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IBM Simon

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IBM Simon Personal Communicator
The IBM Simon Personal Communicator shown in its charging base
BrandIBM
ManufacturerMitsubishi Electric Corp.
Compatible networksAMPS
First releasedAugust 16, 1994; 30 years ago (1994-08-16)
Availability by regionUnited States August 16, 1994 (1994-08-16) (BellSouth Cellular)
DiscontinuedFebruary 1995 (1995-02)
PredecessorAngler (code name)
SuccessorNeon (code name)
TypeSmartphone
Form factorBrick
Dimensions
  • 8 in (200 mm) H
  • 2.5 in (64 mm) W
  • 1.5 in (38 mm) D
Weight18 oz (510 g)
Operating systemDatalight ROM-DOS
CPUVadem 16 MHz, 16-bit, x86-compatible
Memory1 MB
Storage1 MB
Battery7.5V NiCad
Display4.5 in (110 mm) x 1.4 in (36 mm), 160px x 293px monochrome backlit LCD
Connectivity
  • 2400-bps Hayes-compatible modem
  • 33-pin connector
  • 9600-bps Group 3 send-and-receive fax
  • I/O connection port
  • PCMCIA type 2
Data inputs
References[1][2][3][4]

The IBM Simon Personal Communicator was a handheld, stylus input screen cellular phone and PDA designed and engineered by International Business Machines Inc. (IBM) and assembled under contract by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. BellSouth Cellular Corp. distributed the Simon Personal Communicator in the United States between August, 1994 and February, 1995. The Simon Personal Communicator was the first cellular phone to include telephone and PDA features in one device. Although the term "smartphone" had not been coined at the time of the Simon's release, because of its features and capabilities, the Simon can be referred to as the first smartphone.

History

IBM debuted a prototype smartphone device, code named "Angler", on November, 23, 1992 at the COMDEX computer and technology trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The Angler prototype combined a cell phone and PDA into one device, allowing a user to make and receive telephone calls, facsimiles and emails and receive pages, among other functions. COMDEX show attendees and the press showed notable interest in the device; the Angler prototype was featured on the front page of USA Today's Money section the day after the prototype's debut with its architect Frank Canova holding the phone.[1][5] BellSouth executives gave the product its final name, "Simon Personal Communicator", for its public debut at the Wireless World Conference in November, 1993.[1] BellSouth Cellular had planned to begin selling Simon in May, 1994, but due to problems with the device's software, the Simon did not become available to consumers until August 16, 1994. BellSouth Cellular initially offered the Simon throughout its 15 state service area for US$899 with a two-year service contract or US$1099 without a contract. Later in the product's life, BellSouth Cellular reduced the price to US$599 with a two-year contract.[2][6]

BellSouth Cellular sold approximately 50,000 units during the product's six months on the market.[1]

Although the term "smartphone" was not used in the consumer marketplace until 1997, because of Simon's features and capabilities, it can be referred to as the first smartphone.[1][7][8]

The IBM Simon Personal Communicator included a custom-fit, protective, leather cover

Features

In addition to its ability to make and receive cellular phone calls, Simon was also able to send and receive facsimiles, e-mails and cellular pages. Simon included many applications including an address book, calendar, appointment scheduler, calculator, world time clock, electronic note pad, handwritten annotations and standard and predictive stylus input screen keyboards.

Each Simon was shipped with a charging base station, two nickel-cadmium batteries and a protective leather cover.

Operating system and applications

The Simon used the file system from Datalight ROM-DOS along with file compression from Stacker, however IBM created a unique touch-screen user interface and no DOS prompt existed.[2]

The Simon could be upgraded to run third party applications either by inserting a PCMCIA card or by downloading an application to the phone's internal memory.

Atlanta, Georgia-based PDA Dimensions developed "DispatchIt", the only aftermarket, third-party application developed for Simon. This first third party smartphone application was developed by Jeff Hendricks, Buck Marchant, and David Saitta. The DispatchIt application costs were US$2,999 for the host PC software and US$299 for each Simon software client.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sager, Ira (2012-06-29). "Before IPhone and Android Came Simon, the First Smartphone". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. ISSN 2162-657X. Retrieved 2012-06-30. Simon was the first smartphone. Twenty years ago, it envisioned our app-happy mobile lives, squeezing the features of a cell phone, pager, fax machine, and computer into an 18-ounce black brick.
  2. ^ a b c O'Malley, Chris (1994-12). "Simonizing the PDA". Byte. 19 (12). McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc.: 145–148. ISSN 0360-5280. Archived from the original on 1999-02-21. Retrieved 2012-06-30. The CPU is a 16-bit x86-compatible processor running at 16 MHz, a single-chip design manufactured by Vadem. Simon runs a version of DOS called ROM-DOS, from Datalight... {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Bellsouth, IBM unveil personal communicator phone". Mobile Phone News. CBS Interactive. 1993-11-08. ISSN 0737-5077. Retrieved 2012-06-30. The phone currently is based on an AMPS standard...
  4. ^ "BellSouth - IBM Simon PDA cellphone". RetroCom. RetroCom. Retrieved 2012-06-30. Graphic display: 160 x 293
  5. ^ Schneidawind, John (1992-11-23). "Poindexter putting finger on PC bugs; Big Blue unveiling". USA Today. Gannett Co. p. 2B. ISSN 0734-7456.
  6. ^ "IBM's plans to ship Simon put on hold for time being". Mobile Phone News. CBS Interactive. 1994-04-04. ISSN 0737-5077. Retrieved 2012-06-30. Technical issues, resulting from the integration of Simon's cellular faxing capability, were discovered early in the manufacturing and development cycle as IBM's quality assurance testing was being conducted. IBM will hold up shipments of the device until the bugs are worked out.
  7. ^ "Ericsson GS88 Preview". Eri-no-moto. 2006. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  8. ^ "Penelope box". Stockholm Smartphone. 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  9. ^ Polishuk, Paul, ed. (1995-05). "BellSouth Cellular Corp. Announces DispatchIt Software for Simon". Wireless Telecommunications Newsletter. 5 (5). Boston, Massachusetts: Information Gatekeepers, Inc.: 9–10. ISSN 1083-7779. Retrieved 2010-06-30. BellSouth Cellular Corp. (BSCC) and PDA Dimensions...announced the commercial availability of DispatchIt, a work order field service application using Simon, BSCC's personal communicator. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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