Monday, October 20, 2003
Are PDAs dead?
Well according to some people handheld computers aka PDAs are dead. There's a short article about it in
Economist.com.
The basic summary is that standalone PDAs are dead and the future is smartphones that combind the features of a PDA and cellphone.
I'd say while smartphones are the big thing for the future, claiming standalone PDAs as dead is premature. While many will switch to a smartphone there are still places where a standalone is better. For a cell phone to be useful it has to be small and comforable to hold. Most of all it cannot look like a piece of junk when you're holding it to your ear to talk.
As a result of these needs you become limited in form and function of the smartphone. Most PDAs have around 2 to 4 inch screens. No one is going to want to have a 4 inch wide cell phone. Similarly some high end PDAs have small keyboards. The average cellphone doesn't have the room for a full keyboard. This means smartphones will never provide the same functions that a PDA can. Some people actually need large screens and keyboards on there handheld. There are businessmen using custom applications, reporters reporting in the field, etc, etc. They don’t just need a cellphone, they need a computer.
Anyways I think there will always be a place for PDAs. I know I’ll always keep my Palm IIIc by my side even if I get a smartphone. Although it won’t be for a while since my Kyocera 2135 cell works just fine for me. Best battery life I’ve ever seen! Thing last all week on a charge.
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