Category: Database

Database of handheld devices

U.S. Robotics Pilot 5000: The Birth of a Mass-Market Handheld Computer

The U.S. Robotics Pilot 5000 first appeared on the market in March 1996 and became one of the key devices in the history of personal digital assistants (PDAs). Developed by Palm Computing — a subsidiary of U.S. Robotics — this personal digital assistant combined compactness and convenience with a powerful processor for its time and a unique input system.

Development History

Interestingly, the design of the Pilot 5000 was partly based on a wooden mockup that the creator Jeff Hawkins carried in his pocket to determine the optimal size and shape of the device for comfortable use and portability. This practical approach helped create an ergonomic and compact body that remains an example of successful industrial design.

Technical Specifications

• Processor: Motorola 68328 ("DragonBall") running at 16 MHz
• RAM: 512 KB EDO DRAM
• ROM: 512 KB with Palm OS 1.0
• Display: 3.3 inches, monochrome, 160×160 pixels, resistive touchscreen
• Case: plastic, dimensions 120x80x18 mm, weight 160 g
• Buttons: four application buttons, two scroll buttons, power button
• Power supply: two AAA batteries
• Interfaces: RS-232 serial port, synchronization with PC via cradle
• Built-in applications: address book, calendar, to-do list, memo pad, calculator

Significance for Collectors

The Pilot 5000 became the progenitor of the entire Palm device lineup, which lasted about 15 years. After the Pilot 5000 came improved models such as the PalmPilot, Palm III, Palm V, and other classic PDAs that dominated the market in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The lineup expanded to include multimedia devices with cameras and color screens. In the mid-2000s, Palm transitioned to creating Treo smartphones, which combined PDA and mobile phone functionality.

The significance of the U.S. Robotics Pilot 5000 is that it became a truly mass-market PDA thanks to its successful combination of compact and convenient design, capable hardware platform, and an intuitive operating system with an easy input method. This optimal balance between size, functionality, and user experience made the Pilot 5000 a pioneer that opened the era of accessible and efficient personal digital assistants.

MyOrigo MyDevice – a true innovation

MyOrigo MyDevice is one of the early examples of a smartphone without a stylus employing finger-based interaction, introduced in 2002. The device was developed by the Finnish startup MyOrigo, with key project figures including Johannes Väänänen and Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio, who later became holders of several related patents for the device’s innovations.

Development History

MyOrigo MyDevice was conceptualized at a time when most portable devices were stylus-controlled and smartphones typically featured hardware keyboards with basic touchscreen support. The project was led by former Nokia executives, and the ecosystem was implemented on the Java-based Tao Intent OS, designed to overcome the limitations of contemporary chipsets and allow for more advanced user experiences. The main feature was “mirroring”: content on the screen would move as the user physically tilted the device, and the interface also supported automatic screen rotation (portrait or landscape) depending on device orientation. This functionality was a significant technical achievement at the time.

Technical Specifications

  • Display: 176×320 TFT LCD (16-bit, 65K colors) made by Philips
  • Processor: Intel StrongARM SA-1100, 133/190 MHz, 32-bit ARM RISC
  • Memory: 64 MB (approx. 37 MB user-available), SD/MMC card support
  • Camera: Built-in VGA (0.3 MP)
  • Operating System: Tao Intent (Java-based)
  • Weight: 168g
  • Dimensions: 124 x 59 x 22.5 mm
  • Other functions: Vibrotactile feedback, software QWERTY keyboard, SD slot, USB, IrDA, headphone port

The MyDevice interface was developed for finger operation, not stylus use—unusual for that era. The motion-sensing allowed for scrolling, navigation, and automatic screen rotation. Key controls included two side power buttons that needed simultaneous press to prevent accidental activation.

Commercial Outcome and Impact

Although MyDevice garnered attention from major industry players (Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Apple, Samsung, Siemens), none moved forward with acquiring the technology or putting the device into mass production. There is a documented case where MyOrigo’s team demonstrated the device to Apple and Steve Jobs, with the browsing feature particularly noted. Ultimately, the project did not continue to series production. The team later tried to license their technology through the company F-Origin, attracting some interest from Samsung, but no products reached the market.

After MyOrigo’s bankruptcy in 2005, its assets and patents were sold for €300,000. Only a few hundred devices remain in existence, making them among the rarest collectible pieces from the early days of mobile computing.

Significance for Collectors

MyOrigo MyDevice occupies a special place as a prototype of the modern touch-operated smartphone, with gesture-based navigation. Despite not achieving commercial success, many of its ideas laid groundwork for later mainstream products.

This item is not just a rarity, but an important milestone in the evolution of mobile user interfaces and the very concept of the “smartphone” as it would become known a few years later. The detailed story of MyOrigo’s development and the team’s journey can be found in Johannes Väänänen’s book "The Smart Device".

NoName P8 – a remarkable UMPC

The P8 is a modern 8-inch UMPC from an unknown manufacturer. It has a swivel hinge display and is convertible into a tablet. The device is sold on Aliexpress under a variety of little-known brands. The device is notable for the fact that at its price of $250, it offers an interesting specification. There are no completely failed characteristics. For specifications, see the item description.

In terms of build quality, the device is, of course, inferior to the flagship devices from One-NetbooK. But in general, the quality is quite good and no worse than, for example, the Fujitsu U810. See the photos in the gallery below.

And in terms of performance, the P8 even surpasses some competitors, which are many times more expensive. For details, see Benchmarking NoName P8.
PassMark Performance Test results

This price-performance ratio makes the NoName P8 stand out from the modern line of UMPC devices.

Kohjinsha SR – a UMPC with internal DVD writer

When you think of removable storage media for handheld computers, something like the items presented in the previous blog post usually comes to mind: Removable storage and RAM for handheld computers.
But there is one UMPC that is notably different in this regard – this is the Kohjinsha SR (SR8KP06A). This 7-inch handheld is equipped with a CD/DVD writer.
Specifications of the device are available here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 as the evolution of communicators

Samsung Galaxy Fold can be compared with devices like Sony Tablet P or Toshiba Libretto W100, because they fold into a tablet with two screens in the same plane.
But it is also quite appropriate to compare with communicators, whose external interface was used for phone calls, and the device itself was laid out to increase productivity. From this point of view, the Galaxy Fold is the result of more than 20 years of evolution of communicators.
The photos below reflect 24 years of the evolution of communicators, starting with Hewlett-Packard OmniGo700LX Communicator Plus (released in 1996) and ending with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (released in 2020).