Are smartphones the future?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Modularity and conectivity is great, as long as it doesn't force onto us several featureless barebones devices in a heavy backpack rather than my trusty all-in-one pocket device.

It all depends on what you need to do. If you just need a reading screen, just carry a screen. If you need something to do fine manipulation of documents, carry a slave-laptop. If all you need is quick access (and phoning, of course), leave all that stuff behind and just bring the phone. I don't expect the smartphones themselves to become less utilitarian, I expect additional (optional) utility from modular devices.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Phogg

+1. I should be able to have a dumb eInk display that recieves its images from my phone.

I suspect that would have problems similar to those of dumb terminals and thin clients: less capable without really being any cheaper.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I suspect that would have problems similar to those of dumb terminals and thin clients: less capable without really being any cheaper.

Cheaper isn't necessarily the goal here (though it's always nice). You're essentially cutting out storage from those components, but memory is cheap now, so no big. It's mostly the consolidation of all your data in one compact package that's the goal.

Think of computer monitors: They weren't full televisions at first, and had to be connected to another device (a PC) to work; you could think of them as "slaved peripherals." But they had superior image quality to most home TVs, which is why monitor technology eventually made its way into home TV systems.

Now, I don't believe that full systems like laptops, dedicated readers, etc, will just disappear... there will probably still be a use for them. But someday they won't be as ubiquitous as modular systems built around the smartphone.

[elcreative]

I don't want my data in one compact package, that's an own goal... I want relevant data handy for the task in hand, I want my data in several places for security (physically under my control, not cloud). I don't want everything centralising onto one device... people want different things, I want separate computing and TV setups so that different family members can choose their usages for themselves... and modular smartphones are wonderful... small enough to lose easily, small enough to break easily and small enough to give eye strain easily...

You go your way and don't disparage other ways that suit other people... there is no true, one way of doing things and newer multi-purpose devices haven't eliminated more dedicated devices... once again, different strokes for different folks...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by elcreative

I don't want my data in one compact package, that's an own goal...

We could certainly debate the pros and cons of both systems, but no, that's not my mission here. And I'm not going to give someone a hard time for not agreeing with me. I just call 'em the way I see 'em. I'm a futurist. It's what I do.

[elcreative]

I'd say rather "A version of the future, futurist but not the only version and probably going to be wildly off target as most futurists usually are..." and that probably applies to my own preferences as well...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Ay, so sensitive...

[ilovejedd]

Are smartphones the future?

I do see that happening eventually. Just not in the near future. Not until the older (and perhaps even the current) generation dies and ebooks become de rigeur. Alas, by that time, I also think people will have accepted Big Brother (in the form or Apple or Google or some Chinese company?) and traded privacy in favor of convenience.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by toddos

As I understand it, eink is entirely opaque so a "backlight" can't work. However surface-mounted "frontlighting" should work just fine. I just don't understand why nobody's done this.

Perhaps it would increase the cost too much and is not considered important enough for that (i.e. not a core feature of a book).

On topic: Multi-purpose devices like smartphones surely are the future. The more logic can be cast into a chip, the easier and cheaper it becomes to add functions, making it wasteful not to use them.
The name will likely change, though. Phones and tables are merging already, aren't they? (think of the Samsung Galaxy Tab)

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

The name will likely change, though. Phones and tables are merging already, aren't they? (think of the Samsung Galaxy Tab)

I think so, too; on one hand I expect it will either be a generic name of or based around "com" (for communicator and computer) or a trademarked name that will eventually become the defacto name for the device (like Band-Aid, Kleenex, etc).

On the other hand, a name that better represents what it does for people is possible. I've used "secretary" in a few of my books, to indicate a device which keeps you connected to others, holds your documents and PIM data, performs as commanded, etc. Of course, "LCARS" works...

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Alas, by that time, I also think people will have accepted Big Brother (in the form or Apple or Google or some Chinese company?) and traded privacy in favor of convenience.

Pfft. That happened back in the eighties... where were you? I'm afraid your sense of paranoia is severely mis-aligned. Take a break from the interwebs, go to your nearest Starbucks, use your credit card to buy a coffee, and move on.

[Lemurion]

Just as it's become almost impossible to buy a phone without a camera, I see the same coming true of dumb phones within the next few years. After all, the companies want to charge everyone for both voice and data.

Mine has already replaced both my watch and alarm clock. (I wonder how many people predicted that portable telephones would essentially kill the wristwatch.)

They're already everywhere, and people are going to use them for reading. They won't be primary readers for those who read a lot, just as they haven't become the primary devices for streaming video, because the screen's to small; but an awful lot of people are going to do a lot of reading on them - and the number's only going to grow.

[RDaneel54]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

Mine has already replaced both my watch and alarm clock. (I wonder how many people predicted that portable telephones would essentially kill the wristwatch.)

I'd say that not too many predicted that. Another example of the unforseen consequences of new technology.

I still wear a wristwatch. Old habit and it's soooo much trouble to pull my phone out to check the time. The phone has become the new pocket watch.

[5thWiggle]

eye wanna EyePhone

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Pfft. That happened back in the eighties... where were you? I'm afraid your sense of paranoia is severely mis-aligned. Take a break from the interwebs, go to your nearest Starbucks, use your credit card to buy a coffee, and move on.

Not in the US and living in obscurity. Heck, our street isn't even on the map.

[Penforhire]

I want convergence, fewer devices to get my tech on. Everyone will have different thresholds of what is acceptable functionality in compromised-by-nature converged devices.

I was an early smartphone adopter, switching from a Motorola Star Tac and Palm V to a single Kyocera 7135 (early Palm OS phone). In some ways it was the cat's meow. But after a year or two I went back to a Palm Tx and a Moto Razor. It had too much compromise for me.

But since about the second generation iPhone I have near-perfect convergence of at least the PDA and phone functions. I have no desire to go back to separate phone and PDA devices.

I think convergence is desirable. Now more people are carrying around e-readers and similar-form tablets. We're faced with I/O issues getting those functions to converge into a phone's shape factor (or vice versa, making calls with a tablet) but some day soon we will get there. I'll probably buy an early heads-up-display device that gets the job done well enough.