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Non-Programmable Handheld Computers

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A computer that's not programmable sounds like a contradiction in terms, yet this is precisely the current trend in handheld computing. There is a multitude of handheld devices, pocket PCs, data collection devices and the like that offer no end-user programmability.

8-bit Pocket Computers

While most 8-bit pocket computers were end-user programmable in BASIC, a few models existed with no end-user programmability. Instead, these models typically had cartridge slots where third-party program ROMS could be inserted. Curiously, many of these early machines were used as language translation devices, with optional modules for a variety of languages.

Craig Yet another once widely known, but long gone manufacturer of calculators, Craig also produced a handheld computer.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	M-100	Pocket computer	16 VFD characters	N/A	N/A	N/A	Cartridge slots

 

Nixdorf Before it was swallowed up by the Siemens empire, Nixdorf was a pre-eminent computer corporation in Germany. Their only handheld product, the LK-3000, was a multifunction device with a ROM socket.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	LK-3000	Pocket computer	LED	N/A	N/A	N/A	Cartridge slot

 

Quasar One of the earliest "HHC" (Hand Held Computer) was, in fact, another model that was not end-user programmable.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	HHC	Pocket computer	16 VFD characters	N/A	N/A	N/A	Cartridge slots

 

Sharp Some of Sharp's pocket computers were similar to their line of BASIC machines, but offerred no end-user programmability.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	PC-1270	N/A	LCD	N/A	N/A	N/A	Cartridge slot

Data Collection Devices

An important industrial activity is to collect data "in the field", such as scanning barcodes of items stored in warehouses. Many manufacturers produced data collection devices that ran standard or custom applications, were optionally equipped with a barcode wand, and offered a communication interface for uploading the data that was collected to a central database.

Datalogic Datalogic is an Italian manufacturer of handheld industrial computer products. The PC-32E, an early Z-80 based model, was a "lucky find" on eBay.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	PC-32E	Data collection	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	I/O

Windows CE

Windows is becoming ubiquitous. In the mid-1990s, Microsoft introduced a new, highly modular version of Windows specifically designed for handheld/pocket computers and embedded systems. It has since become widely used in many pocket and handheld devices, embedded automobile systems, and more. Unlike other versions of Windows, Windows CE is available in source code form and can be heavily customized by OEMs.

Windows CE devices offer no end-user programmability. Programming is accomplished through a cross-compiler running on the PC Windows platform.

Hewlett-Packard One of the first manufacturers of Windows CE machines, HP remains a preeminent manufacturer in this field.
-	Model	Type	Display	Programming model	Programming features	Memory	Special functions
	HP-320LX	Handheld PC	640×240 grayscale LCD pixels	Windows CE 1.0	Win32 API	4 MB	Pen, serial port, PCMCIA, CompactFlash, infrared
	Jornada 720	Handheld PC	640×240 TFT color LCD pixels	Windows CE 3.0	Win32 API	32 MB	Pen, serial port, PCMCIA, CompactFlash, smartcard, infrared