I agree that this will help drive handheld technology and portable content, and I also agree that a combination of mobile phones and computing devices like the Hundred Dollar Laptop and
AMD's Personal Internet Communicator will all play important roles in bridging the digital divide. As Bob points out, a larger device with a full size monitor and keyboard is more suitable in certain applications.
I do think it is becoming pretty evident that handhelds like smartphones and wirelessly connected PDAs will soon become our primary computing devices, and portable content including media, reference, and learning aids combined with the
mobile web will only get better, and it
will happen soon. I also think Free and Open Source operating systems, software, and open standards will be embraced more and more as a way to ensure the democratization of technology and information.
Quote:
When I look to the future here, I look at products like treo and its successors, I imagine very small devices that will be very reliable and affordable by everybody--almost everybody, at least a large portion of the world. It will have major social impact, and I think it'll have a lot to do with freedom and democracy too."
- Jeff Hawkins, 2001 COMDEX Keynote Speech
|
Linux based smartphones might not be such a bad idea for Palm & PalmSource afterall.
Brian