The Pocket PC IS NOT DEAD!
Posted by Chris Leckness on 05/13/08 in Opinion, PocketPC
So says Cnet. The rest of the world has already conceded that Pocket PC is dead. Sure, there are tons of people that still use Pocket PC devices daily. Many of our own readers are using them. There is no shame in that, but sales numbers indicate that the Pocket PC has been 6 feet under for years now. The recent resurgence of the iPAQ line of Pocket PC last year seem to being pretty well though.
Cnet’s, Andrew Lim talks about the Socket SoMo 650-m, a business oriented, rugged Pocket PC…
No, you haven’t travelled back in time: this is a PDA. It might not do futuristic things like make phone calls, send text messages or take pictures, but if you’re not bothered by those fancy features then this might be right up your street. It’s called the Socket SoMo 650-M and costs around $670–which we think is ridiculous.
Aimed at the service industry, this rugged Windows Mobile 5 PDA looks retro, but it’s extremely sturdy and boasts a large touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an Intel processor running at 624MHz, and an SD and CF slot with the option to add barcode scanners for when you fancy scanning all the tins in your cupboard.
What are your thoughts, What keeps you using a Pocket PC rather than moving on to a converged device?
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I have switched to a converged device for business use but for overall funness nothing beats a Pocket PC. Be it a Casio E-125 or an Axim X50v these thngs are just plain fun to use. Music, Movies, Games, and much more all in one relatively small package ready anytime you are regardless of coverage area.
I still use an HP hx4700 because converged devices are still way too slow, especially for processor-intensive things like GPS Nav apps. Also the screens are too small and too few of them offer VGA, and when they do it’s on tiny screens or huge screens only.
Convergence required too many performance compromises to be useful to me. With the newer crop of converged devices this may change (it’s only taken 5 years to get back to the PDA performance we used to have), but for now, converged devices continue to be a disappointment.
I think the major reason the PPC market fell off is because the industry focused on converged devices (even before the PDA market faltered) and the PDA market stopped offering any improvements. After the 624MHz/VGA devices like the Axim x51v and HP hx series came out, what PDA offered more? None - that’s a big reason the market failed - there was nothing new to buy. The new HP 210 brings things up to date, but still doesn’t offer much new to buyers - no processor boost - no resolution boost, hence the shortened cycle.
Offer something new and improved and they will come….
Thanks for the confirmation of what many of us already know……
I don’t think there is a resurgence coming … regardless of what is offered. I mean, I’ve been there through it all - from HP95LX through Newtons and Palms and Psions and early WinCE to HPC and Pocket PC. I still have many (including beloved HP200LX and Newton MP2100 and Psion 5mx I’ll never part with), but despite having tried newer stuff I stick with the HP iPaq 4355 (integrated keyboard). Why? Great size, nice keyboard, does everything I need.
People don’t necessarily need new PDA’s - unless they really offer something new. And most of that is through cell and camera and GPS integration, while other things many of us care about have languished for years.
It’s really very simple: many people (including myself) hate large phones and love (relatively) big PDA screens. They aren’t compatible, it’s a wrong idea. A cell phone should be tiny, a PDA should be slim and have an easy-to-read high resolution screen. That’s why we need POCKET PC, not a “converged” monster.
I originally bought the Pocket PC just to write reports from meetings at work. But then I discovered that it could do so many more things than that. It is far more powerfull than the PCs I used when I started working. Now I use it for a lot more things. A big disadvantage with a combined unit is that, if I listen to music, I can be interrupted by phone calls. I hate that.
I agree that a Pocket PC should have a big screen and a cell phone should be as small as possible. Personally I bought my first cell phone 1 1/2 years ago, and I have made less than 10 calls on it. So I don’t really need it. Except that I can connect the Pocket PC to the Internet via bluetooth on the cell phone, so I can check my email or browse the news while I am on holiday. That worked a lot better than I thought it would.