One of the first palm-top devices to use a color touch screen LCD, the Auctor unit was targeted at the industrial and business markets for use in inventory control, data acquisition and productivity tasks, as well as having the functionality of a full-featured PDA. It needed to have a stylus, I.R., Compact Flash memory, a modem with a RJ-11 jack, upgradable ROM, an RS-232 port ...very ambitious for such a small package. It needed to be rugged, yet attractive enough to compete with the Palm and Microsoft units on the market at the time.
Strategy
We started by finding room for all the components inside the desired case dimensions, using foam mockups and rough layout drawings, along with Human Factors and interface studies to make sure the unit would be easy to use. As the components and technology were rapidly evolving, we had to allow for a continual updating of the unit’s design as the process went on. A number of appearance models and Illustrator renderings fine-tuned the appearance before committing to the SolidWorks model and the production of a machined ABS prototype.
Solution
Although large by today’s standards, given the state-of-the-art at the time, the Auctor Palmtop packed an unprecedented amount of technology and functionality into a truly palmtop package. We gave it a folding LCD cover to protect the fragile and expensive display, and added a folding docking cradle to give room for the Serial Port, extra memory, and extra batteries for extended use in the field.