I should point out right up front that I am an avowed collector of electronics. My wife smiles serenely whenever I start babbling reasons and excuses for my next purchase, knowing full well that the disease of acquisition has me in its clutches. However, I do use these units, and use them a lot, so they have become an essential tool I've come to rely on, almost completely replacing my paper-based organizers. The issue I have pondered recently is how these machines have changed over the last ten years or so, and if these changes have given us machines that are more meaningful.

All PDAs of today are descended from units that were originally designed as electronic organizers. Some of today's units do so much more that it's hardly fair to think of them in those terms. That old Sharp OZ-7000 I used (and still have, though it sits on a shelf basking in retirement these days) was a great example of an early design concept, though flawed. It opened like a book, only from the left. The tiny screen was on the left side, on top, above an expansion slot. This slot accepted proprietary cards that added to the functionality of the unit. I never bought any cards, but I know there was a spreadsheet available as well as a game card. The right side of the unit contained the tiny keyboard, laid out in alphabetical order. This was the unit's weak point. Typing was very frustrating for someone familiar with a QWERTY layout. Below the letters was a numeric keyboard for calculator functions, and above the keyboard were the application keys. The applications were the standard ones including schedule, calendar, contacts, a memo pad, and calculator. Back then Sharp used their own OS (later they offered units using Windows CE). It was complex and a bit confusing, though loaded with features, all of which was expanded and carried over later in their Zaurus line of organizers (yes, of course, I bought a Zaurus). Unfortunately for Sharp, the units and the OS were never really accepted. Even with the unit's faults (who knew any better then, anyway?) I used it constantly. It was a huge help. It started me on the way to complete electronic organization!