PocketMage wakes up a PDA with an e-paper

Digital assistants like the iconic Palm Pilot were one of the many things we thought went away with the arrival of the smartphone. But similar to Canon is resurrecting a nearly decade-old digital camera to complain to fans-and-shotsTalisman Design is crowdfunding a clamshell PDA called PocketMage that combines a tactile keyboard with e-paper and an OLED display in a pocketable device.

There are two different ones stock up on PocketMage options on Crowd Supply, plus you get your choice of leather (grey) or royal purple colors. The $235 model comes fully assembled, while the cheaper $185 model requires you to build it yourself. However, the DIY PocketMage only requires a screwdriver to fit. Soldering skills are not required, but patience is. Orders placed now are not expected to ship until March 2027 at the earliest.

Powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with only 2MB of RAM and 16MB of storage (expandable with a microSD card), the PocketMage is focused on simple production tasks, but is more capable than the original clamshell PDAs from companies such as Casio. The open device comes with apps including a calendar, journal, dictionary, and a Markdown notepad for writing or writing. Additional software such as a calculator, ebook reader, and browser are they already exist.

The main display of the PocketMage is a 3.1-inch, 320×240 e-paper screen that stops working with a capacitive touch bar touchscreen that can be used for scrolling. Above the PDA’s small QWERTY keyboard is a small 1.8-inch, 256x32px OLED screen that’s used as menus that require more refresh than what they get on paper. There’s also a basic piezo speaker, a 1,200mAh battery good for a week of use between charges, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB-C port compatible with peripherals like a large keyboard. For tinkerers and developers, PocketMage also includes a power expansion port to expand its capabilities with professional tools.