In our on-going series looking at classic computing devices birthed at HP, we see not only what they did, but also get a better sense of what was happening at the time each product came to market. (For a full explanation of why we’re calling this “Tales from the Next Bench,” read here).
This installment: HP Journada 820 (1998)
By 1998, HP had over two years of creating Windows CE-based handheld devices under its collective belt. With the Jornada 820 Palmtop PC, HP moved the operating system from handheld devices to a small, laptop-like device that could handle basic business needs and allow users to travel light. In other words, it was a netbook -- about 10 years early.
The 820 ran Microsoft Windows CE (Windows CE 2.1), Handheld PC Professional Edition, and promised 10 hours of battery life. That's more than enough for the average work day. It measured 9.5 by 6.75 by 1.25-inches and weighed 2.5 pounds. It crammed in a tiny trackpad and mini-keyboard. The 8.2-inch screen has a 640 by 480 resolution. Like I said, very netbook-like.
Of course, it wasn't a very powerful machine. It had 16MB RAM, 16MB ROM and Intel's 190MHz StrongARM CPU. But, hey, it also offered up VGA and new-fangled USB ports. You remember USB and how well it worked with Windows 98, right?
For expandability (besides more RAM), it had a Type II CompactFlash card slot and one PC Card slot. One benefit from that PC Card slot, was that it worked with the Franklin Rex Classic and Rex Pro PDAs -- these funky little devices had a tiny LCD screen and were about as thick as a couple credit cards. Slip the REX into the Jornada's PC Card slot and it would sync with your contact info (via TrueSync 2.0 software that came bundled with the 820).
As you probably gathered, it offered up several features perfect for business people. It had the ability to send and receive faxes, allowed you to record your voice and send the recording in a multimedia email and offered users “high-speed” web browsing via dial-up. And it sold for about $1,000 -- definitely not netbook pricing, but a lot less than your average laptop at the time.
What Else Happened in 1998?
Well, for starters, Microsoft released Windows 98. Then The US Department of Justice released an anti-trust case against the technology giant. Ironically, Google is founded the same year, and nobody is filing cases against Google. Yet. This was also an interesting year for cellular technology. Researchers in Finland conduct trials using cellular phones to pay for soda out of a vending machine. In the world of biotechnology, Viagra is invented to the joy of...well, someone. Also, 19 European nations agree to forbid human cloning. But none of them agreed to forbid screenings of Gattica. (That came out a year earlier).
It was also around the same time that the US government announces its first budget surplus in 30 years. Meanwhile, overseas, the Japanese economy entered a recession due to the collapse of land and property prices, and the Japanese government implements a rescue package for Japanese banks. Not to make light, but it seems like a little sneak preview of what would hit the US about 10 years later.
Did you own a Jornada 820? Maybe have a funny story to share about this netbook predecessor? Tell us all about it in the comment boxes below!
Additional resources
A six-sided view of the Jornada 820: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum
The Jornada 820’s Manual:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&
More information about the Franklin REX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REX_5000
A preview of the Jornada 820
http://www.smartphonemag.com/_archives/Jan99/jornp
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