People Want Simple PDAs?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/34738.html' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/34738.html</a><br /><br /></div>"Handheld vendors are repeatedly making mistakes by targeting the upper-end of the market, according to Jupiter Research. The market for handheld PDAs is likely to remain flat so long as vendors mistakenly believe that consumers want convergent devices, Michael Gartenberg, research director at the analyst firm, argues."<br /><br />I'm not sure I agree with this. First off, the margins on low-end PDAs are often so low as to make them non-profitable. Second, "convergence" is, in many cases, more just generalization of what a PDA is. This becomes more and more possible as ICs get smaller, faster, and integrate more functions. For example, I can't imagine a PDA without multimedia capabilities today. I might not use it for playing music, but what about games, reminders or voice-driven applications?

[rlobrecht]

A normal person isn't going to carry a PDA, no matter how simple. I think you will start to see normal people using the contacts, tasks, and appointments features in smarter phones (as long as there is an easy way to get the data in, such as syncing with Outlook.)

And by normal, I mean Joe average non-technical user. Not a gadget loving geek.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I disagree. I know at best buy people come in everyday wanting info ona pda.
They tell the basic needs, contacts, appoinments, notes,etc.
When they are told the other stuff it will do in adidition to what they are wanting, they like that.
A Tungsten e or a 19xx series sells best for these customers. It is affordable and it gives them the opportunity to grow into their pda. I always tell people who are going to buy a pda, do not think just on what your needs are today, but think about what your needs will be in six months.
The two Palm and HP I mentioned are good for people to grow into and they are not difficult to use, and both are great matches to the capabilities of using Outlook.
It is about knowing how to explain the value of a pda to people, when they see how you use yours it helps to enlighten them.

[kaiden.1]

I agree. People want things to be simple. That does not automatically mean "Cheap" PDA's. I think people want things to work and the "simple" thing that they are referring to here is they want the device to be easy to use. Simple software to operate that works good without troubles.

In all of my PDA experience, there are a lot of programs out there that seem to need an expert to tweek them so that they work better. The more complicated things get the more frustrated people get, and then they walk away with a bad taste in their mouth.

I am all for SIMPLE, SIMPLE, SIMPLE!!!! It can still be simple and yet do many wonderful things too! 8)

[Jeff Rutledge]

"The best of everything cannot yet be fitted into one device. Consumers are willing to carry up to three devices and vendors are repeatedly missing market opportunities by thinking that consumers want high end to devices. People are not looking for media players in their handhelds. They are interested in the lower end of the market," he said.

I don't agree with this at all. First, consumers may be willing to carry up to three devices, but I'm sure any of them would pay to have one device that did it all.

Second, if consumers aren't interested in media players, etc. and want a low-end device, then those little Sharp organizers would still be top sellers. 8)

[fixerdude]

Yes! Yes! I find my iPAQ 2200 to be very cumbersome sometimes. I would like to use something simple to quickly record an appointment or note and trigger the alarm RELIABLY. Just like my old Palm IIIxe. 8O

[DubWireless]

Handheld vendors are repeatedly making mistakes by targeting the upper-end of the market

palm zire did pretty well didn't it?

the margins on low-end PDAs are often so low as to make them non-profitable

volume of sales?

[GoldKey]

Second, if consumers aren't interested in media players, etc. and want a low-end device, then those little Sharp organizers would still be top sellers. 8)

Funny thing, I was in a meeting yesterday and saw the head of a procurement department pull out a sharp organizer. It was the clamshell design with the sep numeric keypad to the right of the screen. I thought this was pretty funny as I had the same type of device 15 years ago. But I was jelous of the clamshell design and the built in keyboard. :D

[gorkon280]

I think the ONE thing holsing more people back from buyign a PDA is the fact that PDA's can't run software that their desktop/laptop runs. Sure, the calendarign thing is part of the PDA and always will be, but when they see the prices of 1 GB CF cards, they get disappointed. Sure their new PDA can do all of this stuff, but where are they going to store it? By the time they spedn money on storage, they already would have paid for a small laptop. One thing will swing this.....ultra cheap, ultra low powered hard drives. IBM had a winner, but 1 GB is even getting a bit small. Now Cornice has a 2 GB deviice with larger devices in the pipe. If corncie does it right, they could beat out CF in the price per MB battle. Once this happens, watch out! PDA's will boom again because you will get home users and corporations wanting to use these small devices where you just can fit a laptop. PDA based naivigation with the complete map on a 2 GB microdrive, all of those things PLUS all of the typical PDA things make it a winner. With prices all heading the right direction on this stuff, I would not be surprised to see the following for a "low" end device:

400 MHz (or faster) Xscale
256 MB Ram
64 MB FlashROM
4 inch screen weith 480x640 resolution (or higher with OLED)
Integrated WiFi G and possibly BT


All of the above for a tidy price of 200 bucks. It IS possible. The next step above could add a Microdrive of sorts and only add 100 bucks. That person wanting the simple PDA may figure they may as well go for the one with the hard drive since it's only 100 more.

[Jeff Rutledge]

Second, if consumers aren't interested in media players, etc. and want a low-end device, then those little Sharp organizers would still be top sellers. 8)

Funny thing, I was in a meeting yesterday and saw the head of a procurement department pull out a sharp organizer. It was the clamshell design with the sep numeric keypad to the right of the screen. I thought this was pretty funny as I had the same type of device 15 years ago. But I was jelous of the clamshell design and the built in keyboard. :D

That is funny. And a little sad I guess (that we're jealous of 15-year old features). I guess the same thing can be said of the fond memories many have for the Newton eh?

[WyattEarp]

I think the article is partly right. It's does seem from my experience that the average person wants a PDA to be simple to operate. But what I have heard more of is that people can't afford the PDA they want and others are unwilling to spend even $200.00 on a PDA. It is even harder to justify the cost if it lost or stolen when it is over 100 times cheaper to buy a paper organizer.

[Gerard]

fixerdude wrote:

I would like to use something simple to quickly record an appointment or note and trigger the alarm RELIABLY.

As-is, it is true that alarms are not reliable for most (or all, as I'm sure some just don't notice or pretend not to) PPC users. However, adding any of several add-on softwares (I use SuperAlert, and it's been very satisfactory, well worth the price) makes reminders reliable. And for quickly making a note, in one's handwriting (or scrawl, as mine) is easy with a new freeware called apMemo by Alex Pakhotin, from http://www.apsofts.com/pocketpc

I just got this little beauty a couple of days ago, but I love it! Just tap it, write out a note or do a drawing (simple line-width and colour options are available), set a time (the chart available with a tap on the clock icon makes this extremely simple and fast), and an appointment has been made. The PPC reminder pop-up will happen, and when dismissed the note will be on the screen. So far it's been very solid for me on an iPAQ 3835. I wish this had been available all along. Something like this should have been built into the OS instead of that Notes abomination. There's even a PC component available if you want to share the notes with your PC for some reason.

Now I know this is not so simple as such reliability and simplicity being native to the PPC, but things aren't really so bad with these softwares available.

[whydidnt]

I think this article is dead wrong when it says people don't want converged devices. Where they are right is that people want things simple, and if it's not simple, then it won't be accepted by the masses.

Think about a clock radio - a converged device that is easy to use, and obviously everyone has one. I think the reason is that even though it provides both a clock and a radio, each function essentially works the same as a stand alone model. That's what we need to get to with converged devices. End the compromises and they will be accepted.

Why can't a Pocket PC come in a clamshell device similar to a Smartphone with a built in 4 MB hard drive like the new mini iPods? Make the phone work like a phone, the Music player work like an iPod and the Pocket PC handle the organizer/game functions. Provide hard buttons to launch each separte function so we don't get confused about what to do next.

whydidnt

[fixerdude]

fixerdude wrote:
[quote]
As-is, it is true that alarms are not reliable for most (or all, as I'm sure
...
I just got this little beauty a couple of days ago, but I love it! Just tap it, write out a note or do a drawing (simple line-width and colour options are available), set a time (the chart available with a tap on the clock icon makes this extremely simple and fast), and an appointment has been made. ...


Thanks for the url. Great apps but they won't run on xscale. I'm using the latest Pocket Informant now. I think my best bet is to swap the iPAQ with my wife's Clie. :lol:

[normaldude]

Palm Zire is $40 at Amazon.com (after $20 rebate). Anyone who wants a "cheap, simple PDA" can surely afford that.

[DrtyBlvd]

Palm Zire is $40 at Amazon.com (after $20 rebate). Anyone who wants a "cheap, simple PDA" can surely afford that.

Sure they can...but but but it's a Palm... etc etc etc

What's the Windows equivalent? I actually can't think of one. Doh?

(Apart from second hand devices and so on anyways! :lol: )

[Macguy59]

What qualifies as a PDA today? Anymore I have come to think of a PDA as something like the entry model Zire. Straight forward no frills contact & calendar features with light note taking. Just about eveything else I consider "Pocket" computers. As such why shouldn't the same criteria for upgrading to one be the same as upgrading your home computer? We really need to distance ourself from the PDA label IMO.

[racerx]

What I think a lot of people are missing is that the majority of the population is still pretty tech-unsophisticated. How many people do you know that use Outlook only for email - even in a corporate environment. Or that own a cell phone where they have less than 10 numbers programmed into. Many people (I would hazzard to say the majority) still use a paper calendar. Until you get them to use a PC to keep their schedule on, you'll never get them to use a PDA, no matter how simple it is.

[jimski]

Think about a clock radio - a converged device that is easy to use, and obviously everyone has one. I think the reason is that even though it provides both a clock and a radio, each function essentially works the same as a stand alone model. That's what we need to get to with converged devices. End the compromises and they will be accepted.

Why can't a Pocket PC come in a clamshell device similar to a Smartphone with a built in 4 MB hard drive like the new mini iPods? Make the phone work like a phone, the Music player work like an iPod and the Pocket PC handle the organizer/game functions. Provide hard buttons to launch each separte function so we don't get confused about what to do next.

whydidnt

Well, I don't own a clock radio. I have a simple, cheap alarm clock that beeps to wake me up in the morning (serves it's purpose) and a few radios that sound a bit better than a clock radio (again, serving itheir purpose). Convergence always equals compromise but I guess as long as both options remain available I can live with that. Guess that's why I have always been one of those; amp, pre-amp, tuner kind of guys. You just can't squeeze all that stuff in a single box without compromising something.

By the way, have you ever picked up an iPod. Build a converged device along the lines you suggest and it would take a shoulder holster to carry it around.

Not interested in compromise.

[whydidnt]

Well, I don't own a clock radio. I have a simple, cheap alarm clock that beeps to wake me up in the morning (serves it's purpose) and a few radios that sound a bit better than a clock radio (again, serving itheir purpose). Convergence always equals compromise but I guess as long as both options remain available I can live with that.

By the way, have you ever picked up an iPod. Build a converged device along the lines you suggest and it would take a shoulder holster to carry it around.

Not interested in compromise.

Neither am I interested in dramatic compromise, but we are talking about a mobile device here, not a stereo with pre-amp, etc. However, their already exists several clock radios that include very good sounding radios in them, just because you chose not to own one doesn't meen they don't exist. In the context of this conversation I would say Millions, if not billions of people find a standard clock radio very satisfactory anyway, which leads back to the converged device I was dreaming about.

As for the size of the iPod- I was referencing the new iPod Mini at http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/ It is smaller than any current US cell phone. If we start with a somthing like that I don't think my converged PPC is really that far off, and NO it won't require a shoulder holster.

whydidnt[/code]

[Fishie]

A machine is sold here for as little as 9990Yen.
Thats well below 99Dollars.
It has a 200Mhz XScale processor, standard res 320by240screen 16bit colour screen, the 5 way navigator and 4 application buttons we are all familiar with, SD expansion slot, 32MB ROM and 64 MB RAM.
Here is the sad part tough, it runs linux embedix instead of PPC.

This machine is build to full PPC spec and is proof that yes a colour PPC could be made for as little as 99Dollars.