REX 5000
Encyclopedia
The Franklin
REX 5, (also known as the “Rex-Pro”, as the “Rex 5000”, and with cosmetic variation as the “Rex 5001”) was one of the Rex line of Personal Digital Assistant
s, each a PCMCIA PC card
and thus the size of a credit card, built around a Toshiba
microprocessor
emulating a Zilog Z80
. The REX firmware was written by Starfish Software, and the hardware was manufactured by Citizen Electronics. Earlier models in this line (the Rex and the Rex-3) had almost no input possibilities except to download data when installed in a host computer or in a docking station; the Rex 5 added a sixth button and introduced a modal input method. (The later REX 6000
again had only five buttons, but included a touch screen.) Further, with 512 KB
of RAM, the Rex 5 had twice the memory of the Rex-3 (which, in turn, had four times that of the original Rex).
The REX 5000 was repackaged by Motorola
as the StarTAC ClipOn Organizer, which piggybacked onto digital versions of their popular StarTAC phone (as well as some Timeport models), expanding the capabilities of the phone from having a capacity of 100 contacts to 1000, and adding calendar and note functionality.
The REX 5000 and StarTAC ClipOn Organizer, like earlier models of the Rex, utilized Starfish Software
's TrueSync for data synchronization. Starfish would later be acquired by Motorola.
The REX 5000 was succeeded by the Xircom
REX 6000
.
Franklin Electronic Publishers
Franklin Electronic Publishers, Incorporated is an American consumer electronics manufacturer based in Burlington, New Jersey, founded in 1981. Since the mid-1980s it has primarily created and sold hand-held electronic references, such as spelling correctors, dictionaries, translation devices,...
REX 5, (also known as the “Rex-Pro”, as the “Rex 5000”, and with cosmetic variation as the “Rex 5001”) was one of the Rex line of Personal Digital Assistant
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
s, each a PCMCIA PC card
PC card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
and thus the size of a credit card, built around a Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
emulating a Zilog Z80
Zilog Z80
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog and sold from July 1976 onwards. It was widely used both in desktop and embedded computer designs as well as for military purposes...
. The REX firmware was written by Starfish Software, and the hardware was manufactured by Citizen Electronics. Earlier models in this line (the Rex and the Rex-3) had almost no input possibilities except to download data when installed in a host computer or in a docking station; the Rex 5 added a sixth button and introduced a modal input method. (The later REX 6000
REX 6000
The REX 6000 is an ultra-thin Personal Digital Assistant produced by Xircom, and later Intel, from about 2000 to 2001. Its primary claim to fame is as "The world's smallest full-function PDA", due to its unusual physical configuration as a PC card Type-II card . The REX may be synchronized by...
again had only five buttons, but included a touch screen.) Further, with 512 KB
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
of RAM, the Rex 5 had twice the memory of the Rex-3 (which, in turn, had four times that of the original Rex).
The REX 5000 was repackaged by Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
as the StarTAC ClipOn Organizer, which piggybacked onto digital versions of their popular StarTAC phone (as well as some Timeport models), expanding the capabilities of the phone from having a capacity of 100 contacts to 1000, and adding calendar and note functionality.
The REX 5000 and StarTAC ClipOn Organizer, like earlier models of the Rex, utilized Starfish Software
Starfish Software
Starfish was founded in 1994 by Philippe Kahn. The founding vision of Starfish was global synchronization and integration of wireless and wireline devices, which translated with the TrueSync platform to: "Enter or edit information anywhere, synchronization is automatic everywhere." Starfish...
's TrueSync for data synchronization. Starfish would later be acquired by Motorola.
The REX 5000 was succeeded by the Xircom
Xircom
Xircom, Inc. was based in Thousand Oaks, California, with manufacturing facilities located in Penang & Malaysia and international offices throughout Europe and Asia Pacific. They were one of the first companies to develop network computing products for notebook computers. Products included...
REX 6000
REX 6000
The REX 6000 is an ultra-thin Personal Digital Assistant produced by Xircom, and later Intel, from about 2000 to 2001. Its primary claim to fame is as "The world's smallest full-function PDA", due to its unusual physical configuration as a PC card Type-II card . The REX may be synchronized by...
.
External links
- http://www.pdastreet.com/hardware/Xircom-REX-5000-2001-5-3-pdastreet-pdas.html
- http://support.intel.com/support/peripherals/xc/pda/rex5000/ - Intel support page for the REX 5000/Pro
- http://www.tice.i12.com/ - Rex software collection page, including Linux support tools (not accessible anymore)