Personal Digital Assistant

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), hand-held computer that helps with such tasks as taking notes, scheduling appointments, and sending faxes and electronic mail. PDAs are also called Personal Communicators and Personal Intelligent Communicators. Most PDAs can connect to other computers, either through telephone lines, radio waves, or a computer cable. Many have PC card slots (see PCMCIA) for attaching modems and other auxiliary devices. Most PDAs are capable of at least limited handwriting recognition, allowing users to enter notes into the computer with a special penlike device rather than with a keyboard.