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Just a Thought - So Ends The PDA Fad
by
- February 24th, 2005It's official: Sony has bowed out of the PDA market.
To many industry watchers, Sony's move is not surprising, if not necessarily expected. Many believe that the PDA as a distinct device has pretty much had its day. It is not surprising because many of the functions found in a PDA can now be found in other devices, like cell phones and iPods. It is expected, to my way of thinking at least, because the PDA's inevitable demise in the form we know today is nothing more than the natural evolution of the device.
When the Newton and Palm devices first came out, I wondered why anyone would use these devices over, say, a paper based organizer. Of course, there was a certain convenience factor with being able to connect the handheld device to a computer, and then sync the information, but the Newton, Palm-based devices, and all Windows CE/PocketPC based devices suffer from the same problem: they were not good enough to completely replace pencil and paper.
PDAs are basically used in 2 ways -- as an enhanced information manager (phone numbers, schedules, todo lists), and as a document manager (document creation and reading, spreadsheets, graphics).
Palm devices sold well because they came closest to meeting the challenge of replacing the trusty leather bound organizer when it came to managing information. Palm devices are small, light weight, and fairly rugged. The Palm user interface was simple to understand, and information is easy to get to and use. But as technology progressed and we became more connected, we needed to be able to use the information stored in our Palms in new ways.
Marrying the Palm PDA to a cell phone was the next logical step in the evolution of the information manager. Now, users can make better use of the data stored in their handheld devices; the phone is not simply a phone, it can now let you make connections to and with data that you may not have been able to before.
As a document manager, however, all handheld devices fall woefully short. Nothing has thus far matched pen and paper for convenience, reliability, ruggedness, or longevity. Paper can be torn, wadded, wetted, folded, twisted, and in some cases, burned, and the information written on it would still be useable.
You can carry paper anywhere, store it anywhere, and use it nearly anywhere. The same is true for writing devices.
Handheld devices have a few advantages over the venerable team of paper and pen, too. Data, once entered, can be more easily manipulated, moved, modified, and deleted. Still, in the end, those advantages are not enough.
Comparatively speaking, handheld devices are delicate, weighty, and bulky due to the glass screens. Information is tough to put into these devices, and, because they are necessarily small, the data presented on the tiny screens can be hard to see. Try reading a lengthy document on the Palm or PocketPC device, and you'll quickly appreciate the simplicity of a paperback novel.
Further, in a quest to become more useful, handheld devices have become more complicated. PocketPC PDAs, and now Palm based PDAs can play movie clips, music, surf the Internet, play high quality games, and more. You navigate through a Windows-like user interface to get to these features, and it is my humble opinion that Windows is bad enough on a 17" monitor; on a PDA's tiny screen, Windows, even a stripped down version, is just plain silly. I know many will argue this point with me, but navigating Windows menus on a 5" screen (or smaller) without the benefit of a mouse or keyboard is not my idea of a fun time.
Palm based devices make things a bit easier because the user interface is less cumbersome, but they typically have smaller screen, thus raising your squint-factor appreciably.
Of course, there are the e-books, with larger screens that were designed to be the replacement of books and magazines. The idea was sound, but again, the devices are far more fragile than what they were designed to replace, and the cost of the data they displayed (electronic novels costs almost as much as paper versions) made them less than economical to use.
I'm not saying that the PDA is dead; I happen to believe that the PDAs will continue in some form or another, but don't look for them to be the discrete devices we've known up till now. Instead you'll see more logical integration of the data manager features of PDAs with phones and other devices.
As for the PDA as a document manager, I'm afraid its days are numbered. Until someone comes up with a device that approaches any of the positive aspects of paper and pen, I believe you'll find that anything else is just - dare I say it?- a fad.
is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He's been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.
You can send your comments directly to me, or you can also post your comments below.
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Observer Comments
I have a cheap older CLIE PDA, an iPod and a cell phone.
I use the PDA as a calendar, memo organizer, and address book (email, phone, address etc). I would never use the iPod for this nor the cell phone.
I think that if there was a way to have a touch screen input on an ipod or cell, I would abandon the PDA. I like to be able to put notes into it quickly.
On the other hand.... getting wireless internet access on a PDA (like a blackberry) would be good - if the cost dropped.
On the more expensive side of the PDA market, I have a friend who has a very expensive "WindowsCE" PDA, which acts as a cell phone, can do all mine can do, plus he can use excel on his. However excel stinks on the PDA and is very limited, and while I spent under $200 on mine, he's got an overpriced piece of junk that he spent $1000 on.
Grumpy troglodyte that I am, I don't own a cell phone. I do have a cheap ($99) Palm PDA, which I've found quite valuable. It's used for the stuff Vern found PDAs useful, and that's all. Someday, I might get a cell phone, and if it has as clean and simple an interface as the Zire 21 I'm using, it'll be used as a PDA too.
Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:29 pm Subject: Still worth having
For me a PDA is still worth having for business trips. The main use is for contact info, passwords (poor memory), memo's and pics. While everything is on the PB there are times when the PDA is easier to use. An all in one is out as I travel overseas on business and have a GSM phone with multiple chips.
They did have a good run, though, didn't they?
Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:43 pm Subject: Re: Guest (Wow, thanks...)
Your sniping would be much more useful if you weren't so cowardly to post as unknown. Show yourself next time, and maybe we can help you see how ludicrous you are, just for simply being.
What do they pay you for? Trolling other people's careers?
I'm not a close friend of Vern's or anything like that, but I do know that your snippet of a quote, which you already know, isn't at all enough justification for your derision. Unless of course, like I alluded to earlier, that you must snipe from an anonymous distance because your weak ego can't handle face-to-face confrontation.
C'mon, big boy, let's see who you are.
-+vurt
Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:53 pm Subject: Re: Thanks
It is not my policy to answer obvious trolls, but there is, not well hidden in your sarcasm, an actual and valid point: Paper is obviously superior to the PDA screen, so why bother with a PDA at all?
The answer to that is not so obvious: As I mention in the article, there is a certain amount of convenience PDAs provide. As any PDA owner will tell you, having contact info close at hand at all times can be a life saver. While paper phonebooks have been around for almost as long as there have been phones, they suffer from one of the big limitations of paper; once data is 'entered', it is hard to change.
PDAs, with their computer syncing, changed all of that. Addresses and personal information change a lot in today's world. Now, your information repository can change with it.
Anyone with friends who've moved a few times will attest to how shabby that person's info appears after being erased several times.
So, as I've alluded to in the article; paper has it's advantages, and so do PDAs. It is just that PDAs can't cover all the bases.
But I guess that was obvious to you too.
Vern Seward
My thought on PDAs as they are now is very similar to my thought on TabletPCs: They have features that will be valuable to a small set of people with particular needs, but probably won't (or won't again) by themselves capture the imagination of a big part of the population.
I had a Handspring a few years ago; I planned to use it to keep track of my contact information, and use it as a sort of "laptop light" to jot down notes or proofread texts, something I could have on me all the time. A few months after the honeymoon, though, it was largely unused. My phone numbers were all in my cel phone anyway; the few times I had to update an address, I'd jot a note or have someone send me an email so I could update at home. I found if I was going to work on something, it was infinitely easier just to bring my laptop with me. It soon reached a point where I didn't touch the PDA for so long the batteries ran out; I didn't feel like resyncing it, so I tossed it in a drawer, and ended up selling it cheap a year or two later.
A PDA will always have appeal and value to some people, but the majority, I think, will either have their needs met by a simple celphone, are power-users enough to carry a laptop around anyway, or just really don't need 'em at all.
I don't have a PDA or a Cell Phone. (Before you chalk me up as an over the hill Luddite you might be interested to know that I've been doing tech support for 17 years. They pay me to support Windows, I OWN Macs). The thing is I don't need either. Personally I thought PDAs were fun to play with for a while then I set them aside. For me a PDA would just be another thing to take care of. I don't really need it's function so why bother with another finicky gadget.
In 1999 Palm Devices became the in thing for the Dept. heads and other brass where I work. I set up and taught quite a few users users how to work with those things. Five years later all but one of my users have gone back to paper calendars.
Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:01 pm Subject: Re: Obvious Troll
QuoteGuest wrote:Quotemetavurt wrote:
C'mon, big boy, let's see who you are.
You sound tough. I'll stay anonymous, thanks. I wouldn't want you to hurt me or my ego.
This article (yes, I know it's an opinion piece and not reporting) really doesn't say anything. We know water is wet. We know PDAs are on the way out. We know it's easier to write on a piece of paper than a PDA. So why write an article restating the obvious? Give us something new, or a different take on it, or don't bother.
Now don't get me wrong; I like the fact that TMO has actual contributors who create signature content, but this (and some of Mr. Seward's past articles) are really pointless.
Free criticism...take it or leave it.
Oh, and my profession? I'm a writer/editor (really).
-OT (Obvious Troll)
P.S. "ludicrous," "snippet," and "derision." Metavurt, I'm sure you're a really smart guy. You don't need to WANTONLY (see, I can do it too) toss out words you picked up on thesaurus.com to sound smarter.
OK, I took the bait. I'm replying because you actually do seem to be more than trolling, you have an real opinion, and I can appreciate that.
You say that what I've written is obvious, that 'We know that PDAs are on the way out."
Do we?
After reading some of the other posts here, I might believe otherwise.
My job, if you can call it that, is to point out a notion or two that folks may have overlooked. That you find the ideas in this and my other articles obvious means that you are well versed in the subjects that I've covered so far, and that you don't find my sense of humor, um, humorous.
That's fine. To each, his own.
What puzzles me is why you seem to think that what is obvious to you is obvious to everyone else. If everything you read must conform to some strict standard, else it is viewed as frivolous, then I say you read a bunch of boring material.
Normally, I would suggest that you not read what I write since it seems to bother you, but since you've hinted that you've read some of my other articles, I'm inclined to believe that you read them just to have something to poke at.
If that's how you 'enjoy' my articles then please feel free to continue, and please continue to write your critiques. I honestly don't mind criticism if it's constructive, or at least, considered.
Vern Seward
Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:16 pm Subject: Sticking with My PDA for Now
I'll stick with my PDA (a Palm Tungsten T2) for now. Although I know that my cellphone (Motorola v710) has some of the Palm features, I use all of the Palm features (calendar, phone list, to-do and note taking) and the cellphone still isn't quite there. Now, one of these Palm-based cellphones may be the answer, but I like to use my stuff until it dies or becomes totally obsolete, and that hasn't happened quite yet.
Thu Feb 24, 2005 8:26 pm Subject: Paper's biggest failing
... is it is generally infeasible to back up your data. Paper is easy to read, and fairly hardy, but if Bad Things happen to paper, you're completely SOL, compared to the electronic versions of data, which are replicable by design. I was a diehard filofax user back in the late 80s, using it heavily for contact info, notes and calendaring. Until the day my handy little filofax was stolen from right next to me at a crowded bar. After that, I have vowed to never allow my critical information to exist in a format that cannot be backed up relatively easily.
I first went to the Casio BOSS organizers, after paying for the extra serial cable and desktop software that allowed me to back it up on my computer. It was not an easy procedure, and took a good amount of time each time I backed it up, but I loved the sense of security... and when the inevitable Bad Thing happened to the fragile little beastie, I hardly lost any data, after purchasing a new one and dumping the data back in. Naturally, I was first in line for the original Palm Pilot. The synching to a computer was so much easier and faster! Sadly, the glass screens were so fragile I ended up spending a decent amount of money on repairs... but I rarely, if ever, lost any significant amount of data, because "backing up" my critical data was so fast and easy, I actually did it on a regular basis. If a unit died or was lost or destroyed, five minutes upon my return with a replacement, I was 100% back in business, as if nothing had happened. Several generations later, I use a Palm m505 with data on it dating back to information I first entered into that original BOSS, and the original Palm Pilots.
Worth it's weight in gold. My data is safe, backed up onto multiple computers, in addition to the Palm itself. At some point, I'll give in a get a Treo, and once I get accustomed to the itty-bitty keyboard (right back to the BOSS era, IMO) compared to the ease of the Graffiti input system, I suppose I'll be happier than ever.
So what happened to all that contact info I lost in the 80's? Some was lost forever, some I still had, because I had, 6 months prior, taken the time to help myself to the copier at work and had XEROXED the whole dang thing. but I still had to hand-enter all that info into the new system.
Ease of backup. Portability. Redundancy. (Irony...) The PDA may be dead for some, but until a cell phone can match a Palm's feature set for the basics (and IMO, only the Treo comes close), it won't be dead for me until my last Palm-based system dies.
Ever try and compose an email on a cell phone, brutal.
A few years ago I bought my wife a Treo 600. She is deaf and the tiny, yet full, keyboard on the Treo makes it easier to send email. The bigger screen when compared to a regular cell phone is also a plus. She also uses the PDA features for work and school, but the primary reason for the purchase was email communication. They are pricey, but at the time Sprint had a real good service and I don't feel that I paid to much the feature. I considered getting her a Blackberry, but I feel that the cell phone and PDA features of the Treo made it a better option.
I am seriously considering a Treo or similar device, the next time I need to purchase a cell phone.
Sidebar. Last year my wife a cochlear implant. It bypasses the damaged inner year and directly stimulates the cochlear/audio nerve. She has regained about 60% of hear hearing and can now use the cell phone, and other phones as well as appreciating music again. Nice device, we can plug the iPod right into a jack on the processor, no head phones required. See http://www.cochlearamericas.com/ for more info.
Have a nice evening.
Quotejmmejzz wrote:
...I am not a fan of convergence devices: don't want my toaster making omelets.
Oh that is so true. I don't know of a single printer/scanner/faxer/copier device throughout our organization that really works well. Most get two functions and maybe a third on a good day. Interestingly about 6 months ago we were thinking of getting cell phones and we discovered that it was just about impossible to get just a phone. They all seemed to have PDA, or camera, or game, or IM, or e-mail, or some other function included, with a bit higher cost for the service.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:51 am Subject: Re: so sad...
Actually, I've had a Palm device of some sort almost as long as Palm has been around.
I've reviewed Palm devices, have owned a Newton, know of folks who still own and use Newtons, Palms, and PocketPC devices, have experimented with the older version of Blackberry, and have even poked at a friend's Linux base PDA.
Believe me when I tell you that I've tried it.
While the screens have gotten better, and you can read docs more comfortably, a 3" to 5" screen is no match for paper.
Also consider the recent demise of e-book readers: A few years ago the market was brimming with them, now they are extremely hard to find. These devices were idea for reading books and periodicals because they had larger screen. Still, they could not compete with regular books for readability and cost.
Vern Seward
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:52 pm Subject: Exactly the opposite
I think you've got it exactly wrong, the PDA is only just beginning to come of age. While pundits look at marketshare for Palm and say the PDA is fading away, I think it's all semantics.
If you think about what a PDA is, a Personal Digital Assistant, and what it does at it's very core -- help you do digital things -- it seems clear that this is not going away. While basic PDA's which just handle address book, calendar, etc may be dying off, there is huge demand for devices which help enable your digital life. I don't think the Treo is a phone with PDA functions, it's a PDA with phone functions. Many don't like the PDA/Phones because of the form factor, but I think this is going away as technologies like bluetooth allow you to have a simple headset-type device for the mic/speaker.
Most of my digital day consists of listening to music, reading email, browsing the web, managing my calendar and contacts, and making phone calls. My PDA <i>assists</i> me in these functions. Why should i have to carry 3 devices containing 3 processors, batteries, screens, etc?
As far as convenience vs paper is concerned, i would agree that it's far easier to "enter data" on paper than on a palm pilot, but it's so much harder to keep track of and maintain that data once it's there. You can say a PDA is bulky compared to a piece of paper, but how about 500 pieces of paper?
QuoteThat's what SJ said long ago. We want to access the data NOT enter the data into PDA. That is why iPod provides access to some PDA info.jmmejzz wrote:
I always thought the PDA a pain for even simple data entry, but for quick access to important Filemaker db's invaluable. However I am not a fan of convergence devices: don't want my toaster making omelets.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:47 pm Subject: Re: Exactly the opposite
QuoteYou need a DPS (digital private secretary).gordboy wrote:
I think you've got it exactly wrong, the PDA is only just beginning to come of age. While pundits look at marketshare for Palm and say the PDA is fading away, I think it's all semantics.
If you think about what a PDA is, a Personal Digital Assistant, and what it does at it's very core -- help you do digital things -- it seems clear that this is not going away. While basic PDA's which just handle address book, calendar, etc may be dying off, there is huge demand for devices which help enable your digital life. I don't think the Treo is a phone with PDA functions, it's a PDA with phone functions. Many don't like the PDA/Phones because of the form factor, but I think this is going away as technologies like bluetooth allow you to have a simple headset-type device for the mic/speaker.
Most of my digital day consists of listening to music, reading email, browsing the web, managing my calendar and contacts, and making phone calls. My PDA <i>assists</i> me in these functions. Why should i have to carry 3 devices containing 3 processors, batteries, screens, etc?
As far as convenience vs paper is concerned, i would agree that it's far easier to "enter data" on paper than on a palm pilot, but it's so much harder to keep track of and maintain that data once it's there. You can say a PDA is bulky compared to a piece of paper, but how about 500 pieces of paper?