. The first iteration of the MessagePad was a whopping $700-$900 when it hit the market on August 2, 1993. Following models ranged within those prices as well. Despite the very high price, the MessagePad was a hot item when it was first released.
How successful was the MessagePad?
During the release, Apple barely got the MessagePad and Newton OS to function the way they wanted. It was a hit when it first released, but then people started noticing its flaws very quickly. The “state of the art” handwriting recognition software became a complete bust. It was very inaccurate and the device became a joke because of how bad the recognition was. A famous comic strip author Garry Trudeau made a whole strip making fun of the handwriting recognition which was devastating to Apple and MessagePad. The later versions of the MessagePad and Newton OS improved the handwriting recognition and other features that were underperforming, but because of its reputation they did not make a comeback into the market. If the original release was more successful, the newer models would have been more popular and the MessagePad
Influence in Today’s Society
Today, I would guess that barely anyone under the age of 20 has heard of a PDA before. They are basically nonexistent besides being used in some businesses, and people having them as a collectible. Even though they fell off pretty fast, they still had a huge influence on what smartphones are today. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, people would have their cell phone, which could only call and maybe text, and then would also have a PDA to take notes, mark things in a calendar, use as a calculator, etc. Today, phones and PDAs have basically combined into one. Why purchase a PDA when your phone can do exactly the same thing, but better? This is why we almost never see a PDA in today’s society.
All in all, the Personal Digital Assistant was a major stepping stone in the development of operating systems and smartphones later on. They allowed for the digitalization of a regular daily planner which could be kept in a pocket. The MessagePad and other PDAs came and went as most technology has and will, but it was still very impactful to our society’s technology today.
