Gadget Blog

Portable Digital Assistants (PDAs) are adopting touchscreen technology to make it easier to operate the device. These have become immensely popular. A touchscreen detects a touch within its display area. The touch may be that of a finger or hand directly or through an intermediary as a stylus. This makes the touchscreen as an interface to interact with the device through the touchscreen. The interaction is with what is indicated or displayed at the point of touch. It is a substitute of what otherwise was managed directly by a mouse or a touchpad.  Touchscreen actually does not even need an intermediary as a stylus. The origin of touchscreen was in the 1960s and in 1972 it was used in a computer assisted learning terminal. The HP-150 was one of the earliest commercial touchscreen computer launched in 1983. Multipoint touchscreen has since been developed to facilitate touch by more than one finger on the screen. It is now possible for multiple users to interact with the touchscreen at the same time.

The kiosk systems have been one of the first to extensively apply the touchscreen technology. These kiosks are established for various purposes in retail stores, ATMs, airports and train stations and tourist settings amongst others. Touchscreen displays have been introduced widely in gaming consoles, automobiles, appliances, airplanes, hand display devices of many kinds and machine control systems. Industries as well as room automation uses the technology extensively. Touchscreen technology has been introduced into mobile phones too as the Nintendo DS and iPhone. It has also become quite popular with portable game consoles, PDAs, smartphones, and many of the information appliances.

Newer PDA models, sleek and fashionable, are making their appearance in the market. Newer features are integrated into the system. The market has such models as Palm TX, the PalmOne M515, Pharos 535e Traveler, palm Z22 handheld, Palm TX Handheld, HP iPAQ 111 Classic Handheld, Nokia N810 Portable Internet Tablet and Palm Tungsten E2 Handheld. You can check out users’ view in the Internet by searching, for instance, for Palm Z22 with Palm Z22 handheld organizer review.

PDAs have demonstrated their potential for absorbing newer technologies and extending its functionality. Expanding markets and technological advancement have brought the cost of PDAs down. PDAs have become more user-friendly that it can be operated by those who do not have much computer knowledge.

Let’s face it – many of us can’t leave home without our trusty PDAs or personal digital assistants. They have been so incorporated into our everyday lives, so much so that we feel incomplete without them. This is because we heavily rely on the many features packed into these gadgets that can aid in our business and personal dealings. And with the latest and more advanced technology, the PDA device of today can offer even more features than what it was originally designed to do.

What will the next year or so bring in the way of new features in PDAs? Who knows what new features will appear in the near future, but no doubt it will be something we can’t live without. This trend will seemingly continue onwards to the next year. Many people are starting to understand the importance and benefits of being able to go online on their mobile device. There will also be a trend towards PDAs that play video clips like those found on YouTube.

The iPhone is one of the most renowned examples of a smartphone. A growing market of consumers is concerned with being able to listen to music or watch videos and thumb through photographs via their handheld devices. And with the ever increasing popularity of social networking, these devices let people update their online profiles no matter where they happen to be. And third party applications should also gain in favor among users, if the demand today is any indication.

Is there anything left for people who just want a few simple functions in their PDA? There will still be basic models for people who just want the calendar and contact list, but choices in non-connected PDAs will become fewer and fewer.

Not only are smartphones appealing to consumers, but also to the telecom companies. The reason is that they can take advantage of added streams of revenue, apart from the basic phone plan. They can charge for video and audio downloads because of increased bandwidth. They can even get advertising revenue.

Nevertheless, manufacturers will still produce PDAs equipped with only the essential and basic features. Firstly, not everyone will have a need for connectivity, and another reason is that not everyone can afford a media-based smartphone.

Actually, PDAs are moving towards more specialized abilities rather than trying to meet all needs. Some PDAs are entirely geared towards business applications, while others concentrate more on media and connectivity. This is good news for all of us, regardless of our needs and preferences, because this means that there’s a model for everyone’s varying needs.

Overall, the future for PDAs looks bright and it does not seem as if they will soon be replaced in our lives. Whether the future models will integrate connectivity, entertainment and media, or retain its basic features, these devices will still be a trusty gadget that will aid us in our everyday lives.