Nokia 9000 Communicator: The First True Smartphone?

It’s 1996, and I’m carrying what looks like a standard, albeit chunky, Nokia phone. But then I flip it open sideways, and it reveals a full QWERTY keyboard and a long, monochrome screen. This is the Nokia 9000 Communicator. It’s the first device that feels like a real computer in your pocket.

GEOS in Your Pocket

Inside this beast is an Intel 386-compatible CPU running the GEOS operating system. It has 8MB of memory, shared between applications, data, and the system. You can send faxes, check your email, and even browse the web (though "browse" is a generous term for the text-heavy experience).

The Connectivity Dream

The 9000 is a GSM phone, but it’s the data capabilities that matter. Being able to reply to an urgent work email while sitting in a coffee shop without hauling out a laptop is a game-changer. It’s slow-9.6 kbps slow-but it’s wireless and it’s there.

The "Brick" Reality

It weighs nearly 400 grams. It’s a massive presence in your pocket. But for the executives and high-end power users I’ve seen using them, the weight is a small price to pay for the functionality.

I’m fascinated by the UI. It doesn't have a touch screen (you use the keyboard and dedicated buttons next to the screen), but it’s surprisingly intuitive. We’re already looking at how we might be able to send simple status updates from our server monitors to these devices via SMS. The line between "phone" and "computer" has just been permanently blurred.