An Awful 1990s PDA Delivers AI Wisdom

In the 1990s, personal data assistants (PDAs) were touted as the future of personal computing. Devices like the Psion, PalmPilot, and Apple Newton were among the most popular, offering a range of features that seemed cutting-edge at the time. However, amidst all the excitement, a lesser-known player emerged in the form of the Rolodex PDA. This humble device may seem like a relic of the past, but its story is one of ingenuity and creative problem-solving.

Meet Nick Bild, who has managed to breathe new life into his trusty old Rolodex by turning it into an interface for a generative AI model hosted on a Raspberry Pi 400. This hack is as much about reverse engineering the device's serial protocol as it is about making using a cutting-edge technology seem dauntingly complicated.

According to Nick, finding the baud rate was relatively straightforward, but deciphering the encoding scheme proved to be a more complex task. "It was unexpectedly fiddly," he admits. The lack of a terminal on the device was a significant challenge, as these machines were designed for a single purpose only – to store and manage contacts and notes.

However, Nick discovered that the Rolodex's memo app allowed for the transfer of text files, providing a slow but sure means of communication with the LLM. This process may seem woefully inefficient by today's standards, but it serves as a clever reminder of the constraints faced by these early PDAs.

A quick scan of online marketplaces reveals that many identical devices from multiple manufacturers are still available for purchase, often sporting software such as dictionaries or thesauruses. These devices were frequently advertised in Sunday newspapers and aimed squarely at older demographics, leaving their origins and internal workings shrouded in mystery.

Despite the lack of clear answers about who manufactured these devices, it's likely that many shared a common core component: the 8051 processor. This revelation adds to the mystique surrounding these retro gadgets, which may seem quaint and outdated today but still hold a certain allure for enthusiasts of vintage technology.