* The anatomical challenges of mobility
Certainly mobile enthusiasts – both business users and consumers – seem to be on a never-ending quest for the “nirvana” traveling device with just the right combination of voice and data features. Will the newly announced Apple dual-mode iPhone be it? Probably not – at least, not in its first iteration.
From a telephony perspective, the ultimate phone, most would agree, would support PSTN-quality phone calls (and maybe push-to-talk capabilities) consistently just about anywhere in the world. This idealistic desire for ubiquitous, high-quality coverage has been, understandably, difficult to achieve.
Quality of the mobile phones has improved over the years, and they have also gained smaller footprints and extended battery life. But the phone is only part of the equation. Utility depends also on the network it connects to. And service provider business models have kept coverage concentrated largely in metro areas and away from out-of-the-way locations.
Alongside phone service akin to what we’ve enjoyed via the PSTN for more than 100 years, nirvana-seekers want a variety of data-centric stuff supported – possibly in the same device, but not at the expense of strong calling capabilities. Different categories of users have different needs: e-mail, text, chat, Web surfing, business applications, music, video on demand. Most of us would like all this in a form factor that doesn’t leave us with a permanent squint and BlackBerry Thumb.
History has shown that cramming all these attributes into an anatomically usable device is, indeed, a tall order, particularly for the presbyopic, over-40 crowd. Ergonomically, then, Apple seems to have made some strides with its 3.5-inch touch-screen interface.
But the connectivity aspect of the device is “uninspiring,” as one of my colleagues describes it. From a voice perspective, you can make traditional GSM calls (something I do from my Motorola RAZR). It’s not clear whether you will be able to install third-party software on the device to customize it for your business or consumer needs.
Will you be able to install Skype, for example, to make VoIP calls over the EDGE data network as well as local Wi-Fi networks? Currently, Cingular’s data network terms and conditions (as well as those of other mobile operators) prohibit VoIP.
It may just end up that business users retain separate strong phone and data devices and be content to pare their gadgets down to two. Now back in the mid-90s (when Apple said it “reinvented” the PC by introducing the Apple Newton PDA, which was sold for about five years), there was talk of a thing called a “virtual” keyboard and screen. This software would work with special 3D glasses and give you an in-the-air image of a full-sized keyboard and screen so, in effect, you could use teeny-weeny devices the same way you use a PC keyboard and monitor. Granted, you’d look a little geeky wearing the glasses and typing “in the air,” but at least you could see what you were doing.
Does anybody know whatever happened to this idea?
