Classic Mobile Tech

If you were technologically-aware in the 1980's and 1990's you probably saw the progression of the portable computer.  As a techno-junkie, throughout my public education and on into college, I read about, followed, and on rare occasion purchased these devices.

Recently, a man with little or no public presence departed this earthly experience, his name was John "Bud" McCloy.  He worked for NASA for 41 years in the Santa Clara Valley, retiring in 2001.  Bud had a powerful passion for electronics and his house was literally littered with gadgets of all sorts.   It was in Sunnyvale, CA, in January 2013 that I discovered the technological remnants of Bud McCloy when his ex-wife asked me to help her inventory his collection to sell.   While rummaging through his vast stash of electronics I came upon dozens of pocket computers.

Like a digital treasure trove of electronic equipment, Bud seemed to have purchased at least one portable computer or PDA from nearly every year since the concept hit the market.  He had Palm, Handspring, Compaq, Philips, Sony, Casio, LG, HP, Sharp, TI, and Tandy.   He even had a very beat up and soggy Psion Organizer from the early 1980's.

Although most of the equipment is non-functional due either to corroded batteries or water damage, I still appreciate these devices.  I can connect with the prospect of advancement, the striving and longing for the future that that manufacturers hoped for.  I can still geek out over the potential of a device in it's heyday, despite the various inefficiencies and lack of real practicality.  To think back to when a pocket computer did not include a usable internet connection or, in some cases, the concept of it.  These machines were the future grandparents of Smartphones.

Alas, these tiny, antiquated devices are little more than a memory, but they remind me at least, of where we started.  And point even more toward the amazing future yet to be seen.

Do you have an old Pocket Computer or PDA? If so, which one(s)?