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Personal Digital Assistant

Computer Engineering

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A personal digital assistant, or PDA, is a small handheld computer used chiefly for organizing personal information such as contacts, calendars and notes, often through a touch-sensitive screen operated with a stylus. Apple coined the term in 1992 and released the first widely known PDA, the Newton MessagePad, in 1993, though the Newton's handwriting recognition drew heavy criticism at launch. Palm's PalmPilot, released in 1996, proved far more commercially successful and set the pattern PDAs followed until smartphones absorbed most of their functions during the following decade.

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