personal digital assistant

Noun

personal digital assistant (plural personal digital assistants)

1. (dated) A hand-held computer, mostly used as an organizer.
   • The device, about the size of a fat paperback book, represents the most ambitious attempt yet by computer and communications companies to pool their resources in hopes of finally creating a market for what the industry calls "personal digital assistants."[1994 September 28, Lawrence M. Fisher, “Personal Digital Assistant, Part III”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   • Already, Sharp owns at least 60 percent of the market for personal digital assistants, or P.D.A.'s, with its Wizard line, ranking far ahead of Hewlett-Packard, Casio, Apple Computer and other competitors past and present.1994 December 18, Laurie Flynn, “Sharp Unveils a New Breed of Personal Digital Assistant”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms:

   palmtop