The PalmPilot Professional is a

personal digital assistant A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a handheld PC, is a variety mobile device which functions as a personal information manager. PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly capable smartphones, in partic ...

. While the PalmPilot was released March 10, 1997 as an updated version of the

Pilot 5000 An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

, there was delayed general availability of the Professional model in the marketplace. It was marketed with a compact design, a back-lit display and the ability to quickly connect to a

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...

. it has the ability to synchronize via its cradle (or through a modem, which was sold separately) to a computer, making it possible to send e-mails, set appointments with others, and set contact information. Various third party applications, such a
upIRC
enabled connecting to various messaging systems, including most popular

instant messaging Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...

services. An optional memory card with an IR port was available as an upgrade directly from Palm.

System Details

* Operating System:

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 ...

2.0, upgradeable to Palm OS 2.0.5 with 1MB or Palm OS 3.0 if 2MB memory upgrade is installed. * Processor: Motorola MC68328 DragonBall * Internal RAM: 1 MB * Screen Resolution: 160x160 pixels * Battery Type: 2 AAAs * Battery Life: 30 hours * Size: 117 x 81 x 17 mm - 4.6 x 3.2 x 0.7 in. * Weight:

References

Palm OS devices Computer-related introductions in 1997 Products introduced in 1997 68k-based mobile devices {{PDA-stub