GearBits

Concept: The PDA Calculator Sled

As a college professor, I'm surrounded by young adults, many age 18-24. While the general populus thinks this age group is the most technologically savvy, I have to say I'm just not seeing it. Relatively few use PDAs or smart phones or other cutting edge stuff. The large majority of the students I see rely on two things as their daily tech: plain, no-feature cellphones and big scientific/business calculators.

It was this latter item that got me thinking. Why don't they just use inexpensive PDAs as their calulators? The bargain-basement Zire series and discontinued Sony Clie models can be had for under $100 -- roughly the same price as an upper end calculator.

The answer is, of course, in the interface. Using even the best designed calculator on a PDA is not all that enjoyable. The screen gives relatively little feedback and the screen offers only so much room for buttons. The advantages are that the screen can change based on the task, but usually, this hinders rapid use. Any of us who still hang onto our favorite HP or Casio or TI calculators from yore know this to be true.

So, it dawned on me that you could have the best of both worlds by virtue of a PDA calculator "sled." Instead of having a piece of dedicated hardware that includes a screen and software and limited memory, just rely on the PDA hardware to do that.

The image to the right is a quick sketch of what I'm envisioning (click it to see a zoom view pop-up). The PDA slides into the top and docks with a connector of some sort in the base of the sled. That physical connection would then launch the calculator software that would be controlled by the buttons (and, alternately, by an on-screen interface as well if desired). The sled could also contain a couple of 'AA' cells for added power as well as some button/detents at the top for securing the PDA in place.

The advantage of this setup is that you get the good tactile feel of real calculator buttons with the memory and horsepower and nice screen of a PDA (even the lowliest Palm OS device has a higher resolution screen than even very expensive calculators). Plus, the sled would be pretty inexpensive to manufacture since it doesn't have a screen or even much in the way of electronics. Additionally, the software could be upgraded (how many calculators have you seen that allow you to upgrade the firmware?).

My hunch is that this setup, if sold as a blister pack in Wal-Mart and Target stores (wherever kids go to get ready for the new year in high school or college), would go like hotcakes. Imagine our young adults all getting both a really good calculator and a really good personal organizer tool all in one. Also, if combined with educational software (e.g. grade and homework management programs), it would be quite easy to justify the slight additional cost to a lot of parents. The whole kit could probably be sold for under $150 for a color model and under $100 for grayscale. And if anyone actually starts making this, just send me a letter thanking me for the idea...would you? That's all I ask. ;-)