You do not remember what it was before the advent of handheld computers? Electronic notebooks ... However, they are, and now - unpretentious and cheap, "heaped up" and are relatively expensive (but cheaper than the most primitive PDA). Why they do not depart from the scene? How to survive the competition with handhelds? Whether they represent at least some interest for the sophisticated man in the handheld computers? Let's try to understand. I think this topic is curious. I hope that you too ... Ancestor electronic notebook has been an electronic calculator. Actually, a notebook and a calculator - specialized. The same (about) low-power processor, a few kilobytes of memory (in memory of simple calculators, of course, not) character display and the almost complete lack of any programming. That is, electronic notebooks occupy its market niche between arithmetic and engineering programmable calculators. Between and - next, because it does not come into contact with any of the mentioned types of portable digital technology closely. Yes, the notebook can serve as a simple calculator, but because of the cumbersome alphanumeric keypad for quick calculations, it is not convenient. As for a scientific calculator, here only the general availability of memory. Application is completely different. Scientific calculator instrument seriously, and the electronic address book - not really. The first notebooks appeared in the mid-seventies of last century thanks to the efforts of Japanese electronics manufacturers. One of the first models, if my memory serves me, was a calculator with built-in astrological calendar. Toy, but demand for it was serious. And the designers immediately realized that a simple calculator you can embed a couple of kilobytes of scarce and expensive while the electronic memory - so users can keep in a pocket priborchiki the necessary information. For example, a list of phone numbers. And the light of day, a new class of electronic devices.
"Pominalnichek" with a keyboard
Since I started talking about electronic notebooks, we recognize at once - this is not the computers. That is not at all the computers in our sense, since it is recognized we have this stuff with computers, their number will be included, and electronic clocks, and measuring instruments, and many other things, contains a microprocessor. Computational capabilities of notebooks are negligible, and the functions are limited. Them, these functions are easy to list in one sentence - a simple address database, integrated with an alarm clock calendar, clock, an arithmetic calculator, currency converter, and sometimes a couple of toys (the latter is quite unnecessary and rare supplement). Oddly enough, but the basic functions of electronic notebook performs better than any handheld computer ... Do not believe me? Let's try to imagine quite a few standard situations.
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You have decided to refresh the phone number of the person. Cell phone while you do not have (forgotten at home, or a number is not fixed in his mind) as "mobile" dramatically simplifies the solution of the problem, because he had a great notebook ... It's only an assumption. Have gone further. The street jam, bad weather, his hands busy - in short, to enable the PDA to run the address database and find the information you need, need both hands. In one hold the clipper in the other pen. A notebook you can get out of his pocket, opened the lid and see the addresses of one hand. Another situation - cold outside. Handheld computer freezes, the screen begins to mercilessly "retard". Screen is an electronic notebook, too, in the cold "slows." But he's a character, very simple. Hence, the conclusion of the information on it to the limit simplified. Where working digital clock, notepad will work too. A PDA - are unlikely (at least, see the addresses of phones on the screen of your mobile will not be easy). The third situation - physical labor, sports and so on. That is, the CPC is in the pocket of his overalls, sports jackets, in a beach bag. Awkward movement, giving, knocked, and came - Farewell typewriter. A notebook will be nothing.It is fitted with a protective flap keeps small (because and durable) screen and keyboard. Yes, and she is mere penny. Lose, crush, break (God forbid, of course) - not so sorry ... Keyboard notebook usually made as a tiny (just the same toy) laptop - ie, consists of a main part in which the integrated keyboard and screen, and the passive flap cover, in which there is nothing, just explaining the sticker on the inside. Produced, of course, more complex devices - with a large screen and the keypad, which made just on the hinged lid. But this is impractical notebooks. Firstly, they are dearer. Secondly, they are easier to damage. Screen and the main part of such a device connected to an electric cable (flat strands). Bend radius is very small. Hundred or so times you open the book, and it can be discarded. Simple, cheap, practical cars have very small 3-5-line character display. Most often, no backlight, which is not so bad, given the small capacity of replaceable elements, from which feed on these notebooks. There are models with larger displays, but again - impractical. Large display is a source of potential damage, and increased power consumption. Importantly, to screen the notebook can be derived surname, name and patronymic, telephone number and, if necessary, and an email address. Other immaterial. In notebooks with a big screen (in 5-6 lines of 30-40 characters), there is an advantage if you make a database full of coordinates of its respondents - including the day of birth, full postal address and other data. But for storing detailed address database is better suited PDA. A calendar is convenient to use only books with graphic display. Simple on-screen machines can not display the list of cases scheduled for the week or month. To reach the desired entry, will sort out your calendar by individual days ... Which one is better to buy notebooks, so if you suddenly wanted to? Any model from a reputable manufacturer - Canon, Citizen, Casio, Olivetti, Sharp (list is quite long). Eminent firms able to guarantee the quality of their products - this is the first criterion for selection. Second - the price. A notebook does not have to be expensive, 20-40 dollars - at the time. All that expensive, too close to approaching the Palm `s ... more - screen and keyboard. The screen should be placed in the main part of the notebook, and does not cover (long serve). A keyboard should be implemented as a set of kalkulyatornyh buttons instead psevdosensornyh sockets (sensors terribly inconvenient), and have a normal QWERTY keyboard layout Russian. Come across a book with an alphabetical layout of XYZ. Memory is filled with such information exists typewriter torment. Fingers somehow got used to the normal computer keyboard, and breaking the established skills - not too bold for such nonsense. Finally, the memory ... I have repeatedly come across quite charming miniature pyatnadtsatidollarovye electronic notebooks from Canon and Olivetti with a storage capacity of 2 kilobytes. Incidentally, this is more than 2000 characters (the memory in notebooks is intended only for user data). Calculate how much space takes a phone list of your friends and a list of important things about which book should remind you. I assure you, in most cases, the memory of 2 kilobytes is enough for the eyes - if you're not the boss of some company or not ladies man (at that time and 8 MB of memory and Palm `might not be enough) ... E-notebook - is, of course, not a computer . This is not a tool for serious work and not even a full-featured electronic organizer. Thus, a modest pocket "pominalnik, replacing a paper notebook (just not forget - even with the encryption information). And, incidentally, a wonderful gift. Himself a gizmo like and not buy, and will give a birthday - you will be pleased. And if you do not skimp and choose a notebook with more or less a decent screen and enough memory, it can serve as an excellent cheat sheet. Students and pupils often use just electronic notebook, since these machines easy to hide, and they do not attract too much attention examiners. Calculator and a calculator, nothing seems to be suspicious. By the way, good teachers rarely objected to the use of electronic cheat sheets.To use it, the information will have to enter by hand. And once read, but once you're writing, you want to or not, has twice its memorized ... Well done, get three - for intelligence.
And without a keyboard
It may seem that cheap electronic notebook can help define the acquisition of a full-fledged handheld computer. Like, you should try this erundovinu, and see what happens - do I need PDA ... No, not help. Pocket PC - it is a different technique. This electronic book, a table, a work with texts, many different programs, including games. This is a different level, and other applications. E-book utilitarian, a pocket computer as universal. That is why the industry is thriving and electronic notebooks that does not feel much pressure from the CCP. However, there are two types of portable electronic devices are very similar to traditional PDAs. This electronic translators - the same notebooks but with advanced features and rather expensive (the cost of the older models is much higher than the cost of Palm handheld computers, entry-level). About them talk another time ... Guest - keyboardless electronic notebooks. Such devices long ago released the Japanese company Sharp, but they have not received proper extension (including the price). And now the Russian market came and Asian (Hong Kong) Company Apollo - manufacturer of portable electronic games. Her keyboardless notebooks Magic-I and P @ l-mate can be found in stores of the same electronic toys.
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Magic-I completely unpretentious trifle. It is designed as an electronic key fob with two-row (rusifitsirovannym!) display, is powered by a replaceable element, controlled via a multifunction button. Very similar to a miniature pager, but it is not a pager, a notebook with the ability to synchronize information ... with a desktop computer! Wireless Sync - should only bring charm to the screen PC monitor and run a special program (the same address database). And the notebook will overwrite the address information in its memory. In addition to the base to 120 phone numbers (even very personal) in the key fob is a clock, alarm clock, calendar, horoscopes, and even play. And the cost of the crumbs of 276 rubles.
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Another notebook from Apollo - P @ l-mate (due to difficulties with writing a text editor which the manufacturer calls the machine is so named by her as I simply Pal-mate) - touted as the world's smallest PDA (Personal Digital Assistant - Personal Digital Assistant). But what is a PDA? This is an electronic notebook with a limited feature set and again - with the ability to wirelessly synchronize data with a PC. Learn more about this little girl please visit www.mini-pda.ru. And I only briefly enumerate its capabilities. The first - with sync ... remember watch Timex, synchronization module that Microsoft was inserted into the email program Outlook. Own hours, we in Russia have not seen the (now sold and we do), but the program from timing out of curiosity tried many. Transmission of the information in the device of this type is the optical path. When you run the program on the screen there is a window on a black background which flashed light stripes - is the transfer of encoded data, which are perceived light sensor hours ... But what is clear is that the brightness of your laptop screen for optical data transmission is not enough. Designers P @ l-mate solved this problem very original way. During the transmission of information on the laptop blinks not only screen, but the Caps Lock and Num Lock. Bring the machine to the blinking light - she believes all the information. P @ l-mate is very similar to a PDA with touch input.There is even a hardware shortcut buttons to launch applications and scrolling the screen - all as in "adult" PDA. But his computer, I repeat, I would not dare call. Why? There are several reasons. For example, a machine implemented by inputting information only through the on-screen keyboard. She is constantly on screen (at the bottom) and not switched off. Russification not - you can write only in Latin. And the resolution and screen size is very small. And programs for this machine quite a bit - address book in a hundred names, calculator, alarm clock, horoscope, two games (one is the same as in the Magic-I - machines, in general, recruitment programs are very similar). That's it. The manufacturer promises the owners of P @ l-mate to download additional programs through the Internet, but referred to the Russian site posted only the applets that come bundled with the notebook. The most attractive in the P @ l-mate - the cost. Total 469 rubles! Roughly the same cost dvuhkilobaytnaya electronic notebook with a keyboard. And how much fun ...
About fun
Both machines I found in the souvenir shop at the Yaroslavl station - in Moscow. Keeping them in their hands, ponazhimat buttons and put in place. Very funny little things. A P @ l-mate just superb. It is a pity that not Russified and there is no text editor or any viewer. One could read books at least in a transliteration (the same way I once tried to use a miniature organizer REX 5000, yes, thank God, from this florid idea quickly abandoned). But as it is an electronic notebook - and why not? A good gift, for example, a child ... Although the child interested, above all, the game, and their babes in these not very much. Why do these things, with their extraordinary cheapness, did not want to buy? What prevented? He himself said - it is not a competitor to a PDA. Let peacefully coexisted in different pockets. There is then a heartbreaking detail. Even new just taken out of packaging machines - that charm, that "the world's smallest PDA" - do not look new. Distressing quality plastic, as the Chinese "Tetris" (by the way, Apollo is one of their producers), squalid buttons. And to look at, and touch - all somehow ... unpleasant. ... And it looks doubtful. There is no certainty that these devices will survive at least a week. However, this is my subjective evaluation. I do not think that I'm someone dissuaded from acquiring cute Chinese toys, I do not think, and vice versa - that persuade. Just appeared in stores a new interesting technique, and I spoke about it ... The authors, translation: