IHEIMIIN 마川。N&
`1994
`
`PRODUCT OF
`rut MONTH
`
`Product of the Month
`BellSouth Cellular/IBM Release Simon PDA
`The SimonTM Personal Digital Assistant
`E-mail through appropriate E-mail post offices that support
`(PDA) is a departure from the electronic
`remote dial-in.
`note pad approach of previous models in
`the market. As Bill Lempesis, editor and
`publisher of PenVision summed up, “What
`executives really want is a cellular phone,
`a pager, a notebook computer." In this
`context, Lempesis described Simon as the
`“first implementation that consciously
`takes all the gadgetry of the modem busi­
`ness executive and puts it into one unit."
`Simon's pen-based screen interface is
`nestled inside a cellular telephone, and in­
`cludes two-way wireless fax, paging, and
`E-mail capabilities for mobile commiuiica-
`tion. Other features included in Simon are
`a calendar, appointment scheduler and
`address book, calculator, and note pad/
`sketch pad. In conjunction with the pager,
`the PDA can be used to return calls from
`pages by the push of a button. Faxes can
`be annotated on-screen directly using a
`pen, or through a touch-screen keyboard. For E-mail, Simon
`is capable of using cc:Mail「어 to send and receive
`
`Simon takes advantage of a standardized
`operating system: the device is powered by
`an Intel-compatible microcomputer chip, and
`its underlying operating system is DOS, with
`an additional icon-based graphical user inter­
`face to h이p the user move through applica­
`tions quickly.
`In addition, Simon uses a standard Type II
`PCMCIA slot, which allows a standard card,
`coupled with appropriate software, to be
`coupled with the Simon PDA. Some possible
`capabilities include alphanumeric paging.
`E-mail retrieval from most types of public
`networks, a direct PC interface for upAlown-
`loading data, and expanded memory.
`The Simon PDA measures 8x2.5x 1.5 inches,
`and weighs 18 ounces. Rollout has begun in sev­
`eral areas of Florida and is expanding into other
`BellSouth Cellulai" mai kets; the release program
`is scheduled to bring the PDA into nationwide
`distribution by April 1994. Price is expected to be imder $100〇.
`Circle
`124.
`
`The Simon PDA
`
`Credit: January 1994 issue of Telecommunications, 28(1), p. 116
`
`APPLE 1030
`
`