10-23-2005, 12:00 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Slashdot: "Why Have PDAs Failed in the iPod Era?"
"Given that modern PDAs have almost all the functionality of these separate devices, how has Palm and Microsoft/PocketPC developers failed in making PDAs a force in this new era of portable media devices? Is it the poor marketing, bad media apps, public perception, or do people simply not want an all-in-one for mobile media?"
There's an interesting discussion over at Slashdot about why iPods continue to triumph over PDAs, despite the fact that the PDA is capable of more than just media playback. Sure enough, most of you use your Pocket PC for PIM, telephony, unrestricted audio and video playback, games, internet and email, and wow-ing your next door neighbour -- yet despite all those bells and whistles, the iPod continues to sell by the truckload. Why do you think that is?
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10-23-2005, 12:28 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043
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Having read through the top level of comments there - on my PDA, in Pocket IE, via Wi-Fi - I was dismayed at the sheer volume of peronal prejudice, far and away more prevalent than actual experience-based opinion. Most of those reporting themselves as former PDA users had a Palm a few years ago, etc. "News for nerds"? More like 'Platform for opinionated wannabees.' There were little exceptions... and maybe I'll have a look later and read more posts to see if it's shaped up or degenerated further.
The one cogent argument, and one I've stated a few times in threads, is that the PDA - especially those using PPC/WM - is not supported by any real advertising. Without consumer awareness, exactly how is it supposed to compete with the iPod or whatever other product-of-the-week by which it's supposedly being slain?
Lately on Brighthand JackAubrey's been touting the video iPod as the latest nail in the PDA coffin. Earnings and numbers of models don't seem to bear his arguments out, but then again they're not earth-shaking. I expect to have access to ever more capable handhelds for a great many years, probably the rest of my life, but for some reason people like him and many of these on Slashdot perceive broad-spectrum capabilities as indicators of a doomed device. Well, I guess the PC is doomed too by that token. Not too many consumer electronics so complex as an XP notebook, are there?
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10-23-2005, 12:33 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,108
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Because iPods are "trendy," and thus have idiot appeal. No offense to people here who own iPods, I'm not talking about you. But there's a lot of people who buy iPods primarily because they're "cool" or a status symbol rather than because they think the features are good, or because they even understand the alternatives let alone have considered them.
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10-23-2005, 12:38 AM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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I second the advertising problem - it's a key contributor to why people don't know of a PPC's abilities. If anything, the PPC / PDA has failed because it does TOO much
What does an iPod do? It plays music, maybe videos / pictures
What does a PDA do? Plays music, videos, pictures, surfs the net, edits documents, receives & sends emails, phone calls, etc...
High end iPod's are around the same $$$ as mid-range PPCs, so one would think all the PPC would need is more advertising. The problem is that developers, ODM, & OEMs all depend on each other to do the advertising and none of them have any clue what an effective advertising method for the PDA would be.
And Slashdot does get disappointing at times. Less nerds, more pseudo-nerds. I say they should give you one of those picture things when you register that simply shows 11100001001100110111 and asks you to write it down... in HEX. That should weed some people out 
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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10-23-2005, 12:57 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 327
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As far as I am concerned, I will not buy another PDA, since having a Pocket PC Phone, that does not have a phone in it. As far as I see it, the iPod is not what is killing the traditional PDA (if one can make the case that it is being killed off), but the phone is. Current non PPC phones have the PIM functionality to appease most users, albeit in an awkward implementation. The Pocket PC devices are coming up, but they still have shortcomings that I have to deal with daily, since I currently have a fleet of Pocket PC phones being used by my regional managers. I have to constantly deal with batteries going dead, devices hard resetting and losing all data, half-assed bluetooth implementations, fragility, lost stylii, and the list goes on. I currently have to deal with only about 10 devices, but would be tearing my hair out if I had to deal with as many PPC phones as I do servers and desktops. What PPC devices do that are unique to PPC devices, namely highly portable desktop/laptop functions (web browsing, office documents, etc.), they do well enough to serve those that require the functionality quite well. I no longer feel the need to bring my laptop with me when I travel, since everything I need is either on my PPC phone, or available online, or through VNC or Terminal Services. Nonetheless, the maintenance and overhead required to keep this all working is FAR MORE than the average user either cares to deal with or even has a clue on how to make it all happen. A phone makes calls and receives calls with little or no training for the average user, and rarely requires any upkeep. An iPod plays music and Podcasts extremely well. I fought getting an iPod until an iPod Shuffle was given to me free for buying a Netgear gigabit switch. I tried it out and fell in love with iTunes and its ridiculously simple user interface, and with the ridulously simple user interface of the iPod Shuffle and the nearly endless battery life. Since getting an iPod, I never listen to music or PodCasts on my PPC anymore. It is all a matter of what is best for the task, as I see it, and I NEED a Pocket PC to do my job in the manner I want to do it, and that is why I carry it. Since it functions okay as a phone as well, I do not feel the need to carry a phone. It does not, however, come close to the braindead ease of use, feel, and battery life of my iPod Shuffle, and since the iPod weighs nearly nothing, and does what it does infinitely better than the PPC, I no longer use the PPC for music and Podcasts, but there is no way I would ever consider an iPod as an adequate replacement for the other things I use my PPC for, since it does not do any of the other things at all.
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10-23-2005, 01:08 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 99
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by ADBrown
Because iPods are "trendy," and thus have idiot appeal. No offense to people here who own iPods, I'm not talking about you. But there's a lot of people who buy iPods primarily because they're "cool" or a status symbol rather than because they think the features are good, or because they even understand the alternatives let alone have considered them.
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this statement is 100% correct. it is also the explanantion for why the only-average-sounding iPod outsells much better media players. nearly all of the creative players have better sound, and many other players are superior in other ways (the cowon iaudio x5 is so much better, it's almost not believeable) and yet the iPod outsells them all.
but it's not just that the average joe thinks of it as a status symbol, it's that it is positioned as such by celebrities. when is the last time you heard a celebrity talk about their "mp3 player"? you don't, they always use the word "iPod". it wouldn't surprise me if they don't even have iPods, their assistants probably picked them up for them and loaded them with music, and they just call it an iPod, just like people keep asking me if my pocket PC (or the last 3 i had) is one of those "palm thingies".
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10-23-2005, 01:14 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 524
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Re: Slashdot: "Why Have PDAs Failed in the iPod Era?"
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Darius Wey
"Is it the poor marketing, bad media apps, public perception, or do people simply not want an all-in-one for mobile media?"
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At a guess - an iPod has 10/15/20/40GB - a Pocket PC just cant compete with that, and as such just cant store enough music. A Pocket PC + 4 GB SD Card is going to set anyone back big bucks and would still only compete with a iPod Mini available for less than �150. Some times being a Jack of all trades just means it is a master of none!
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Regards
Griph
iPhone 4 32GB Jailbroken and iPad 3G 64GB .
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10-23-2005, 01:19 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 43
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Partly it's the name.
They've started trying to make Blackberry and Sidekick be trendy. But you'll never hear characters on the OC use their Sprint PPC-6700 Pocket PC Phone Edition. You'll never hear someone talk about Paris Hilton's stolen PDA2K.
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In pocket:* Sprint PPC-6700In car:** iPaq hx4700
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10-23-2005, 01:33 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043
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iKay, so if we're all so iSmart, how about we invent a new iName for the Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition iThingy? Maybe some genius in Microsoft's marketing division will catch wind of a good one and start pitching it to everyone involved, and by this time next year these things will all fall under one catchy name. Could work...
Of course, i-anything is out, as Apple probably owns the whole concept. Nasty to borrow like that anyway, too much like cheap knock-offs. How Compaq then HP got away with iPAQ I don't know, unless they were first and Apple 'borrowed' the i.
Here's my first pitch:
the Kit
No? Some places, mostly UK and Australia, already associate that term with everything one needs packed into one bag or wallet or whatever. Origins probably military, first world war maybe. These things cart about anything and everything one might want handy, data-wise, so why not exploit that imagery in the name? Any other brilliant (lol) ideas?
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10-23-2005, 01:45 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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What Griph said  Also, it seems that PPC's seem more fragile than an iPod. Most iPods you can throw into a book bag or a briefcase or something and you would probably be OK. A PDA though would end up with a busted screen. Finally, simplicity. If all someone wants is a music player, why get one that also schedules, plays games and connects to the internet? You know, not everyone wants all the things that a PDA offers.
I've never owned an iPod as I am not a big music guy. But for those that are, I can see the appeal of an iPod or similar dedicated music player - relatively inexpensive, simple to use with tons of storage.
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