My 2003 predictions

[Foo Fighter]

A little late, but here are my predictions:

Outlook

Overall, I expect PDA sales to remain flat throughout the year. We won’t see a significant improvement in the mobile device sector until Q2 2004. That’s one prediction I hope I’m wrong about. :(

In terms of trends, well this will be the year that we can say goodbye to grayscale displays. By summer, no PDA priced over $100 will have a B&W display. Grayscale is hereby relegated to the sub-100 category. It’s all color from here on out. Also, built-in wireless slowly moves from the high-end to the midrange price scale. We’ll see handhelds with BT for under $299 by Q3.

Enterprise...the final frontier: My prediction: the company (or companies) that win the enterprise will be the one that can deliver cheap, reliable, always on e-mail/messaging services that integrate well with preexisting servers (Exchange). Whomever gets that right the first time gets the gold ring.

PalmOS

OS6 will be released in the fall quarter, with new devices based on it appearing in time for the holiday shopping season. I predict OS6 will be surprisingly innovative and finally infuse some real excitement back into the PalmOS community.

OS5 adoption will be very weak until late spring/early summer when cheaper ARM based hardware appears on the market.

But don’t look for any “killer apps” to appear until OS6.

Palm

Tungsten T sales taper off in January prompting Palm to slash the MSRP to $449, or perhaps even $399. Zire is a surprising hit. Go figure.

Palm will release additions to the Zire and Tungsten lines in the spring. Look for a low-cost color Zire in for $149 or less. And we’ll see some interesting new Tungsten products as well...most notably a smartphone that could give the Treo a run for its money. And Palm will realize its mistake and switch to Transflective color LCDs for its devices, replacing the geriatric Reflective LCDs. Ok, that’s not really a prediction, just my wish. :)

Sony

Sony will release a boatload of cool new devices (gosh, there’s a shock). But the biggest bombshell: Sony unveils a handheld gaming device running PalmOS. Think Gameboy killer. We may also see some other nondedicated PDA devices from Sony as well, such as cell phones and MP3 players powered by PalmOS. iPod killer perhaps?

The current T-series will finally be replaced by a new line that features a 320x480 screen (virtual graffiti) starting at $249 or $299. Thank God!

I also expect Sony to beat Palm to market with the first “cheap” color device. A $99 or less unit.

Handspring

Hmm....how can I say this without ticking off the Treo zealots???? Handspring will DIE DIE DIE DIE!! HAHAHAHAHAHA. Just kidding. ;)

Actually, I expect the company to be bought outright by the end of the year. As sad as that may seem, it is the most likely scenario. They can’t survive as a standalone entity. Even company employees know that. One analyst said, internally, company executives give themselves less 60% chance of survival.

A tragic ending for this one time jewel of the PDA industry.

Pocket PC

There are two converging trends in 2003....smaller form factors....and...wireless. Devices will continue to get thinner, lighter, sleeker, and become more wired...err, I mean wireless. Wireless PPCs will get cheaper as well. I expect to see at least two or three $299 (perhaps less) BT or WiFi based handhelds in time for back to school.

Beyond that, don’t expect PPCs to get any cheaper. We may see some $199 handhelds (without rebates), but I can promise you won’t be seeing a $99 Axim any time soon.

Expect further and further commoditizaton in the PPC market, which is both a positive and negative. Hardware will become stringently standardized which means great things for software development....but it means bad news for those expecting hardware innovation. We’ll never see a Pocket PC competitor to the SONY NX series. :(

Growth? PPC will finally breach the 20% mark (in the US), but with the poor state of the economy, and increasing competition with PalmOS devices, I don’t expect to grow beyond 25% this year. In global sales, look for 36% share. But PPC does chip away some share of the PalmOS market.

Look for a new version of Pocket PC (based on CE4) by late spring. Many legacy devices are going to be left out in the cold.

Dell

Ok, this isn’t much of a prediction since Dell already leaked the info, but the company will offer a competitor to HP’s 1910 series (X3) and a wireless unit as well (X7). We should see these devices by spring. They might be announced as soon as next week (at CES), but I doubt it.

Axim’s success? My prediction: it doesn’t take off quite so well as many expected. Dell’s direct business model is ineffective on the consumer side. Unless Dell finds a way to get this device in front of consumer faces, it will only succeed in the enterprise.

While AXIM does carve out a respectable chunk of the market for Dell, much of that comes at the expense of other PPC players rather than PalmOS.

Toshiba

Toshiba continues to remain at the bottom of the deck. We could see a few new interesting devices, but I expect them to change their focus and move away from PDAs to Tablet PCs.

HP

HP will continue to battle it out in the enterprise with DELL. Look for some bold moves by both companies in coming moths. Each company will aggressively attempt to tie their mobile strategies into their services strategies. Fasten your seat belts this is going to be a bumpy ride. A word of advice to HP: .....Objects in mirror are closer than they appear! :)

Smartphones

This is it! The year of the smartphone/ communicator. As much as I love PDAs, I’m afraid the smartphone is destined to make the PDA a dinosaur. I’m sorry, but that’s progress for you.

Cell phones emerge to become the dark horse. PDAs will remain a nice market....a lucrative niche, but a niche nonetheless.

Mobile gaming

Look for more MAJOR labels to jump into the nascent mobile gaming arena. New standards will emerge for cross platform compatibility.

[KyleC]

Toshiba

Toshiba continues to remain at the bottom of the deck. We could see a few new interesting devices, but I expect them to change their focus and move away from PDAs to Tablet PCs.

I hope not! Toshiba has always been somewhat ahead of the curve:
Toshiba had the 1st sub-$400 Pocket PC (That wasn't on its way out)
Toshiba had the first Pocket PC to include Wi-Fi
Toshiba had the first .5" thick Pocket PC
...the list goes on...

Toshiba... :rock on dude!: Live Long & Prosper!
Everyone else... :robot: Resistance is Futile!

[dochall]

A little late, but here are my predictions:

Look for a new version of Pocket PC (based on CE4) by late spring. Many legacy devices are going to be left out in the cold.

You know I could have sworn I read summer when you posted this.

hmmm.

Reading the admittedly generally positive but mixed reviews of the 5400 I have decided to wait. Firstly to see what happens with the next release of the Ipaq (128mb please) and more importantly to avoiding being done over by Compaq again around the OS upgrade.

[Ed Hansberry]

... and more importantly to avoiding being done over by Compaq again around the OS upgrade.

Yeah, I hated getting "done over" by Compaq when I upgraded my iPAQ 3600 to Pocket PC 2002. I would have much rather been "done over" by HP and Casio. :roll:

[Foo Fighter]

You know I could have sworn I read summer when you posted this.

It did say summer. I made the correction because I meant to say spring. I don't think MS has ever launched a WinCE release in the summer.

[BTS]

I hope you're right about a new PPC OS in the spring. I've been holding off on buying a new one only because MS is due for a new OS (every 1.5 years, correct?).

I own a first generation PPC (2000) but I'm hoping that legacy devices aren't completely left out in the cold. Other than support for higher screen resolution I don't see why 2002 devices couldn't be flash upgraded. There must have been something to convince Dell to put in that 48MB ROM. 8O

[Foo Fighter]

Yeah, I hated getting "done over" by Compaq when I upgraded my iPAQ 3600 to Pocket PC 2002.

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by how well Compaq handled the upgrade, only charging a nominal fee. There was bug in the ROM setup that laid waste to many iPaqs, but they resolved the issue and supported broken devices. That was one reason why Compaq's line has remained so strong...they stood by their product. Unlike some companies....*ahem* Sony.

[Gamma Ray]

Foo, I am going to say that serious PPC video has been knocked out of the ring for another year by the miserable lower speed XScale processors and the lack of support for third party developers. It is ironic that the thing that made the first WinCE PDA hot on the E-100 has been pretty much forgotten by Microsoft (no XScale support), the OEMs (which are supporting XScale) and Intel which released a lower performance chip while hyping 400MHz. Worse yet, if HP should falter as some are now saying, this could be a very sad year for the PPC in general!

[Gremmie]

I think it is important to look at the beginning of a new era, handheld computers. Not just minimized OSes, but the OQO and the IBM Metapad will be important acheivements. Of course it wouldn't be perfected this year, but face it, 10 years from now the handheld will have full OSes.

[Rirath]

Axim’s success? My prediction: it doesn’t take off quite so well as many expected. Dell’s direct business model is ineffective on the consumer side. Unless Dell finds a way to get this device in front of consumer faces, it will only succeed in the enterprise.

While AXIM does carve out a respectable chunk of the market for Dell, much of that comes at the expense of other PPC players rather than PalmOS.

I'd sure love to know where you get these figures from. Have you been watching the Dell forum? The number of users who's first PPC is Dell? The number of new Dell owners from palms? With just about every major review source like C|Net pulling for it, once the X3 and X7 hit the market as well, I'm betting Axim is going to be one very common name. (more so) It seems to me you base this more on your dislike (or your perceived dislike by others) of Dell's direct business model than the Pocket PC or it's sales.

[dochall]

... and more importantly to avoiding being done over by Compaq again around the OS upgrade.

Yeah, I hated getting "done over" by Compaq when I upgraded my iPAQ 3600 to Pocket PC 2002. I would have much rather been "done over" by HP and Casio. :roll:

Compaq upgradability good.

Compaq attitude to the upgrade, at least in the UK, stank. I purchased a replacement 3660 for one I had stolen despite already having a 3870 on order. My plan was to take the free upgrade as soon as the 3870 arrived. As the 3870 shipped late I missed the upgrade as the UK stopped it dead. When eventually due to consumer pressure they reinstated the upgrade I spoke to the product manager about their promised free upgrade. Their attidtude was 'tough' you have to pay for it and it has nothing to do with us. This is despite the fact that I had by that time purchased 4 ipaqs (3630, 3660 x 2, and the 3870) made no difference.

I work in customer relationship management and they fundamentally damaged their relationship with me for £30.

TBH I think that that is a arrogant and ignorant comment Ed. You don't know my circumstances and are sneering over an incident you know nothing about.

[Fishie]

Sony releasing a Palm OS based gaming handheld.

NOT gonna happen.
A portable gaming machine built around an embedded OS is asking for disaster.
Regardles of that with E3 just 5 months away I havent heard a thing about it yet and generally thats a good indicator for me that it aint happening.

Dont get me wrong, Sony is and has in the past investigated Handheld gaming technology, theyre still not at a level tough where they would even be able to make a dent in Nintendo´s armour.

Technology wise the GBA is a dinosour and so far behind the curve its not even funny, the mindshare Nintendo´s handheld enjoys with the mass market however simply boggles the mind, they have a virtual monopoly and despite the fact that publishers hate Nintendo´s GBA tactics and would LOVE a viable alternative there is not a damn thing they can do about it for now.

That being said, Nintendo´s handling of the GBA has been a lil of lately and the machine is selling slower then Nintendo anticipated so in a few years, who knows.

[mookie123]

Plus since when Palm OS is known for graphical tool and API? It is not even real time quality embedded OS.

[Steven Cedrone]

... and more importantly to avoiding being done over by Compaq again around the OS upgrade.

Yeah, I hated getting "done over" by Compaq when I upgraded my iPAQ 3600 to Pocket PC 2002. I would have much rather been "done over" by HP and Casio. :roll:
TBH I think that that is a arrogant and ignorant comment Ed. You don't know my circumstances and are sneering over an incident you know nothing about.

Actually, it sounded as if you didn't like paying for the upgrade. Perhaps it would have been best for all concerned if you had explained what happened in the original post...

Steve

[ux4484]

Hey Foo,........No Sony buying Palm?

I have to agree with you on the flat market and depressed economy, people were flogging me back at daBuzz when I was predicting the tech sector was going to tank and stay tanked. Any real assessment of the PDA markets will obviously hinge on the economy........and when the Bushwhacker pulls out the middle and lower class tax guns next week in "The City" you know things will get worse before they get better.

I'll believe PPC2K3 when I see it. Methinks MS is not seeing the numbers it expected from XP tablet as of yet.......I feel they'd want to give it a bit more breathing room for a bit. PPC is thisclose to being a mini tablet I know I wouldn't want to queer the deal by putting a closer OS on a lesser device.
Other than X-scale optimization what will we really see in PPC2K3 other than some Happs (Hacks+apps.....or should it be acks? apps+hacks :D ) to the OS? Certainly not multitasking multiple windows of the same app, cause that would REALLY hurt laptop and tablet licenses.

Just my 2 shekels

[mookie123]

I'll put my prediction in the bucket.

Somebody have to solve the real problem of "wireless/smartphones" issues. PDA development and handpone development is out of sync. so designing a smartphones usually end up with weak PDA on top of an awfull phone.

The best solution is to seperate the PDA, and reduce the phone into a transceiver plug in. Almost like Handspring visorphones, but a little more than that. The phone plug in will have rudimentary capability to make/receive phone while un-attached. But Once it is inserted to a PDA it will become one coherent unit.

This way, the phone/transceiver can develop as fast as phone industry can develop, while PDA also go on it's own pace. The key is just common phone <-> PDA interface.

So. in 2003, the first phone and PDA siamese twin will show up.

[ZATZAi]

Beyond that, don’t expect PPCs to get any cheaper. We may see some $199 handhelds (without rebates), but I can promise you won’t be seeing a $99 Axim any time soon.


Don't be so certain on that one, nothing from Dell true, but...


Look for a new version of Pocket PC (based on CE4) by late spring. Many legacy devices are going to be left out in the cold.


Arm users should be fine, the Ipaq 3600 and that old Amiga may be in question, depends on the manufacturer. Microsoft won't do anything on that... (This could change)

Oh, and CE 4, as you call it will be nice, very nice...


This is it! The year of the smartphone/ communicator. As much as I love PDAs, I’m afraid the smartphone is destined to make the PDA a dinosaur. I’m sorry, but that’s progress for you.

Cell phones emerge to become the dark horse. PDAs will remain a nice market....a lucrative niche, but a niche nonetheless.


That is not the aim of Microsoft, but nice things will be happening...

That is all I can say, in fact I should say less...
shhhhh :wink:

EDIT: Spelling errors

[Timothy Rapson]

I'd sure love to know where you get these figures from. Have you been watching the Dell forum? The number of users who's first PPC is Dell? The number of new Dell owners from palms? With just about every major review source like C|Net pulling for it, once the X3 and X7 hit the market as well, I'm betting Axim is going to be one very common name. (more so) It seems to me you base this more on your dislike (or your perceived dislike by others) of Dell's direct business model than the Pocket PC or it's sales.

The Dell forum here may not be the best indicator of PPC or PDA sales. People here are comfortable buying online without seeing or holding the product first. But most people are buying their PDAs a local stores like Best Buy.

I happen to think Foo underestimates the success Dell will have. People will shop online to save the kind of money they can save with the Dell,

but not as many as will just stay at the Best Buy and pick up a nice color screen phone that promises all the PPC does and cost 0$ with contract. I think that is what is really coming. It is already happening with PDA sales steadily down for most of the last 6 quarters or so.

[Foo Fighter]

NOT gonna happen.

Just watch, Sony will make a move into the portable gaming market eventually...if not this year.

Gameboy Advance is selling poorly. And as you eluded to, it is behind the curve technologically (no backlight).

We'll see.

[Foo Fighter]

Don't be so certain on that one, nothing from Dell true, but...

It might be possible that we could see something from the MS/Samsung deal bear fruit, but I don't think anyone will jump on board. I don't believe that PPC vendors (with the exception of Dell perhaps) are willing to take the same losses in margins that PalmOS vendors have had to sacrifice. $199 is here to stay for a while, but by the end of this year Dell won't be alone at that price point.

But then again, NO one could have forseen $199 Pocket PCs in 2002? 8O

We'll see I guess.


depends on the manufacturer.

Yes, and I'll bet that many vendors will not offer upgrade support. Casio certainly won't. NEC won't, Toshiba won't on the Genio/Maestro series. HP won't with the Jornada. Just watch, there will be MANY unhappy users this spring (or whenever the OS rolls out).

What devices do I think will be upgradeable? The iPaq (not the 1910) 38xx/39xx/54xx series...Toshiba's e-series....Dell of course.

Oh, and CE 4, as you call it will be nice, very nice...

Yes, I know it's actually called CE.net. :wink:

That is all I can say, in fact I should say less...
shhhhh :wink:

Ah HA! Caught you violating your NDA! :P

[heov]

Toshiba

Toshiba continues to remain at the bottom of the deck. We could see a few new interesting devices, but I expect them to change their focus and move away from PDAs to Tablet PCs.

I hope not! Toshiba has always been somewhat ahead of the curve:
Toshiba had the 1st sub-$400 Pocket PC (That wasn't on its way out)
Toshiba had the first Pocket PC to include Wi-Fi
Toshiba had the first .5" thick Pocket PC
...the list goes on...

Toshiba... :rock on dude!: Live Long & Prosper!
Everyone else... :robot: Resistance is Futile!

they also had the first dual slot pocket pc
they also had the first xscale ppc
they also had the first ppc w/ a 4" screen

toshiba has done a lot, but they need to get control on the their quality...

[Foo Fighter]

The Dell forum here may not be the best indicator of PPC or PDA sales.

Right. Anecdotal evidence does not reflect hard market data. Forget about "My friend is a hardcore Palm user and he just switched to an Axim".

But most people are buying their PDAs at local stores like Best Buy.

Exactly. The vast majority of PDA sales take place at a brick and mortar store.

I happen to think Foo underestimates the success Dell will have.

In the enterprise, Dell could become a force to be reckoned with. But in the consumer space Axim will be an also-ran.

but not as many as will just stay at the Best Buy and pick up a nice color screen phone that promises all the PPC does and cost 0$ with contract. I think that is what is really coming. It is already happening with PDA sales steadily down for most of the last 6 quarters or so.

Yep. This is exactly what I think is happening.

[TBone]

You know, FooFighter, I hate to sound critical, but when I log onto PalmInfoCenter your predictions in response to Mike Cane include the collapse of the PocketPC market, whereas here you predict that they'll cut into Palm and break the 20% mark. What the hell is going on? Did something change in the last month that has radically revised your view of the marketplace, or are you just making this stuff up as you go along?

[mookie123]

It's called flexible prediction. :lol:

[TBone]

It's the Gross Prophet Margin, if you ask me.

[ZATZAi]

It might be possible that we could see something from the MS/Samsung deal bear fruit, but I don't think anyone will jump on board. I don't believe that PPC vendors (with the exception of Dell perhaps) are willing to take the same losses in margins that PalmOS vendors have had to sacrifice. $199 is here to stay for a while, but by the end of this year Dell won't be alone at that price point.


You know that Palm Zire thingy, the clock without backlighting, its gonna get a run for its money...


Ah HA! Caught you violating your NDA! :P


I'm not stupid, if I had signed an NDA i wouldn't even hint, obviously I have not signed an NDA. I just don't want to get my sources in trouble, and yes, they are very very reliable...

Oh, and that comment was utterly stupid.

[Foo Fighter]

You know, FooFighter, I hate to sound critical, but when I log onto PalmInfoCenter your predictions in response to Mike Cane include the collapse of the PocketPC market, whereas here you predict that they'll cut into Palm and break the 20% mark. What the hell is going on? Did something change in the last month that has radically revised your view of the marketplace, or are you just making this stuff up as you go along?

Heh! Well don't take anything I say on PIC too seriously. That site is, largely, a haven for Palm trolls. If you don't cheer loudly enough for PalmOS, people there will lob tomatoes at you. So you have to appear "pro-Palm" in order to be taken seriously. :roll:

That said, I made those comments mainly in response to those among the PPC camp that believed low-cost PPCs would carve out 80% marketshare for Microsoft in less than 12 months..which is ridiculous! And I was fairly accurate in my statements. Tungsten sales have been strong despite Dell's presence so far, and neither Palm nor Sony are running scared and lowering prices. Consumers are still buying Tungstens and NX60/70s despite cheaper offerings from Dell, HP, and Viewsonic.

[Foo Fighter]

You know that Palm Zire thingy, the clock without backlighting, its gonna get a run for its money...

I'm not sure the Zire market is where PPC should be heading. Pocket PC loses all its advantage when you sacrifice color for grayscale and shave off the specs.


I'm not stupid, if I had signed an NDA i wouldn't even hint, obviously I have not signed an NDA. I just don't want to get my sources in trouble, and yes, they are very very reliable...

Oh, and that comment was utterly stupid.

It was a joke. Lighten up. And are we supposed to take your word for all of this? :roll:

[chrisdavies]

What do people think of the introduction of TabletPcs onto the market? Although it is a slightly different proposition to PocketPCs, do you think that this is going to dilute technical/commercial resources across two platforms (especially in today's restricted economic envorinment)? Too few resources trying to push forward two similar but different device sets?

[KyleC]

You know, FooFighter, I hate to sound critical, but when I log onto PalmInfoCenter your predictions in response to Mike Cane include the collapse of the PocketPC market, whereas here you predict that they'll cut into Palm and break the 20% mark. What the hell is going on? Did something change in the last month that has radically revised your view of the marketplace, or are you just making this stuff up as you go along?

Heh! Well don't take anything I say on PIC too seriously. That site is, largely, a haven for Palm trolls. If you don't cheer loudly enough for PalmOS, people there will lob tomatoes at you. So you have to appear "pro-Palm" in order to be taken seriously. :roll:

Has it occured to you that this site is a haven for Pocket PC trolls? :silly:

Oh, and Foo, I thought that you had a new avatar that was a black & white photo of some old guy. What happened to him? "We can do it!" is getting kind of old... :wink:

[KyleC]

Toshiba

Toshiba continues to remain at the bottom of the deck. We could see a few new interesting devices, but I expect them to change their focus and move away from PDAs to Tablet PCs.

I hope not! Toshiba has always been somewhat ahead of the curve:
Toshiba had the 1st sub-$400 Pocket PC (That wasn't on its way out)
Toshiba had the first Pocket PC to include Wi-Fi
Toshiba had the first .5" thick Pocket PC
...the list goes on...

Toshiba... :rock on dude!: Live Long & Prosper!
Everyone else... :robot: Resistance is Futile!

they also had the first dual slot pocket pc
they also had the first xscale ppc
they also had the first ppc w/ a 4" screen

toshiba has done a lot, but they need to get control on the their quality...

Agreed. I had to shell out $130 to fix the broken screen on my e310 after it - while in a $20 Toshiba case - slipped off the belt clip and fell to the floor. :evil:

[Foo Fighter]

Has it occured to you that this site is a haven for Pocket PC trolls? :silly:

Oh my God! You're kidding me? Now where do I go? :wink:

Oh, and Foo, I thought that you had a new avatar that was a black & white photo of some old guy. What happened to him? "We can do it!" is getting kind of old... :wink:

Huh? That was Scrooge. I used him as my holiday avatar.

I'll get something new here pretty soon. I might even go back to my trademark Flash "f".

:painting:

[KyleC]

I'll get something new here pretty soon. I might even go back to my trademark Flash "f".

I liked that one. Now then; here is a question that has had me thinking: what is foo and how do you fight it? Or is "foo" an adjective to describe a fighter?

[Foo Fighter]

what is foo and how do you fight it? Or is "foo" an adjective to describe a fighter?

You don't know the meaning of the term "Foo Fighter"?

It was the nickname World War II fighter pilots used to label UFOs....which were very active during the war. Many UFO encounters took place right in middle of "dogfights".

[KyleC]

You don't know the meaning of the term "Foo Fighter"?

It was the nickname World War II fighter pilots used to label UFOs....which were very active during the war. Many UFO encounters took place right in middle of "dogfights".

:oops: I guess I didn't know. But then again, either you're in your 60's and remember WWII, or you're some sort of history buff. :wink:

[Kati Compton]

And I thought it was just that you preferred "Bar" over "Foo".

[Fishie]

NOT gonna happen.

Just watch, Sony will make a move into the portable gaming market eventually...if not this year.

Gameboy Advance is selling poorly. And as you eluded to, it is behind the curve technologically (no backlight).

We'll see.

Urm dude the GBA is selling twice the Gamecube and XBox combined.
It most definitly is NOT selling poorly, thing is, its a dissapointment if it manages to sell 1.2 million worldwide a month at a time when Nintendo expected it to sell 2million units.

[Foo Fighter]

either you're in your 60's and remember WWII, or you're some sort of history buff. :wink:

History buff...BIG TIME! I'm only 29, so I'm no hippie.

:wink:

[KyleC]

either you're in your 60's and remember WWII, or you're some sort of history buff. :wink:

History buff...BIG TIME! I'm only 29, so I'm no hippie.

:wink:

I might have known, somehow... :roll: what with the Women's rights movements poster as your avatar, a quote from George Patten in your signature, and a handle like Foo Fighter... it's all there, now that I think about it!

[Kati Compton]

I might have known, somehow... :roll: what with the Women's rights movements poster as your avatar, a quote from George Patten in your signature, and a handle like Foo Fighter... it's all there, now that I think about it!

Actually, that's not a women's rights poster per se... More like "women should help the war movement at home because all the men are overseas."

I think those jobs were only intended to be temporary, though.

[Foo Fighter]

Actually, that's not a women's rights poster per se... More like "women should help the war movement at home because all the men are overseas.".

Right. It was a war poster from WWII, not womens right propoganda. Why in the hell would I want that as my avatar?
8O

[mookie123]

Okay, this ought to change some prediction around.

The much hyped Palm phone Kyochera 7135 (with SD, plays mp3)
Start to hit the road with a $650 price tag. And they say XDA is going to be a flop at $500.

One smartphone down, a couple more to go. (boy downturn market sure is cruel to expensive gizmo)

http://forums.pdabuzz.net/showthread.php?threadid=44608

------
PS. will ya get over with the contextual meaning of the poster already. Postmodernism is over. (well debatable, but I say it is)

So to me it's just a picture of hot chick on top of yellow background named foo fighter.

[Janak Parekh]

You don't know the meaning of the term "Foo Fighter"?
Sorry to continue the travails of this offtopic thread, but are you also a fan of the pluralized-term band? ;)

Back on topic: I agree with most of your predictions, I think they're pretty reasonable. I still maintain the T|T is too expensive, even at $399.

BTW, something interesting to consider: the SonyEricsson P800 and related technologies are an interesting dark-horse. Early reports of release units say that it's hugely improved over the prototypes, and the unit itself is actually very, very small. And it's the first smartphone with Bluetooth (finally!) I might get one to Bluetooth-pair with my iPaq...

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

Has it occured to you that this site is a haven for Pocket PC trolls? :silly:
Honestly? I think we're far less trollish as a group than, say, Ryan & co. at PIC. Ask Foo, he hasn't gotten flamed too often here :onfire:

--janak

[ux4484]

History buff...BIG TIME! I'm only 29, so I'm no hippie. :wink:


WOW!, my guess would have been a decade or so more :D :wink:

[dochall]

Actually, it sounded as if you didn't like paying for the upgrade. Perhaps it would have been best for all concerned if you had explained what happened in the original post...

Steve

Perhaps it would have been better if the reply had been along the lines of 'I think the nominal price that compaq charged was fine unlike HP and Casio users who didn't have the choice.

I did I was done over not we.

[KyleC]

Actually, that's not a women's rights poster per se... More like "women should help the war movement at home because all the men are overseas.".

Right. It was a war poster from WWII, not womens right propoganda. Why in the hell would I want that as my avatar?
8O

I don’t know… do you feel feminine today? :lol:

[Jonathon Watkins]

Oh, and Foo, I thought that you had a new avatar that was a black & white photo of some old guy. What happened to him? "We can do it!" is getting kind of old... :wink:

Sooooooo - how often should we be changing our avatars KyleC? ABout time time you chaged yours no? :wink: I think I'll stick with mine for a while now - constantly changing gets old after a while.

I know Foo does get flamed here from time to time unfortunately. :? But I think it happens less here than most places. Good preditions BTW - we shall see..... :P

[Kati Compton]

I don’t know… do you feel feminine today? :lol:

Yes. Yes I do. :D

[Foo Fighter]

...but are you also a fan of the pluralized-term band? ;)

Yeah, that was the reason I chose the nickname. 8)

I still maintain the T|T is too expensive, even at $399.

The price will drop even further later in the year. But initially it will see a $50-100 price cut. Don't forget...the TT has one feature that makes it competitive: built-in BT. None of the low-cost PPCs have no built-in wireless.

BTW, something interesting to consider: the SonyEricsson P800 and related technologies are an interesting dark-horse. Early reports of release units say that it's hugely improved over the prototypes, and the unit itself is actually very, very small. And it's the first smartphone with Bluetooth (finally!) I might get one to Bluetooth-pair with my iPaq...

Yep, this is what will shake up the PDA market. Cell phones are getting more and more innovative, and will eventually get to a point where they are simply more practical than PDAs, even offering the same features.

[Janak Parekh]

Yeah, that was the reason I chose the nickname. 8)
Opinion of the new album? I have it, it's pretty good, but I still prefer "There is Nothing Left to Lose". Might just need a few more listens. "One by One" is a great headbangin' track. "Disenchanted Lullaby" is a fantastic track too, and currently my favorite on the album.

Don't forget...the TT has one feature that makes it competitive: built-in BT. None of the low-cost PPCs have no built-in wireless.
I'm not sure the main audience for the T|T cares about the BT that much. But yes, in general, I'd like to see Bluetooth integrated into every device, cheap or expensive. It would be nice to get rid of dependencies on IR, which is a outdated (if working) technology.

Cell phones are getting more and more innovative, and will eventually get to a point where they are simply more practical than PDAs, even offering the same features.
Well, perhaps, but that's still a long way off. The P800 is no ordinary cell phone. If you peruse the alt.cellular newsgroups as I do, you'll see LOTS of people ranting about the terrible organizers even on the newest Sprint phones. We're talking more than a year before the average cell phone has decent organization capability.

--janak

[Foo Fighter]

I know Foo does get flamed here from time to time unfortunately. :? But I think it happens less here than most places.

Yeah, I get flamed on occasion here, but in the Palm forums at BH and PIC I have been flamed mercilessly at times for talking too "preachy" about Pocket PC. People there seem to be paranoid at the mere mention of the "M" word. :roll:

[Kati Compton]

Yep, this is what will shake up the PDA market. Cell phones are getting more and more innovative, and will eventually get to a point where they are simply more practical than PDAs, even offering the same features.

I still think there's an issue here with respect to screen size. Most people seem to want small mobile phones, which requires small screens. But for PDAs, I'd say people want the biggest screen that still leaves the unit pocketable. I know there have been arguments that people will migrate to fancy PDA/phones + Tablet PC, but at this point, a Tablet PC is too big for my needs. I want something that fits in my purse, and I don't want to get a bigger "Mom" purse until I am, in fact, a Mom. Even then I may balk.

I'm not sure what could convince me to consolidate PPC+phone into a single unit. If anything, since I'm not a heavy cell phone user I would go the PPCPE route over a really fancy phone that tries to pack PPC capability into a 2" screen... Just my opinion, though. May not be the majority opinion, but I don't think I'm alone in this either.

[Kevin Daly]

Personally I don't see Smartphones taking over from PDAs, they're too small and have too many software limitations for that. But they *will* be big. One big worry here: The carry-on involved in getting software licensed for Smartphones is going to put a lot of developers off. This may well play into the hands of the competition, and may even lead to a revival of the hitherto as-useful-as-an-udder-on-a-bull Java applet (depending on whether the browsers available for the non-MS smartphones support Java)
I do expect to see more PPC 2002 Phone Edition devices (and PalmOS sort-of-equivalents). The convergence with the spread of web services is too obvious to miss.
Also, in perhaps the opposite direction from Smartphones, I wouldn't be surprised to see a rash of PPC devices that include integrated or detachable keyboards, for instance (especially fold-over types). To the extent that the OS allows, we may see a blurring of the distinction between PPC and HPC.
The big problem for the Tablet PC is cost, so I think that Smart Displays will make a strong showing among home users especially (OK it's just a dumb terminal, but at least you can sit down with it in your lap)...for a lot of purposes on your home turf a smallish smart display might be more useful than a wirelessly connected PPC.

Final prediction from me (and one I've touched on in previous posts):
The release of the Compact Framework into the wild is likely to affect Pocket PC software in ways which are hard to predict at this point. But I expect to see (and to perpetrate myself) some exciting applications in the second half of the year. On devices with internet connectivity, many of these applications will be integrated with web services (as mentioned earlier), and may help to build the market for the latter. This will be part of a trend which will mark the beginning of the end of the popular identification of the internet with the browser - as the Internet becomes ubiquitous, it will become increastingly invisible (yeah we all knew that was going to happen, but it's becoming increasingly apparent how).

[sesummers]

Beyond that, don’t expect PPCs to get any cheaper. We may see some $199 handhelds (without rebates), but I can promise you won’t be seeing a $99 Axim any time soon.


I have to disagree in this area. Check out this press release:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Nov02/11-11SamsungDesignPR.asp

It appears to me that we'll be seeing sub-$200 PPC's, and possibly $100 range monochrome machines (to blow Zires away) within the next 12 months. They'll be low-end, but even a low-end PPC has more functionality than just about any Palm based model.

[Kati Compton]

I don't know that I see a point to a monochrome PPC. It seems to me that most of the reasons people choose PPC over Palm are related at least in a small part to having a color display (games, picture/video, etc)...

[Ed Hansberry]

I don't know that I see a point to a monochrome PPC. It seems to me that most of the reasons people choose PPC over Palm are related at least in a small part to having a color display (games, picture/video, etc)...

Companies more interested in data than the cool stuff would enjoy a cheaper Pocket PC that wasn't color. And if the Zire is any indication, someone totally new to the PDA world might be really impressed by a $99 Pocket PC that was a full MP3 player, voice recorder and had a back light. :lol:

[Foo Fighter]

I don't know that I see a point to a monochrome PPC. It seems to me that most of the reasons people choose PPC over Palm are related at least in a small part to having a color display (games, picture/video, etc)...

Agreed. Without a color display+bell and whistles there really is little point to owning a PPC. I doubt MS will even find partners for this initiative outside of Samsung, but we'll see.

[Foo Fighter]

And if the Zire is any indication, someone totally new to the PDA world might be really impressed by a $99 Pocket PC that was a full MP3 player, voice recorder and had a back light. :lol:

The problem is, when you strip down the hardware PPC performance tends to suffer. It needs all the horsepower it get, and then some. My 300mhz Axim performs great....but how would a 200mhz (or less) monochrome unit with 16 MB or RAM work? :?

[Foo Fighter]

...a back light. :lol:

Oops, didn't see that. In that case I take back everything I said. This could be big! :lol:

[Ed Hansberry]

The problem is, when you strip down the hardware PPC performance tends to suffer. It needs all the horsepower it get, and then some. My 300mhz Axim performs great....but how would a 200mhz (or less) monochrome unit with 16 MB or RAM work? :?

The old 3100's performed every bit as good as the 3600's. I doubt it would have 16MB though. RAM is cheap and the default min. is now 32MB. I think hte PPC 2002 spec mandates 32MB at a minimum.

[Will T Smith]

Regarding Dell:

It is true that Dell has limited access to the casual shopper who may stumble on a "cool gadget" and become so enamoured that they whip out their credit card. Such a capability is especially relevant in the handheld space as it's not such a "big purchase" that many consumers would not go rummaging around to online vendors for the best bargains.

Despite this, I believe that Dell's Axim will be wildly successful. Why??? Because Dell has little interest in selling such a cheap device to "little fish". Rather, this device is targeted at medium to large organizations who are concerned with standardization, manageability, reliability and quality (ie NOT iPaq).

They want to sell fleets of them, not individual devices. And, ... they will since organizations will see PocketPC as a cheap alternative to laptops for their mobile workers with few data processing requirements. Look for Combo Cell-phone/PDA devices from Dell VERY soon.


Regarding Sony:

I have no doubt that Sony is eyeing the handheld gaming market with interest. Sony has already shown it's ability push aside market leaders in their Playstation and Vaio lines. However, I think the chances of Sony releasing a PalmOS based handheld gamer are the same as my winning a Pulitzer for this marginal article.

Why??? Handheld gaming systems have gained their support based on their console offerings. Put quite simply, handheld gamers have ALWAYS been minitiarized version of their previous generation console. The motivation for this is simple. First, it requires very little extra design work. Second, the games are pretty much already written.

Starting a new game platform based on PalmOS would be a non-starter since the existing support are various titles based on a 160x160 screen and a 33Mhz Dragonball processor.

Rather, Sony sony has another product that is widely successful and has LOTS of games already. Namely, Playstation. Their is the issue of CD-ROM support for such a small unit. However, this is nothing that other vendors have not faced. I challenge you to try to plug a Nintendo console cartridge into a Gameboy.

Sony has an able and sturdy technology available for a high-capacity mini-PS. It's called mini-disc. My guess is such a device would also play MP3 and WMA files. Add a low-res camera with a memory stick and you have a juvenile PDA ready for the masses.


Regarding commoditization of PocketPC:

Well, I have point out that PocketPCs have ALWAYS been a commodity product. The requirements for a PocketPC device are fairly well defined by Microsoft. The hardware for each version of CE/PocketPC has always been remarkably similar (save the breakout introduction of iPaq (of course now their all like iPaq ) ).

In the world of countless beige-box PC vendors, leading vendors still are able to innovate and introduce new and innovative featuers. In the emerging world of beige-box PocketPCs (lead by dell), I see no reason why marqee vendors cannot continue to add new features on top of Microsoft's core requirements.


Regarding HP:

HP will be hammered in the enterprise handheld space by Dell. The iPaq has a very poor maintenance and reliability record. It is a device that an IT guy would choose for himself (because of the cool factor), but never want to service on behalf of their employer.

Hopefully HP will see the error in it's ways and release a business oriented PocketPC like ... well like Jornada, specifically something very similar to the 570.

[Janak Parekh]

Will, very well-put and I agree with you on most of the points you make. Couple points:

1. HP is clearly trying to target next-gen enterprise solutions with the 5450. If they can improve the small problems that are with the device and cut the price it could be a real winner for special applications.


2. I don't see Sony adopting WinCE, however, and I'd be real surprised if Sony decides to invest in building a new handheld OS... finally, I don't think the PS2 platform/infrastructure is easily portable to the handheld market. It's possible they could heavily hack OS5 into what they want, as Foo thinks. However, I'm not sure if this'll help the market or not -- they'll want to introduce proprietary capabilities.

--janak

[Fishie]

Again, portable videogamedevices are not build around an embeded OS(and neither was the Dreamcast while were at it, Windows CE was on the discs of the few games that used it) and the games are usually programed straight to the metal.

[Will T Smith]

Will, very well-put and I agree with you on most of the points you make. Couple points:

1. HP is clearly trying to target next-gen enterprise solutions with the 5450. If they can improve the small problems that are with the device and cut the price it could be a real winner for special applications.


2. I don't see Sony adopting WinCE, however, and I'd be real surprised if Sony decides to invest in building a new handheld OS... finally, I don't think the PS2 platform/infrastructure is easily portable to the handheld market. It's possible they could heavily hack OS5 into what they want, as Foo thinks. However, I'm not sure if this'll help the market or not -- they'll want to introduce proprietary capabilities.

--janak

I think the 54xx is a fairly cool device. Especially the fingerprint scanner and the convergence device functionality. However, I'd like to point out the biggest difference between the Dell Axim and the iPaq 5450 ... About $400-$600 dollars. This alone will promote Dell to the leader in enterprise PocketPC.

Someone we often overlook is a leading provider for vertical applications ... Symbol. Their line of ruggedized PocketPCs with integrated bar-code scanners and Wi-Fi make them ideal for the blue-collar side of enterprise.

As evidence, the guy at Wal-Mart who entered my tire order used a wireless Symbol device running WinCE. If one Wal-Mart tire center uses them, that means they ALL use them. If the number one discount retailer (where high volume is king) uses Symbol, there must be something to it.

Back to a handheld playstation. I wasn't proposing a handheld PS2, rather a handheld PSone. As I pointed out, handheld gamers are ALWAYS minitiarized versions of a companies previous generation consoles. Since they've already produced a version slightly larger then a CD-player, I doubt that futher minitiarization would present serious issues. The mechanisms for mini-disc readers are extremely small (have you seen their latest players) and would easily integrate into such a unit.

When PS3 is released in a couple of years, that would be the time for a handheld PS2 (using some mini-DVD technology :-).

[Ed Hansberry]

I think the 54xx is a fairly cool device. Especially the fingerprint scanner and the convergence device functionality. However, I'd like to point out the biggest difference between the Dell Axim and the iPaq 5450 ... About $400-$600 dollars. This alone will promote Dell to the leader in enterprise PocketPC.
Hardware isn't the only cost.

First, lets assume you have a $300 Dell vs the $700 5450. Now you need a $100 WiFi card for the Dell. Now it is $400 vs $700. Now you have to install and configure the card. A few is no biggie. Lets say you need 500 of them though. Plus a battery of replacement WiFi cards as they are bound to get lost.

I would say the TCO would be much closer to equal. For small cost concience companies, yeah, they might opt for the cheaper device, but larger companies will see the value of the integration.

Now, if the Dell X7 has integrated WiFi for $400 or so.... :)

[ux4484]

Lets say you need 500 of them though. Plus a battery of replacement WiFi cards as they are bound to get lost.


But at least Dell COULD roll out that many to a customer, don't know if any other PPC contenders besides HP could on a daily basis. Which means that tech purchasers will be at least now be Looking at Dell for a handheld rollout (and if Dell is already their desktop provider, it's a shoe in). With the economy teetering, I see that $200 (with extra/seperate wifi cards) savings per unit being the difference for all but the largest companies and/or HiPaq loyalists.

[Jeff Kirvin]

[quote]But most people are buying their PDAs at local stores like Best Buy.

Exactly. The vast majority of PDA sales take place at a brick and mortar store.

I happen to think Foo underestimates the success Dell will have.

In the enterprise, Dell could become a force to be reckoned with. But in the consumer space Axim will be an also-ran.

I'm not so sure. I've seen more than a few people bring Axims into my CompUSA (looking for SD memory cards), and none of them are what I would call "power users". The Axim seems to be picking up steam with the non-geeky, AOL-using crowd.

And I think that's the key. AOL is good enough to get to Dell's website, and word is getting out that the Axim gives more bang for the buck than any handheld, regardless of platform. While I agree that Dell's direct sales model isn't terribly effective selling PCs to consumers, I think we'll see a different story with handhelds. The Dell sings to budget-conscious consumers in a down economy.

[Janak Parekh]

Someone we often overlook is a leading provider for vertical applications ... Symbol. Their line of ruggedized PocketPCs with integrated bar-code scanners and Wi-Fi make them ideal for the blue-collar side of enterprise.
Ah, that's a good point as well - ruggedization. HP tried to tap the market slightly with a ruggedized cover, but I don't think it ever took off.

Ed, re the 5450, it really depends on the application. If you're doing warehousing, neither of these units are rugged enough in the first place. For those not doing Wi-Fi, i.e., low white collar workers, the Dell might be a great choice. I think HP is targeting the high end white-collar/IT types with the 5450, at least right now, until they drop the price.

Hey, variety is good, eh? 8)

--janak

[WindWalker]

I don't know that I see a point to a monochrome PPC. It seems to me that most of the reasons people choose PPC over Palm are related at least in a small part to having a color display (games, picture/video, etc)...

Companies more interested in data than the cool stuff would enjoy a cheaper Pocket PC that wasn't color. And if the Zire is any indication, someone totally new to the PDA world might be really impressed by a $99 Pocket PC that was a full MP3 player, voice recorder and had a back light. :lol:

All well and good, but one thing we need to remember is that people who aren't like you and I and everyone else on this board buy what they need, and that's it. I am a PPC user, but in the last month, I found it impossible to recommend even a $199 after rebate Axim to a user who wants to have their address book and datebook, and that's it. I mentioned the lack of a backlight, and her response was "I didn't use a backlight before." She bought a Zire and is thrilled.

Now I know this is an extreme example, but the bottom line is a vast number of people see the capabilities of a PocketPC as unnecessary. I hazard a guess that people will get only what they think they will use. most people will not see the video/multimedia capabilities of PPC (and of high-end Palms/Clies for that matter) as something they cannot live without.

[Foo Fighter]

...but in the last month, I found it impossible to recommend even a $199 after rebate Axim to a user who wants to have their address book and datebook, and that's it. I mentioned the lack of a backlight, and her response was "I didn't use a backlight before." She bought a Zire and is thrilled.

Hate to sound like a defeatist, but I think this is a growing trend. In fact, I'm finding it harder and harder to convince people to buy any PDA. Most simply don't see them as a necessity. I sincerely hope this is merely a side effect of the slumping economy, but I think there are other issues involved.

...but the bottom line is a vast number of people see the capabilities of a PocketPC as unnecessary. I hazard a guess that people will get only what they think they will use. most people will not see the video/multimedia capabilities of PPC (and of high-end Palms/Clies for that matter) as something they cannot live without.

Yep. In the past 4 weeks I have converted two Palm users over to the PPC side (now proud Axim owners). But they are what I would label power users or "prosumers" like myself. On the other hand, I have to fight like hell to newbies to jump on the PDA bandwagon. The excuse I get is....."My cell phone does all that"...or..."I don't need all those fancy features". And I was recommending the Sony SJ20: Monochrome screen, basic PIM functions...that's it. Fancy features? 8O

[Kati Compton]

I think it's important to remember that some people actually don't need/want those things. That it wouldn't enrich their lives to have a PDA, let alone a PPC... I don't think this is a bad "trend", just an indication that not everyone likes gadgets as much as we do.

[Foo Fighter]

...just an indication that not everyone likes gadgets as much as we do.

Exactly right. I know the priorities in spending among this community are far different than the rest of our society.

For example, if I offered to give away $300 to anyone here, what would they buy?

Answer...probably a PDA or some some PDA related accessory like SD cards, WiFi hardware, leather case. Something tech.

But if I offered the average teenager that same amount of cash, a PDA would be at the bottom of the list. The first thing they would buy is some stylish clothes...then maybe a console game, or gaming device like a Gameboy Advance. Cell phone [i]maybe[/b]. That's about it.

[Janak Parekh]

But if I offered the average teenager that same amount of cash, a PDA would be at the bottom of the list. The first thing they would buy is some stylish clothes...then maybe a console game, or gaming device like a Gameboy Advance. Cell phone [i]maybe[/b]. That's about it.
You know it. I commute through midtown every day. The really well-dressed people walking around Herald Square has more money invested in the outfit that they have on than I have in all my gadgets combined. 8O

However, talking generally doesn't help us identify the size of the PDA market. For all these people who don't use PDA's, I see a ton of people on the subway now, of all shapes, sizes, and colors, whipping out their Palm's or even iPaq's and either playing games or taking notes. About 2-3 years ago, it was very rare to see this happen. Now, it's very, very commonplace. At least from the NYC standpoint, PDA's are far more common and visible now. I submit to you that, at least in the NY metropolitan area, PDA's have been very successful.

--janak

[Jonathon Watkins]

For example, if I offered to give away $300 to anyone here, what would they buy?

Thanks Foo - very kind of you! :D I'll have a 400Mhz Dell Axim Please. Just send it to the usual address. Cheers. :wink:

[Will T Smith]

Someone we often overlook is a leading provider for vertical applications ... Symbol. Their line of ruggedized PocketPCs with integrated bar-code scanners and Wi-Fi make them ideal for the blue-collar side of enterprise.
Ah, that's a good point as well - ruggedization. HP tried to tap the market slightly with a ruggedized cover, but I don't think it ever took off.

Ed, re the 5450, it really depends on the application. If you're doing warehousing, neither of these units are rugged enough in the first place. For those not doing Wi-Fi, i.e., low white collar workers, the Dell might be a great choice. I think HP is targeting the high end white-collar/IT types with the 5450, at least right now, until they drop the price.

Hey, variety is good, eh? 8)

--janak

A screen cover does not make a ruggedized device. The casing and ability to withstand shocks from drops, throws or being sat upon, that makes it rugged.

iPaq already has one strike against it because it's casing is designed so that expansion packs slide on smoothly. This is great for expansion packs but as MANY have noted it makes the surface of the iPaq analogous to teflon. It slips through your hand.

For a good comparative reference between iPaq and Axim, browse over to PocketPC Passion http://www.pocketpcpassion.com. Dale Coffig(an iPaq user(among others)) really focuses on this area. Specifically, he likens the casing of the Dell to that of a dog toy, tough and rubbery. Just the kind of thing needed to keep it in your hand AND keep it intact should it fall. Too bad they didn't take the natural step further and give it a lid :-)


Regarding TCO:
In some cases where a an uber device is required, the 5450 with integrated everything does make more sense than the Dell Axim. However, I really believe that most people overestimate the relevance of Wi-Fi in a business environment. It's a topic that gives IT managers a serious headache.

For a disconnected "out of office" workforce. Wi-Fi makes no sense at all. For office wanderers, the PDA represents a sattelite to the desktop unit where core PDA functionality is valued most highly. In these scenarios bluetooth makes more sense due to it's ability to connect with cell phones which "remote-enable" data access when a worker is off-site (sales meeting, power lunch, etc...) Obviously bluetooths power requirements are advantageous when compard to the Wi-Fi power-hog.

Wi-Fi makes more sense amongst the "blue-collar" workforce. In that mode PDAs are used to query and update data sources as well as to interact with workflow servers which automates the "work-order" process. These workers typically need the ability to roam over a larger area (like a warehouse, store or construction site) and constantly remain connected.

In either case, the addition of a $50-$100 CF card hardly makes up for the $400-$600 price difference between Dell Axim and iPaq 54xx. Regarding spare inventory, if an iPaq breaks(not a very unlikely scenario considering "teflon" casing" and poor track record) one must replace the device. A broken network card only requires a new card which can be obtained (without inventory) from a local supplier.

iPaq is truly a really cool device. However, it is a bit unpractical. It's like a bit like a Corvette, where an Axim or Jornada would be likened to a Honda Sedan.

BTW, I really love the new iPaq 1910 device. The only thing that truly dissapoints me is the lack of a lid and adherence to iPaq's "teflon" casing.

[Timothy Rapson]

Sony has an able and sturdy technology available for a high-capacity mini-PS. It's called mini-disc. My guess is such a device would also play MP3 and WMA files. Add a low-res camera with a memory stick and you have a juvenile PDA ready for the masses.
.



What a brilliant idea. I was looking at MiniDisc over Christmas and find that they store something like 4 times as much as a mini-CD, cost far less, and play for a LONG time on simple batteries.

A device such as that you describe might unseat Gamboy Advance just as the original PlayStation tromped the SNES.

[ux4484]

well foo....

looks like you hit above 80% again


good job :D

[Jonathon Watkins]

.....and for next year??? 8)