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Predictions

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Jan 17th 2002 12:39am





The Treo Will Flop

from the not-good-at-either-thing dept

There is a fundamental problem with PDA/cell phone convergence devices that I've discussed before and is clearly laid out in the following article. People want their cell phone to be as small as possible, so they can easily carry it around. At the same time, they want their PDA screens to be as large as possible, so they can accomplish more stuff with it. Combining those two things, makes for a very difficult design. In the end, things like the Treo may end up being bad at both functions. I'd still like to see one and test it out, but it still looks to big to be a phone. I am curious to see how the Danger device gets reviewed once it comes out - as it may suffer from the exact same problem.

3 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Recovering OmniSky addict

    identicon
    Joe Schmoe, Jan 17th, 2002 @ 7:33am

    "People want their cell phone to be as small as possible, so they can easily carry it around. At the same time, they want their PDA screens to be as large as possible"

    I hadn't thought about it in these terms, but you are so very right!

    Personally, I don't like the thought of combining two components that by themselves are so prone to upgrade & replacement. Replacing a phone for a hundred bucks is much easier than a $500 "communicator". Likewise, I can upgrade or even operate several PDA's with the same phone...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Danger!

    identicon
    Don Cosseboom, Jan 17th, 2002 @ 8:21am

    I have actually used a pre-alpha version of the danger device. It is amazing. It is small like a cell-phone, but has a big enough display and keyboard that it works. Not as big as a Blackberry 957 display, but 75% of the size. My only gripe about the version of the Hiptop that I used was the keyboard, I liked my BB keyboard better. I felt like the hiptop keyboard was chicklet-esque. I love my blackberry, but I will dump it as soon as I can buy a Danger device. The Treo I have yet to see, but from what I have seen it hasn't excited me.

    My two cents..

    Don

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Convergence good, not bad

    identicon
    john bartley, Jan 17th, 2002 @ 4:20pm

    The decent color screen of the Samsung i300 makes it legible, more legible than a monochrome palm five or seven. If you make the screen sharper and clearer, smaller is OK.

    http://palmwireless.cjb.net
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/i300

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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