Snazzy Pocket Computers

Rapid advances in miniaturization made pocket computers a reality in the early 1980s. The first of these candy-bar shaped machines were basically calculators on steroids. They usually offered a single-line LCD display, miniature QWERTY chicklet keyboard, and a cut-down version of the BASIC programming language. Bizarre tape printers were available as add-ons, in case you wanted to print out something that looked like a grocery store receipt. If you needed to store programs, micro-cassette interfaces could link to tape recorders. You just had to remember not to record the latest Kajagoogoo LP over top. Believe it or not, people actually wrote minuscule video games for these things, too:

The most famous pocket computers were made by Sharp -- they released the groundbreaking PC-1210 BASIC computer in 1980 (with 1K of memory) and continued making vastly superior variations until 2001. The PC-E500 shown here dates from about 1990 and is one of the more capable models in their lineup - 32K RAM, scientific built-ins, and a gigantic (for the day) 4x40 display. Other manufacturers jumped into the game, too -- Casio, Psion, NEC, Panasonic, TI, and Seiko released a few models but had limited success.

Worth picking up if you can find one at a garage sale or on eBay.

Sharp Pocket Computers (PROM Software Inc - a decent page of Sharps)
Pocket Computer Museum (The definitive web resource)