07-30-2005, 07:00 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Ultra Mobile 2007: Gates' New Pet Project?
"In April, at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Gates announced that he was considering pushing a potential rival portable computing platform into the market called Ultra Mobile 2007. In remarks posted on Microsoft's Web site, Gates said he envisioned Ultra Mobile 2007 as a new category of device that would cost between $800 and $1000, and weigh as near to a pound as possible. These devices would have a consumer friendly bent and would integrate a camera, a phone, and a touch-screen, and offer music and video playback functions along with very long battery life."
8O Could Bill Gates manages to promote everything else other than Windows Mobile. He's never seemed very big on Pocket PCs and Smartphones, I think largely because he probably has an assistant that does everything for him that we use our Pocket PCs and Smartphones for. Converged devices make too many sacrifices, and I just don't believe the technology is there yet to achieve something like the Ultra Mobile 2007. I want my phone to be a phone - a small phone. I want my camera to be a camera. What's your take on it?
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 07:15 PM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 434
|
|
As powerful devices get more and more mainstream I find they are taking over the PIM type functions that have historically fallen to the PDA realm. People don't buy the expensive Sony U or OQO to do PIM functions, the expense doesn't make sense for that. But they are buying these UPCs to do their real computing tasks and since they also do PDA type functions very well they are supplanting the PDA with these devices.
You're right though, MS never seems to promote their stuff very well. I guess that's OUR job. 
__________________
James Kendrick* ...using mobile devices since they weighed 30 lbs
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 07:28 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 197
|
|
I once had an iMate JAM, and I ended up selling it. It just tried too hard to be too many things...
I have a Sony Ericsson W800i (2mp camera, 512mb storage Walkman MP3 player) and an hx4700 right now. Sure, my phone can take great pictures, but I still have a seperate camera whose sole purpose is to be a camera, and nothing more. It could also be my MP3 player, but I still have an iPod, dedicated to be only an MP3 player. My Pocket PC could be an emulator for GBA games, but I still have a GBA. Anyway, my point is that even though decives have all these extra features packed into it, I still use each device for its main purpose. I use my phone to call people, my Pocket PC to organize and browse the internet, my camera to take pictures, and my iPod to play music.
If you think about it, cell phones are the only things trying to be more than what they really are. I don't see Canon adding MP3 players or phones to their cameras. Apple isn't making an iPod phone. In fact, Motorola is making a phone with iPod features (the ROKR). There is no way the ROKR will ever be as good as an iPod.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 08:03 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 147
|
|
The biggest obstacle is battery life.
If every call I receive reduces the life of my PDA, or if every time I use the camera I have to worry about whether I'll have enough power for the phone and PDA and MP3 for the rest of the day, I'd rather pass on convergence devices for the moment.
The day will come when kids will say "did you really have to carry four different machines in your pockets all day when you were small, daddy?" and Batman's utility belt will be a mere fly button, but not till the battery problem is solved.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 08:09 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 740
|
|
I don't know if Bill Gates has an assistant and if this is the reason why he does not like Pocket PC; I know that I have one and I am not crazy about it. Why? Because Pocket PC can't replace my Filofax agenda and although I have a Tablet PC I consider it a replacement for my laptop not my agenda. Smartphones are OK but again they are not a replacement for my agenda. This device could be. What eventually will be ditched is the Pocket PC.
This link to MS press has a picture of waht these kind of devices could be:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/p...dDecadePR.mspx
Personally I like the concept; Now if they could bring me one of these devices sooner I will be able to skip "Universal" but I this is just a wish, I know it will take longer.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 08:12 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 652
|
|
I don't mind a converged device being a PDA & cell phone because it makes more sense. The phone book features in a PDA are far superior to that of a cell phone so it works well together when done right. But adding cameras, MP3 players etc. really starts to take away from the usability of the device because of the compromises manufacturers make. When they stop making comprises maybe then we will really start seeing some truely great devices. And as far as Ultra Mobile 2007 is concerned it will just make and already small and confusing market even more confusing.
__________________
Making use of mobile tech like no other.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 08:28 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 7
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by yanathin
I once had an iMate JAM, and I ended up selling it. It just tried too hard to be too many things...
|
too sad that convergence didn't work for you. i am having great fun writing this while listening to ipod quality music on my xda mini. cam is still good enough for a quick snap . there is nothing much to wonder why phones try to take lead in convergence because thats what i keep with me most of the time:-):-).
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 08:30 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
|
|
I think the reason Bill Gates doesn't promote Windows Mobile and Smartphones is because they just don't make that much money. At least not yet enough for BG to care. I think because we hang out in places like these, we tend to think that PDAs and Smartphones are everywhere. But they aren't.
I work at a major university in the IT department. We have very technical people, some of the best in the business. Yet, I am one of the few that have a PDA and one of the fewer that have a PDA phone (a Samsung I730). None of my family has a PDA. Nor do many of my friends. The truth is, the number of people using PDAs and Smartphones is very small. When industry people talk about the popularity of something like the Treo 650 as being "high", it's still only a very small percentage of cell phone users. I read somewhere that the last two Verizon PDA's - the VX6600 and I730, have sold 20,000-30,000 units. Sounds like a lot except when you figure that Verizon has about 45 millions cell phone users - a value of about 6 1/2 percent. Not a staggering number IMO.
So why do companies like HP churn out PDA's and Microsoft keep producing OS's for them? Because they do still make some profit (even if not a lot), probably due to high margins. Its just a guess, but I think its a reasonable estimate.
I also think they stay in the business because of what PDA's could become in the future. Seven percent isn't a lot now, but once true broadband services like EVDO come into wide use and Smartphones become easier to use and more stable (especially in the phone part), Smartphones will become a more popular choice and that percantage will grow.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 09:55 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 73
|
|
Too late,
I've already reserved the domain:
onepound-converged-mobile-device-THOUGHTS.com
|
| |
|
|
|
07-30-2005, 10:09 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 172
|
|
I'm with Jason on this. I tried the converged route with a Treo but turned it back into Cingular and got a Nokia 6230. I tried displacing my iPod with my x50v (which has the same audio chip, I am told, as the 3G iPods), sold my iPod, but bought another one (just bought it today, in fact).
A lot of folks seem to like convergence, but for me the converged devices are somewhat compromised.
So now I'm back to using the x50v for PIM and internet (this post included).
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
