Hi Greg :)
    um.... what about the abacus?  They are handheld, they are used to
perform calculations and can be as fast as some of the old calculators, when
the user is good on a abacus....

Art "Just wondering? " Bahrs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stigers, Greg [And]" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 12:50 PM
Subject: [HP3000-L] OT: the first information appliance


> X-no-Archive:yes
> Carly stated during her address that HP invented the first information
> appliance, the handheld calculator. Now, this is an interesting idea, and
I
> find it likewise interesting that a few visionaries and sci-fi writers
have
> seen the value in a practical handheld device that accepts input,
processes
> or stores it, and produces output. And others may have or may care to shed
> light on the similarities and differences between various iterations of
> "adding machines" and a handheld "calculator" (besides being handheld and
> battery powered and not necessarily having paper tape, what other
> differences were there in early calculators that offered the four basic
> functions?). And I do not begrudge her those bragging rights. She is right
> to take pride in that.
>
> But it seems to me that another earlier device was an information
appliance
> of a sort - clocks and watches. While it accepted no input in the form of
> data other than setting the time initially (one can argue about the
profound
> insight of using regulated motion to drive the machine to output time, in
> analog or digitally), there seem to me to be another level of importance
to
> you and I agreeing to meet for dinner at 5, and arriving at the restaurant
> within minutes of each other.
>
> And, when some bright aviator decided that a pocket watch did not work
well
> for a pilot, did he develop the first wearable information appliance?
>
> Greg Stigers
> http://www.cgiusa.com
> my watch's interface appears to be analog