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Dell to Get Into Cell Phones in 2006
prostoalex writes "BrightHand looks into the future of Dell Axim PDA line. X30 will be discontinued, X50 will get another update of Windows Mobile, and pretty soon Dell might be entering the cell phone business with PDA+phone Axim combo. The phone line will replaces the X50 model in mid-2006."
I switched on a business show on Fox News just deal with it, OK? They have decent business shows.) over the weekend, and the announcer, in his "what's coming up next" blurb, excitedly said, "you'll be able to watch television on your cell phone soon!" And all I can think about is how intercell handoffs still vastly suck even here in 2005 A.D, half my cell calls sound like they are from a deep sea submersible and how there's still dead zones even in metropolitan Los Angeles.
Why am I supposed to be excited about this? Where's the truly NEW stuff? Say what you will about Tivo, but that was a device that fundamentally changed the way I do things in terms of entertainment. I actually watch less TV more efficiently because of it. I want things that make my life easier, not flashy gadgets that are created simply for the gee-whiz factor.
Maybe I've seen too much. Maybe it's because I design stuff so far beyond things like this that I'm difficult to impress. I dunno... just getting old and pragmatic, perhaps.
The biggest use of a pda is to keep track of appointments, take notes, and hold contact information - all of which my nokia 6230 can do NOW! PDAs are dying.
If you noticed they said it would be geared towards business clients. In the world of POS (that's point of sale, not Chevy) the PDA has the ability to replace cash registers. I would bet the new Axim/cell phone thing will have a built in digital camera and optional bar code readers. A cashier with a camera can speed up the RMA process and document abused merchandise. A warehouse employee could use all those things. Imagine a receiving clerk in Chicago receiving faulty merchandise and using his Symbol PDA/scanner to take a picture and e-mail it to his manager in Az to get a decision on receive or refuse. Huge benefit. The PDA is not dying, it is adapting.