Mobile categories
This is the third in a spontaneous, unplanned and somewhat goofy series of articles about mobile computing.
Why do I say "goofy"? Because you’d think in the middle of System 2007, I’d have more pressing things to do than jump into a brand new (to me) field and start thinking and writing about it, but I’ve learned not to second guess my instincts on these things. A bell has gone off in my brain that says "now’s the time."
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to wrapping your mind around the mobile world is the dizzying variety of mobile niches. Here’s how to make sense of them…
First off, credit to where credit it due. I’m cribbbing these insights from the magazine "Smart Phone and Pocket PC."
Here’s one way they break these devices down into categories:
1. Smartphones
2. Phone Editions (not sure how this is different from Smartphones.)
3. Pocket PCs
4. Veritcal Niche Pocket PCs (devises aimed at industrial/enterprise use)
The magazine breaks Smartphones down as follows:
1. Businesss smartphones (ex. Nokia E62)
2. Computing powerhouses (ex. Palm Treao 700p)
3. "Social" smartphones (ex. the Blackberry Pearl)
4. "Business-Social" (ex. T-Mobile Dash)
Confused? Well, at least you have some categories to house your confusion in. That’s a start.
The mobile world is already big, growing fast, and filled with variety. And it’s destined to take a central place in the world of the future (which is probably just 3 to 5 years away.)
For now, I’m going to stick with my lowly and simple cellphone, but I’m going to keep and eye out for what’s shaking in this Brave New World and I recommend that you do too:
Here’s a good map and guide: Smartphone and Pocket PC
Ken McCarthy
Is this what the world is going too. Smartphones are great I guess for people on the go.
I subscribe to the magazine – it’s great.
We’ve developed a software product for smartphones that enables mobile people to access their company diary.
I guess we’ll be trail blazing for a while but expect it to take off later this year.
I feel more confident now – given your track record.
I’ve read about Japanese students actually losing computer skills, due to doing all their surfing & communicating through mobile devices…
It’s a weird thought…that the PC based surfing experience could become a thing of the past…because kids become addicted to staring at and communicating through small screen devices.
This is an important reminder that the only bandwidth that matters and is truly limited is the bandwidth of human attention.
In the years to come I believe that a lot of our communication will go through internet and when I say communication I don’t only mean emails and surfing the World Wide Web for information. No I believe that a lot moor will take place through internet. Things that come to me now – Shopping, learning, working, managing our homes, socializing, entertainment and lot more.
On which devises this all are going to take place I only can make a guess, but I think that Ken site on the right track with mobile devises and that they will have an important roll in our live in near future.
But also the TV’s will play a big part in our daily lives and it will not be only to watch stupid soaps or talk shows, but it will be the devise we use at home for a lot of our communication – Phone calls, shopping, education, socializing with friends, seeking information, etc.
The mobile devises we will use when we are on the road, not at home or in a place where we can use the TV/PC from some one else. On the mobile devise I think we will foremost be doing daily things and thing we already knows and with the TV we will use more for entertainment and information seeking.
But what about the PC’s are they despairing? Yes and No, the desktop PC at home for great part will combine in the TV and the laptop will getting so small that they are mobile devises.
I think that the PC only will survive in offices and at home for specialized work.
But I can be totally wrong – They also predicted that the TV would pass away when the PC came.
Anders Kjaer