• AutoTL;DRB
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    117 days ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    The PDA even set the template for how its smartphone successors would render it obsolete, moving from simple personal information management to encompass games, messaging, music, and photos.

    So in this Ars retrospective, we’ll look back at some notable examples of the technical evolution of the Palm operating system and the devices that ran it—and how they paved the way for what we use now.

    Using a resistive 10-inch black-and-white LCD as the screen and writing surface, it ran MS-DOS on a lower-power 10 MHz Intel 80C86 and weighed just about two kilograms (4.5 pounds), selling at an MSRP of $2,500 (about $6,200 in 2024 dollars).

    Hawkins selected GeoWorks’ PC/GEOS as the operating system based on its proven ability to run on inexpensive hardware, and Tandy brought on longtime partner Casio (also a major pocket computer manufacturer) as the new device’s OEM.

    To manage the growing company, Hawkins hired Apple-Claris alumnus Donna Dubinsky as CEO and later Ed Colligan as VP of marketing, fresh from Macintosh peripherals maker Radius.

    Unfortunately, the Zoomer’s development became increasingly troubled due to corporate interference and software churn, and although underclocking its x86-compatible CPU to 7 MHz dramatically extended its battery life, it also made the unit slow and ponderous.


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