HP Xpander

"Xpander is a new kind of hand-held learning device. It combines the portability and accessibility associated with calculators with the intuitive visual/tactile user interface associated with stylus-based palmtop organizers. The result is a machine that offers a tremendously broad spectrum of possible learning environments that can be tailored to learners from pre-school through graduate school and beyond." So began a document given out at the HP Xpander learning Summit in mid 2000. The Xpander was a dramatic departure from HP's Saturn/RPL-based calculators. It used a Hitachi SH3 processor, 8MB of RAM, 16MB of ROM and Windows CE to host a number of applications designed for learning math. The device looked like a PDA with a 240 x 320 pixel gray-scale screen, a numeric keypad and a hard slide-on cover. Most work was done on-screen with a stylus. It also provided a compact flash slot and used rechargeable batteries. Every Xpander came with a port that allowed its screen to be projected for the classroom.