personal digital assistant
Handheld electronic scheduler
A personal digital assistant, or PDA, was a handheld electronic device for organizing contacts, calendars, notes, and tasks—a pocket-sized computer before smartphones absorbed those functions.
Popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, devices like the Palm Pilot and Apple Newton defined the category.
The term now sounds dated, as smartphones have made dedicated PDAs obsolete.
Three-letter abbreviation, multiple meanings
- PalmPilotEarly handheld digital organizer
- BlackBerryEarly smartphone brand
- PalmDefunct PDA manufacturer
- NewtonFamous scientific surname
smartphone · tablet · handheld · touchscreen · stylus · cradle · docking station · sync cable
Mobile software, briefly
- operating systemSoftware managing computer resources
- iOSMobile operating system
- AndroidGoogle's phone platform
- BluetoothShort-range wireless protocol
Wi-Fi · processor · firmware · interface · multitasking · cloud sync · software · backup
Assigning times to events
- remindersAids against forgetting
- calendarDate-tracking system
- appointmentsScheduled times for meetings
- emailDigital written communication
messaging · contacts · to-do lists · notes · alarms · notifications · sync · voice command
Digital voice helper
- AlexaVirtual home assistant
- CortanaMicrosoft's virtual assistant
- smart speakerAudio device with AI
- voice-activatedOperated by spoken commands
conversational · natural language · chatbot · machine learning · cloud-based · wake word
Digital written communication
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- messagingSending written digital communications
- voicemailRecorded caller messages
- voice commandSpoken order to technology
dictation · speech recognition · notification · alerts · contacts · address book · call log · SMS
PDA
Three-letter abbreviation, multiple meanings
- PalmPilotEarly handheld digital organizer
- BlackBerryEarly smartphone brand
- PalmDefunct PDA manufacturer
Newton · smartphone · tablet · handheld · touchscreen · stylus · cradle · docking station · sync cable
apps
Mobile software, briefly
- operating systemSoftware managing computer resources
- iOSMobile operating system
- AndroidGoogle's phone platform
Bluetooth · Wi-Fi · processor · firmware · interface · multitasking · cloud sync · software · backup · memory
scheduling
Assigning times to events
- remindersAids against forgetting
- calendarDate-tracking system
- appointmentsScheduled times for meetings
email · messaging · contacts · to-do lists · notes · alarms · notifications · sync · voice command · dictation
Siri
Digital voice helper
- AlexaVirtual home assistant
- CortanaMicrosoft's virtual assistant
- smart speakerAudio device with AI
voice-activated · conversational · natural language · chatbot · machine learning · cloud-based · wake word
Digital written communication
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- messagingSending written digital communications
- voicemailRecorded caller messages
voice command · dictation · speech recognition · notification · alerts · contacts · address book · call log · SMS · instant messaging
- PDAsPDA, Palm Pilot, PalmPilot, handheld, Palm
personal digital assistantmainframe computer
Large organizational computing system
supercomputer · desktop computer · server · workstation · data center
personal digital assistantFilofax
Branded refillable scheduling binder
day planner · Rolodex · address book · appointment book · wall calendar
personal digital assistantpersonal assistant
Hired organizational helper
executive assistant · administrative assistant · receptionist · office manager · concierge
personal, person, persons, personally, personality, personalities, personalize, personalized, personalization