It’s been a while since people regularly used personal digital assistants (PDAs). They were fairly ubiquitous throughout the 1990s and well into the 2000s, but then smartphones came along and put an end to that. However, some companies are still fighting the good PDA fight, including Talisman Design. It just revealed its upcoming PocketMage E Ink PDA and it looks pretty nifty.
As previously stated, this is an E Ink device, so it’ll be easy on the old eyeballs. Otherwise, it features an old-school clamshell case and a tactile QWERTY keyboard. It also has two screens, which are used in a fairly novel way. There’s a 3.1-inch 320 x 240 E Ink panel for reading and writing, but there’s also a much thinner OLED strip above the keyboard. This offers a fast-refresh rate for menus.
The most unique thing here, however, is the aesthetic. It’s called the PocketMage for a reason. This thing is obsessed with wizards. The proprietary operating system is all wizard-based, which means that you don’t rename a file — you cast a spell called “Renamio.” It looks pretty cheeky and in line with something that Teenage Engineering might make.
The PDA also ships with a digital tarot deck and a dungeon crawling RPG called Mage’s Descent. There’s even a storefront called the Bazaar where people can pick up third-party apps. Otherwise, it comes with an ereader, a text-based web browser and a calendar, though more stuff will be available at the aforementioned Bazaar.
The PocketMage includes a microSD slot, a scroll bar, a USB-C port for charging and a battery that should last around a week. Increased battery life is one the key advantages of E Ink. It can also connect to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
One cool thing about this device is that it should actually fit in pockets, as it’s fairly small. The same cannot be said of rival products like the Freewrite Traveler and GPD MicroPC 2. The PicoCalc can technically fit in some pockets, but results will definitely vary.
The PocketMage is currently being crowdfunded and has already blown past its goal. It costs $185 as a kit that must be assembled by the consumer and $235 for something that’s already been built. It’s available in both “parchment” (white) and “royal purple.” The company says they’ll ship in March, 2027.
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