The Fossil Abacus squeezes a fully functional handheld computer into a large wristwatch.

There is 8Mb of memory, enough for extra software, as well as the standard contacts, calendar and to-do list options.

It can run any Palm software written for Palm OS 4. Data is transferred via USB or infrared. The screen is touch-sensitive, with a small stylus for writing on the screen, although this is quite fiddly.

After a period of inactivity, the display returns to a clock face to conserve battery life. However, it needs to be recharged at least every two days.

In practice, the Abacus did not sit easily with another Palm device connected to the computer using the supplied USB cable, partly because the other device had more applications installed than would fit on the Abacus, so some care is needed if you already have a handheld computer.