Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) woher und wohin?
This paper describes the development of modern PDAs and traces some historical roots because personal information management is an idea Helmut Dollfuss with a long tradition. It was put into practice early in human history 1 Medizinische Universitat Wien, Universitatsbibliothek, Wien, Osterreich based on different materials as data carrier. Fromwax plates and paper the idea was grafted onto microprocessor powered calculators. Further on the concept was transferred to coat pocket sized handheld computers. These were called PDAs forming a device class on their own though functions of a PDA are ingreasingly integrated into other mobile devices. Finally the paper discusses the future of PDAs as spearhead of the mobile library. The PDA can be seen as a prophet in this movement followed by a range of new to be mobile devices. Out of this we can expect to meet an even greater variety of operating systems, display sizes and communication channels in the future. PDA projects are an ideal way to gain expert knowledge now for a mobile future in library information technology.