Hand-held computer

The electronic translator, a calculator-like device, offered travelers a computerized foreign-language dictionary. Two US companies have recently put such devices on the market. One of Japanese companies said it would begin manufacturing a translator device later. However, it said its machine would be more than just a translator. In fact, the company said it would be making the world's first all-purpose, hand-held computer.

This machine will be the same translator device but it will make use of several attachments: those now of the drawing board include a mini-printer that effectively turns the translator into a typewriter, a video screen that would make the machine function as a miniature computer-display terminal and a voice synthesizer so that users can hear as well as see the information stored in the machine. Through the use of programmed information capsules the machine will also be able to function as an electronic encyclopedia, putting sports, arts, history and other facts at the user's fingertips. With capsules that users can program themselves, the computer applications become even broader, extending to home accounting, telephone and address filling and even recipe indexing.

The heart of this as-yet-unnamed device is a new memory bank. Despite its tiny size it can hold about twice the data of memories used in pocket-size electronic machines. This machine will be available for export sometime in future years.

Notes:

the world's first all-purpose hand-held computer – первый в мире универсальный портативный компьютер

now of the drawing board – сейчас на чертежной доске

a video screen – видеоэкран

a voice synthesizer – речевой (голосовой) синтезатор

capsule – капсюль

to put facts at smb's fingertips – зд. вводить факты в компьютер кончиками пальцев

home accounting – ведение домашних расчетов

this as-yet-unnamed device – это еще не названное устройство