Sales Slowdown

[Andy Sjostrom]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5052989.html?tag=fd_top' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-505...html?tag=fd_top</a><br /><br /></div>IDC recently reported about the continued slowdown of PDA sales. Worlwide handheld shipments were down 10.7 percent for the last quarter. The interesting part of the article is the analysis of why sales are not taking off: "Analysts have attributed the steady decline to a lack of innovation, which is limiting the reach of the devices and restricting growth beyond the enthusiast crowd that handhelds currently cater to."<br /><br />I agree to some extent. Price reductions have had a higher priority the last year. These reductions are nescessary, but now I am looking forward to see the pace of innovation to pick up.

[igreen]

Its less a problem with PDAs and more a problem of enabling technologies and infrastructure. Case in point....cell phones. How long did it take Telecom providers to roll out GSM/GPRS in the US? Look at the horrendous rates they charge. Look at the limited coverage the network still has. PDAs are running into a brick wall which was built and is maintained by other industries. I'd love to have a PDA that was always on that could connect to the net wherever I was in the world, but until the supporting industries/infrastructures are in place PDAs will languish....like cell phones, as people see no discernable difference between the "new" PDAs (or phone) and the one they have owned for the last two years.

[TawnerX]

The PPC total tally is almost reaching 50% of market share. Wow...
this is not suppose to happen until late next year according to a lot of projection. I got the feeling PPC can pierce the 50% mark confidently if the sub $199 models like X3 sold well next christmas.


"The hardware division of Palm shipped 903,096 units in the second quarter, giving it a 39.9 percent market share. Hewlett-Packard took solid control of the No. 2 spot from Sony Electronics, with 16.8 percent of the market. Sony had 11.3 percent, and Dell took the No. 4 spot, with 6.7 percent. Toshiba came in at No. 5, with 3.3 percent of the market. "
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5052989.html?tag=fd_top

[Thinkingmandavid]

PRCING IS TOO HIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lagunita]

To all the prior posts, hear, hear.

Things I'd like to see in future PDAs and the ilk:

- FM radio and recording

- TV reception and recording (at least TV reception)
Both radio and TV could be programmable like a VCR to make
unattended recording.

- built-in AV input and output

The Archos devices are the next "killer app" (Apple is probably
hard at work making an ePod , e for entertainment), yet another
"insanely great" product from Steve Jobs).

- much longer battery life, should last at least a week, and
all batteries should be removeable. Do I have to wait for a fuel
cell, which may not get DoT approval to get on a plane?
Batteries also need to be interchangeable across manufacturers.
I'm also sick and tired of having to buy a new battery every time I
get a new device.

- modularity. Like the HP Compaq Tablet PC, the PDA can be a
clamshell device with the keyboard removeable.

Any thoughts?

[KayMan2k]

- TV reception and recording (at least TV reception)
Both radio and TV could be programmable like a VCR to make
unattended recording.

You'll need a coprocessor to record live video. PPCs have just recently been able to play back really well - encoding takes a lot more power.... but maybe something like this for the new JVC?

[TawnerX]

take a look at samsung m400. it has TV receiver and can record too.