Pocket computers were compact electronic devices that used miniaturized processors and standard computer languages. They were primarily used by scientists and technology enthusiasts and paved the way for advances in portable computing. They were supplanted by PDAs and smartphones in the 21st century. Some users still used them, but eventually switched to more efficient devices. Pocket computers can still be seen in movies and TV shows of the time.
A pocket computer is a compact electronic device that can be programmed in one or more standard computer languages. Pocket computers used many of the technologies available in their era, including miniaturized processors, cell phone and telecommunications features, and external data storage. Although widely available in the last two decades of the 20th century, pocket computers were primarily used by scientists and technology enthusiasts. However, pocket computers have paved the way for many advances in portable computing. These advances were used extensively with the introduction of portable digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones in later years.
Early computers were massive devices; in the mid-20th century, transformers filled entire rooms and could only perform simple tasks. Technological advances, including the miniaturization of circuits and processors, enabled the creation of the first desktop home computers in the 1920s. Over the next decade, ambitious tech companies introduced pocket computers, portable devices that had previously only been seen in science fiction. Their high cost and limited usefulness for everyday functions meant that they never enjoyed the widespread success of personal computers or cell phones. In the 1970th century, the pocket computer was just an interesting relic from the early computer age.
Most pocket computers ran in standard programming languages like DOS or BASIC. Some included telecommunication features and could send and receive faxes or double as cell phones. Their memories were small by later standards; many required an external data storage device, such as a cassette drive. Despite the name, pocket computers were often bulky, although they could be closed and folded when not in use for storage or transport. Some models included touchscreens, an advance that would be widely employed in later devices.
As the 21st century dawned, the pocket computer was supplanted by more advanced technological devices, such as the PDA. This device incorporated many functions of the pocket computer, along with those of the home computer and laptop, both of which were getting smaller and more advanced with each generation. The last pocket computer was released to the public in 1998. Less than a decade later, the first smartphone was introduced; this device was smaller than a pocket computer, but could perform many tasks that previously required desktop computers. This combination of size and features has made the smartphone a widespread and influential success across the globe.
Some pocket computer owners still used their devices long after they had ceased to be manufactured and marketed. Even these users eventually switched to more efficient devices, such as PDAs and smartphones. In a sense, these are also pocket computers, although the term usually refers only to older devices. Pocket computers can still be glimpsed in movies and TV shows of the time. For example, the scientist played by Harold Ramis in 1984’s Ghostbusters uses a pocket computer in some scenes.
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