IBM Simon: the world's first smartphone was 20 years old

20 years ago, in August 1994, the mobile market in the US appeared unusual device: IBM Simon. This device is a hybrid of the mobile phone, PDA, pager, organizer and much more, plus supports connection to a fax.

Thus habitual physical keyboard was not: there was only a soft keyboard, dubbed the "intellectual, plus a virtual QWERTY-keyboard.

Needless to say, the size of the first smartphone was rather big, and it weighed 500 grams. The developers have equipped this miracle device LCD screen and stylus, plus a device to be compatible with the PCMCIA-card.



The prototype smartphone from IBM, called COMDEX, was presented two years earlier, in 1992. Well, and sell this smartphone began in 1994, at a price of 899 US dollars, with poosleduyuschim price reduction up to $ 599.

Smartphones have their own applications (alarm, organizer, e-mail client and a few others).

Features IBM Simon: h4>

16 MHz 16-bit processor, Vadem x86-compatible; Touch (!) LCD display with a resolution of 160x293 (of course, the display was black and white); < OS: ROM-DOS, a specific version of DOS; 1 MB of RAM (640 KB available); 1 MB of internal memory for system applications (used szhatiepoetomu possible size was slightly more claimed); Integrated 2400bps modem; PCMCIA slot; Weight: 500 grams.
 If anyone interested in detailed information about the configuration of the device, here specification .

This phone was seen by representatives of the business sector, and the device was sold 50 thousand copies. The device was quite popular, and even lit up in the film:



Incidentally, last year published a post with Habré disassemble this phone .

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/233751/