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GRiD PalmPAD Model 2350

The GRiDPAD Model 1900 was the worlds first tablet computer released in October 1989[1]. The GRiD PalmPAD was the successor to the GRiDPad released in 1993. The PalmPAD ran a custom operating system called PenRight! which was built on top of MS-DOS 5.00 and used to develop custom data entry systems. The GRiD PalmPAD listed for $2,495 with 2MB of RAM. [2]

Technical Specifications

CPU: NEC V20 CPU, operating at 9.54 or 4.77 MHz
Display:

• 6.5-inch diagonal, backlit transflective LCD
• 640 x 400-pixel, PC-compatible display with an aspect ratio of 1:1

Memory: 2 MB RAM 640 kB conventional memory and 1408 kB expanded (EMS) memory.
Internal Storage: MS-DOS ROM 256 kB of internal Flash EPROM storage for (standard) MS-DOS operating system and PalmPAD utility programs.
Operating System: PenRight! based on MS DOS Version 5.00

Photos

• Internal Photos

Documentation/Articles

• PalmPAD Computer User's Guide - May 1992
• Announcement of GRiD PalmPAD from PC Magazine - May 12, 1992
• Advertisement: "Do you notice anything unusual about this man's computer?" from CIO magazine - December 1992
• The pen is mightier than the keyboard from The Rotarian - August 1992
• Fact Files from PC Magazine - October 12, 1993
• GRiD PalmPAD Review from PC Magazine - October 12, 1993
• Pen Operating Systems by PC Magazine - October 12, 1993
• PenRight! Pro Advertisement - April 1993

Software

ROMS

View the files

./
├─grid-palmpad-2350/
│ └─software/
│   ├─PALMPAD_BIOS_1.1_6-18-92_7B00_8810331_3013.BIN
│   ├─PALMPAD_DOS_ROM_5-6-92_A600_8810332_3013.BIN
│   ├─PALMPAD_ROMAPP1_05-11-92_EDEE_0010337_2336.BIN
│   ├─PALMPAD_ROMAPP2_05-11-92_8512_8810338_2336.BIN
│   ├─PALMPAD_ROMAPP_COMBINED.BIN
│   ├─PALMPAD_ROM_FILES.zip
│   └─sha256sum.txt
	

PenRight! Applications

A number of software demos are still available from caches of the PenRight! homepage[3]. The files that I could find are available in what used to be: http://www.penright.com/download

Descriptions of each file can be found on the original webpage:

• General Support Information
• PenRight! Pro 3.x (DOS)
• PenRight! for Windows 1.x

Hard Drive Contents

Download the contents of a PalmPAD, contains software to track the repair of rail cars: GRiD PalmPAD Drive Contents.7z

How to Copy Files

1. Create an MS-DOS virtual hard disk.
2. Connect the PalmPAD and the PC together with a null serial cable.
3. Run qemu: qemu-system-i386 -drive file=msdos622.vhd,index=0,media=disk,format=raw -serial /dev/ttyUSB0
4. Add to config.sys: DEVICE=c:\DOS\INTERLNK.EXE
5. On the PalmPAD tap the: "Grid -> PC Communications Program"

The virtual MS-DOS system will now have the A:, C:, and D: drives on the PalmPAD mapped over the serial port.

References