Farewell to PDAs, Hello to Smart Phones

Roland Piquepaille writes "Is it time to get rid of your PDA? Apparently yes, according to General Motors, writes Ephraim Schwartz in InfoWorld.The subtitle of this story is pretty clear: "GPS, Java, and push-to-talk give smart phones a clear edge over PDAs." "General Motors announced last week that it will partner with wireless carrier Nextel to use Nextel?s Motorola cell phones with data capabilities to market a field-force management application to its commercial truck fleet customers." GM chose these cell phones because people feel more comfortable with, but also because they can run sophisticated applications. And of course, because they are cheaper than handhelds, both to purchase and to maintain. Check this column for a summary and references."

Comments

Darth Vader's PDA

[the darn]

"a field-force management application" But what I really want is a force-field management application...

Not quite right...

[splerdu]

Look at the phones now... it's not that phones are getting the advantage over PDAs, it's that the distinction between a phone and a PDA is slowly disappearing.

I've had the chance to play with some of the new offerings from Sony-Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung and honestly they are barely different from a small Palm.

Is it really time?

[SN74S181]

Is it time to get rid of your PDA? Apparently yes, according to General Motors

Definitely no, according to anybody who wants to partition their personal data into a private space unconnected to snoops, spies, and busybodies.

I prefer to be the only bridge between some information and the outside world. So I say 'no thank you' to the notion that everything on my PDA should be connected in real time to a telephone/digital network every time I make a phone call.

Nope. Not interested.

Re:Is it really time?

[SN74S181]

It's not paranoia. It's just putting some things only where they're accessable by keypad and LCD.

And ask Outlook Express users about their entire address book getting sent all at the same time...

I'll keep my pda

[Matey-O]

as long as
I plan on
seeing my
====>next

information
in chunks
greater than
====>next

16kb at a
time!

All programs evolve until they can send e-mail,

[Angry White Guy]

and all PDA's evolve until they can make phonecalls.

My problem with current cell phone/PDA combos

[JaredOfEuropa]

There are already a few phones out there that combine a regular cell phone and the functionality of a PDA. While I like the idea of carrying one device instead of two, I hate every signle one of these phone PDA's that I have tried. Why? Mainly because the PDA functions aren't very good. I guess that phone companies are lousy at making PDA's, and they seem to focus on phone-related functionality.

Here's what I would do if I were them: start with a really good PDA, much like the current line of PDA's from the well-known brands. That means you have Java, you could add GPS and whatever, you already have an address and phone book, and a means to enter phone numbers and SMS messages easily. To add phone functionality, all you need is a GSM/GPRS module, and perhaps a mike and loudspeaker.

Another thing: PDA's are fully programmable. Here's a tip for mobile data providers, we don't need proprietary mobile data applications, we just need data transport. Once we have that and our programmable PDA's, we can build our own apps. We don't have or want to rely on silly protocols such as SMS or MMS either: just let us send regular emails, perhaps with an attachment.

In other words, try making a cell phone out of an organiser, not the other way around.

Form Factors

[Zarquil]

I used to think I wanted a cell phone and PDA all-in-one device. I've waffled again and flipped back.

I genuinely like my m125. But hold it up to my ear and talk? Nope, it's not a comfortable size and shape. My phone has a scheduler and various unused contact management features, mostly because it's a pain to input.

I drool at the gadget stores each time I see a new version, but so far I've been disappointed in what I've gotten my hands on.

My current thought: Bluetooth running from a PDA to a bug in my ear would be really cool. But cool does not make practical, and I expect to be disappointed with that, as well.

I think I'll stick with single-purpose tools that do their one job well, and hope that everyone gets their poop in a pile and offers good interoperability. It's a time honored tradition!

May not always want a phone

[Gemini]

"Sir, please put away your phone while you are on this flight!"

"But, it's my organizer..."

"Sorry, it's a phone. Put it away."

Differing design requirements...

[Moderation abuser]

Phones have to last for several days or even a week always on and without recharge, have to be easy to carry and easy to make and receive calls.

PDAs have to be easy to use, powerful, flexible, colour, large screens. When you add these features to phones, you lose the easy to carry and battery lifetime features of phones.

All of the smartphones i've seen have made poor PDAs and poor phones.

Reasons why NOT to combine the two

[xigxag]

1) Combo will either be too big for an ideal phone or too small for an ideal pda.

2) PDAs should have long battery life. But they don't when part of a power-guzzling cellphone.

3) Can't talk and tap at the same time. Unless you've brought along the earpiece attachment. But then there you go carrying two objects again.

4) PDA/cellphones usually seem to be less expandable or a few OS versions behind the latest solo PDAs.

5) In the US, switching to a different wireless carrier means switching to a different phone. With a combo unit, you'd have to switch to a different PDA too.

PDA's stink anyway

[g0hare]

I can get all the functionality of a PDA from a piece of paper. The only reaon I keep the Toshiba e330 I won is that it IS a fairly decent MP3 player. OTherwise it would have been on Ebay. The last thing I want anyway is to be constantly wired up so that idiots can call me and instant message me about problems they could solve themselves if they used their brains instead of their phones. Now go outside and play.

I dissagree

[angel'o'sphere]

I like seperated devices which act as one together.

Just like a PC + mouse + display are 3 devices but get really usefull as combined: computer.

I expect my phone to be very smal, enough power to phone for 4 to 6 hours and standby time for 3 days or more. It should be easy wearable at my belt or in my trousers pocket. Just liek the Motorola Star TAC or ist similar looking successors.

My PDA should be bigger, I dont want such a smal display like UTMS phones have on my PDA, neither I want a bigger phone to have a bigger display.

My PDA shold be a extension to my personal computer, having snapshots of my important data on it.

I expect PDA and Phone to interact seemlessly via bluethoos, where the phone recognices the adressbook on the PDA as extension ... and the java programs on the PDA as external stored programs, accessible on the phone if fitting, ignored otherwise.

My PDA however should not need to get configured to be internet or local network aware. It should just recognize my phone as network adapter. Also via Bluetooth.

I like to work with that part of the combo I find more appropriated at the certain moment in time.

I dont want a mixed beast where several teams of hardware and software developers work hard to put the combined dissadvantages of both kinds of devices into one device.

Regards,
angel'o'sphere