No New Notifications, Ever

The 1990s are so back! Who needs an iPhone 16 when they have Friends, a Packard Bell with a 56K dial-up connection to America Online, a PlayStation, and a PalmPilot? Giving up the latest technology would mean forgoing a lot of modern conveniences, but it would also mean having a social life with people that you actually know in real life, and that your boss could not contact you at any time or place, day or night. Not so bad after all, huh?

YouTuber Ashtf set out on a journey to bring back this simpler time with the creation of a 1990s-esque PDA that eliminates constant distractions in his life. While his slick E Ink PDA (which we covered here) was undoubtedly super cool, it was not really all that practical for daily use. The odd dual-screen interface, for instance, is a charming throwback to a time when portable device design was still being worked out, but, as implemented, was perhaps a bit too clunky for its own good.

Fortunately, that is not the end of the story. Ashtf channeled his inner Sub-Zero and unleashed a massive finishing move on his E Ink PDA, giving us all a version 2 to drool over. First and foremost, the wonky silicone keys with embossed, difficult to see, lettering have been replaced. The new device has 3D-printed resin keys with bold, white air-dry clay lettering topped off with a coat of clear nail polish as a sealant. This gives the PDA more of a BlackBerry vibe than a Mattel Aquarius one.

The hardware also got a few small but meaningful updates, with the case hinges being improved to be more robust and allow the case to fully snap closed. Since the case is clear, Ashtf decided to flip some of the components to the outside of the PCBs so that they can be seen through the case. This did cause the connector that links the two halves of the clamshell to get reversed, which put a kink in the ribbon cable, but that will be fixed in a later revision.

There are also a number of software updates that improve the usability of the device. As words are typed, the letters show up on a small, secondary OLED display initially for speed before being transferred to the E Ink screen. Previously, words were transferred as soon as the space button was pressed, but this made corrections difficult, so now the text is only transferred after a full line has been typed.

There are also completely new applications for text editing, managing tasks, and managing the file system. The text editor added things like different fonts and a quirky way to scroll through documents with a capacitive touch bar. With these significant updates, the PDA moved beyond the proof of concept stage to a device that can actually be used in the real world.

Next up, Ashtf is planning to add a calendar and a progress-tracking journal. There are also plans to extend storage with SD card support, and to add support for wireless file transfers to external devices. Google Drive integration may even be on the way. Stay tuned for the latest updates on this trip back in time!