Smartphones Replacing PDAs as Most Popular Organizers

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS/510090313/1006/BUSINESS' target='_blank'>http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS/510090313/1006/BUSINESS</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The PDA — short for Personal Digital Assistant and popularized by the Palm Pilot in the early '90s — is fading fast from its once vaulted place as the digital doorway to organizing our schedules, calendars and contacts. It's been replaced by the smartphone, an all-in-one device that does all that the PDA offers and much more — like making telephone calls, surfing the Net, sending and receiving instant messages and e-mail, taking pictures and video and playing music."</i><br /><br />I've been saying it for a while now. The PDA is giving way to the Smartphone and why not? It is curious that the article seems to lament that Microsoft has apparently won the battle over Palm and that this will result in less choice. The choice has been made. The MS operating system is better that's why it is winning. It says RIM is next to possibly fall. I hope so.

[Mike Temporale]

I like this quote:

As the PDA dies and Palm is conquered, the battle moves to the smartphone field and RIM has to know its BlackBerry is in the crosshairs of a behemoth.

I think they are a little confused about who is targeting RIM. While Microsoft is working on better push email solution. I would argue that they are not targeting RIM so much as providing what the customer is asking for. Moto is the one that's targeting RIM. They are pushing for a better push email solution from Microsoft (as is Symbian since they did license it too) and they are the ones building the RIM-clone device.

Anyway, RIMs days are numbered, IMHO. :)

[zipmail]

It says RIM is next to possibly fall. I hope so.

How blinkered and short-sighted! Have you ever thought that if your wish comes true, Microsoft will not have the incentive to improve on Windows Mobile; since there's no competition left. One reason why their mobile platforms have improved with each release is because of competition from PalmOS (now gone) and RIM.

Remember what happened during the browser wars? Since obliterating Netscape, have IE improved?

Don't wish for something that may just come true because you will be cussing that day when we are stuck with Windows Mobile 5.0 forever...

ADDENDUM

And of course Symbian, another major competitor. It is great we have evangelists spreading the good word out but, I sincerely hope that RIM and Symbian won't fall.

[Jerry Raia]

Remember what happened during the browser wars? Since obliterating Netscape, have IE improved?.

Valid point. I just hate RIM with a passion :twisted:

[Mike Temporale]

Have you ever thought that if your wish comes true, Microsoft will not have the incentive to improve on Windows Mobile;

...And of course Symbian, another major competitor. It is great we have evangelists spreading the good word out but, I sincerely hope that RIM and Symbian won't fall.

Symbian is by far the target of Microsoft right now. If RIM falls in the short term, then so be it. But that doesn't end the competition. RIM is not the only Push email solution on the market. There is still Good, and ItelliSync, and I'm sure others that I can't think of at this moment. In the mobile phone world, there is still Symbian, Linux, and other small home brew OS's that the hardware vendor might choose to use. Anyway, no one is going to fall anytime soon. At least, I don't expect them too. ;)

[zipmail]

There's also Smartner, Seven, Visto and DataViz all serving the push market. Even Microsoft is getting into the picture with Exchange 2003 SP2 update - allowing some sort of push mail to mobile devices directly from the server.

I am not for or against RIM but if not for RIM and its popularity, I highly doubt Microsoft will bundle their new push mail as a freebie when it becomes available; or for the matter consider it a feature that they want to include into their development roadmap.

Some competition is good and healthy to keep a behemoth like Microsoft on their toes only to serve us, their customers better.

[dollardr]

Just curious as to why the distaste against RIM?

We have used Treos, MS Smartphones, Pocket PC's and Blackberry's. We ended up going with Blackberry as it definately offered the most reliable and secure solution for my employer. From our experience, executives simply wanted a reliable cell phone and e-mail device and RIM provided that solution for us. On a related note, our non-technical users had real problems with UI of the other devices but can use a Blackberry after a 20 minute overview.

We are still interested in other devices and progress in the mobile device space but I also have to provide reliable solutions for a large enterprise in a cost effective manner. I am not bashing other devices or solutions and find little value in that type of discussion. Whenever possible, we simply try to make objective technology decisions that address the business requirement in a cost effective manner.

Competition is good, it offers choices and incentive for vendors to improve their products.

[Jason Dunn]

Just curious as to why the distaste against RIM?

Look at the title of this Web site: we love Windows Mobile here. :D

[Mike Temporale]

Just curious as to why the distaste against RIM?

There are a number of reasons, but the main ones are that it's over priced, and it's a poor design. $6000 for a BES server, plus $100 per BB that connects to it. (these prices are from the last time I looked into it for a mid-sized business client of mine) It's not something that the average company can afford. The design, from my understanding, passes all email through RIM's Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, head office. So, if they have an outage, then everyone doesn't get their email. (as was the case recently when they experienced a 2 hour long outage)

Competition is good, it offers choices and incentive for vendors to improve their products.

Absolutely. I'm not saying that there should be no other push email solution except Microsoft. I just don't like what RIM is doing I am looking forward to seeing something new in the market. Something that I can recommend to clients and it won't cost them an arm and a leg.

[JuhaN]

Nokia has just today announced tree business smartphones. Say hello to the new E-series... Wait a moment! Doesn't the E61 look familiar?!

E60: http://europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,81338,00.html
E61: http://europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,81718,00.html
E71: http://europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,81003,00.html

WCDMA/EDGE/GPRS/Wi-fi, Series 60...

=)juha

[Mike Temporale]

Nokia has just today announced tree business smartphones. Say hello to the new E-series... Wait a moment! Doesn't the E61 look familiar?!

Wow... I didn't really expect Nokia to do a keyboard. Well, it looks like Motorola has company in their attack on RIM. :)

[dollardr]

I thought I read somewhere that Bill Gates was going to meet with the CEO and founder of Blackberry today. Anyone have the inside scoop on whether this was for real or what might of transpired?

[Mike Temporale]

I thought I read somewhere that Bill Gates was going to meet with the CEO and founder of Blackberry today. Anyone have the inside scoop on whether this was for real or what might of transpired?

I didn't hear that, but it is possible. I read that Bill was on a University tour that will have him talking to students and facilty alike. The University of Waterloo is one of their prime stops on the recruiting tour, and that's just down the street from RIM.

With that said, I can't see what they would have to talk about. "Hi, we're aiming our free service pack for Exchange right at the heart of your company. It will be faster, more secure, more reliable, less overhead, and more affordable for the average user. So, how's that breakfast coming along?" :lol: :wink:

[dollardr]

Just curious as to why the distaste against RIM?

There are a number of reasons, but the main ones are that it's over priced, and it's a poor design. $6000 for a BES server, plus $100 per BB that connects to it. (these prices are from the last time I looked into it for a mid-sized business client of mine) It's not something that the average company can afford. The design, from my understanding, passes all email through RIM's Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, head office. So, if they have an outage, then everyone doesn't get their email. (as was the case recently when they experienced a 2 hour long outage)

Hey Mike,

Not to get into a long winded discussion but we secured much better pricing than you mention. I can't get into the details but I only paid for the server hardware.

The advantage of the RIM network is the immediate delivery of messages to the handheld and the PIN message capability they incorporate into their NOC solution/network. Messages show up on my handheld before they are in my inbox on my PC. Pros and Cons either way, but you are correct about the potential point of failure of the RIM network.