Apple Newton MessagePad (1993-1998)

✅ Apple Newton MessagePad H1000

🥇First Commercially-Released "Personal Digital Assistant"

The Apple Newton MessagePad, launched in August 1993 for $699 (equivalent to roughly $1,500 today), was the world's very first true "Personal Digital Assistant" (PDA)—a term coined by Apple's CEO at the time. Built to completely replace the paper notepad, this ambitious handheld tablet was designed to read a user's handwriting, manage calendars, and smartly link your daily notes to your contact book. While the hardware was incredibly futuristic, the early software's handwriting recognition was notoriously buggy and inaccurate. It frequently misinterpreted words so badly that it was publicly ridiculed in pop culture, famously being parodied on The Simpsons. Though it is remembered today as a high-tech flop, its compact design laid the vital technological groundwork for the touchscreen tablets and smartphones we use every day.

Source: eBay Auction