A Personal Digital Assistant or PDA is a handheld electronic device that saw use from the mid-1990s and up to the late 2000s, particularly in business settings. PDAs could allow users to make notes, set calendar reminders, act as a clock and alarm, send and receive emails, record voice memos, and take photos. As the 2000s went on, many of the functionalities of a PDA could be done with a cellphone, and with the advent of the smartphone as well as the growing popularity of tablet computers in the late 2000s and early 2010s, they were made entirely obsolete.

While rarely seen in posts, a PDA can be distinguished by featuring buttons or keyboard in addition to, or instead of a touch screen, characters may be seen using a stylus on the device.

While posts featuring a PDA may be intended to evoke a 1990s or 2000s theme/setting, this tag can also apply to science fiction devices similar to PDAs where tags such as smartphone or tablet wouldn't be accurate.

See Also

• electronics
• cellphone
• flip phone
• smartphone
• computer
• laptop
• portable music player
• tablet