Notetakers are small, portable devices for storing information with the use of braille or typewriter keyboards. The stored information may be accessed through a built-in speech synthesizer, a braille display, or both. In the past, similar devices that were less powerful and less versatile were referred to as braille notetakers, which were used for storing names and telephone numbers, keeping track of appointments, and taking notes. In addition to these functions, the latest electronic notetakers provide advanced word processing, web browsing, and other functions. At one time, these devices were referred to as "accessible PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) because they allowed users to perform most of the functions of a standard PDA. Since smartphones and tablets (like the iPad) have become so prevalent, most people in the general public no longer use PDAs, so we have returned to the term electronic notetaker even though the device allows the user to do so much more than just take notes.
Source: http://www.afb.org/ProdBrowseCatResults.aspx?CatID=47
