The Fossil Wrist PDA is a
smartwatch
A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a watch; modern smartwatches provide a local touchscreen interface for daily use, while an associated smartphone app provides management and telemetry, such as long-term biomonitoring. While ea ...
that runs
Palm OS
Palm OS (also known as Garnet OS) was a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants (PDAs) in 1996. Palm OS was designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provi ...
. The newer incarnation, which does not include Palm OS, is called the Fossil WristNet watch.
Product history
The development of the Fossil Wrist PDA began in 1999 when engineer Donald Brewer and Fossil Product Manager Jeff Bruneau licensed a read-only version of the Palm OS from Palm Source and tried to make it work in a watch.
For the first year of development, Brewer struggled to make the watch small enough to be wearable. The initial designs looked like "a cell phone glued on one's wrist" and in board meetings the term "boat anchor" was used.
He began to talk with Microsoft engineers, who were looking for a wrist-top platform as well and were busy developing
Smart Personal Objects Technology
The Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) is a discontinued initiative by Microsoft to create intelligent and personal home appliances, consumer electronics, and other objects through new hardware capabilities and software features.
Developme ...
(SPOT watches). Once the size was decreased, the next major hurdle was making the screen. The smallest screens available at the time were cell phone screens that had 90 by 126 pixels. Palm OS, however, was written for a touch-sensitive 160- by 160-pixel screen. Re-working the code would be a massive undertaking, so engineers began to look for suppliers that could deliver the new technology. An engineering firm in Arizona called Three-Five Systems was able to deliver the display in July 2002. The resulting device was rushed to the
COMDEX
COMDEX (an abbreviation of COMputer Dealers' EXhibition) was a computer expo trade show held in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada, United States, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually ...
convention where it won the "best of COMDEX" award for "best mobile device".
The original prototype had 2MB of memory, which was expanded to 8MB for the commercial release.
The price at debut was $249 US.
Features
The AU/FX series are able to carry out most PDA functions and applications. Like other Palm OS devices, they synchronize or exchange information with a PC, have an infrared port, a
virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows the Input device, input of characters without the need for physical keys. The interaction with the virtual Computer keyboard, keyboard happens mostly via a touchscreen interface, but can also ...
, and a touch screen. It supports most of the features of the
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
handwriting recognition system. A tiny
stylus
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
can be stored in the watch clasp. Two buttons and a rocker switch on the side assist with navigating lists and menus. The screen resolution is equivalent to a
Palm III
The Palm III is a personal digital assistant that was made by the Palm Computing division of 3Com. It went on sale in 1998 as a replacement for the PalmPilot handheld. It was the first Palm handheld to support infrared file transfer and a Flash RO ...
, and an
electroluminescent backlight allows it to be used at night. An IRDA transmitter on the front allows it to communicate with other Palm devices. In addition, there are Palm applications that allow the IRDA transmitter to be used as a TV remote, but transmission range is very low in this case. The watch uses a rechargeable
lithium ion battery
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
. In standby mode, when it turns off between uses, the battery can last a week or more. The device has a watch program, with several "watch faces" to continuously display the time. When in watch-face mode the battery life is around 1-2 days, depending on the integrity of the battery.
Reception
Initially, the Wrist PDA received positive reviews. In 2003
Wired.com
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fran ...
called it "revolutionary" and a "Dick Tracy watch".
Reviewers noted that it was able to run a wide variety of software such as DocumentsToGo 6, AvantGo, Palm Games and the freeware Metro Navigator.
Reviewers mainly complained about the bulky size and appearance. One reviewer noted that with a weight of 108 grams, it weighs nearly as much as the
Handspring Visor
Handspring, Inc. was an American electronics company founded in 1998 by the founders of Palm, Inc. after becoming dissatisfied with the company's direction under new owner 3Com. The company developed Palm OS–based Visor- and Treo-branded perso ...
PDA, which is 174g.
Reviewers also complained that the screen was too dim and small to read and use for manipulating text.
Other problems included having poor water-resistance, low battery life and an alarm that was too quiet for practical use.
Gallery
Fossil Wrist PDA on wrist.JPG, On wrist
File:The smallest Palm PDA (34651142366).jpg, Standalone front view
Fossil Wrist PDA with Palm OS front.JPG, Front view
Fossil Wrist PDA side view.JPG, Side view
File:Fossil PDA stylus.JPG, Stylus
See also
*
Apple Watch
Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches produced by Apple Inc. It incorporates fitness tracking, health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates with iOS and other Apple products and services. The Apple Watch was rel ...
*
Wearable computer
A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches.
Wearables may be for general ...
*
Wristwatch computer
A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a watch; modern smartwatches provide a local touchscreen interface for daily use, while an associated smartphone app provides management and telemetry, such as long-term biomonitoring. While ...
*
I'm Watch
The i'm Watch is a smartwatch developed by Italian company i'm S.p.A. It was conceptualized by Manuel Zanella and Massimiliano Bertolini in early 2011, with funding provided by H-Invest and then released in the middle of 2012. The i'm Watch can r ...
References
External links
Wrist PDA Yahoo Discussion group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fossil Wrist PDA
Palm OS devices
Personal digital assistants
Watch models
Smartwatches
Products introduced in 2003
Fossil Group