Xerox PARCTab Prototype - PDA - Computing History
This handheld prototype is one of Xerox PARC's early 'Ubiquitous Computing' experiments. Using tiny infra-red tranceivers, the ParcTab can communicate with pre-installed 'gateway' nodes. As each gateway knew its physical location, the PARCTab could offer different features and functions depending on where it thought the user was located. The PARCTab became the first PDA class device to feature location based applications. Details.
University of Colorado produced a paper in 2007 detailing the PARCTab 'Ubiquitous Computing' experiment and its impacts. https://www.cs.colorado.edu/~rhan/CSCI_7143_Fall_2007/Papers/Want95long_PARCTab.pdf |