Comments on: Is the PDA dead?

Sony's decision to cut back its PDA business isn't a huge surprise. The question isn't why the electronics giant is getting out of the declining PDA market--but who will be next.

Does PDA signal Sony's future?

Back in 1996, we recognized the impact of Sony entering the computer business and began tracking its evolution in the digital realm. Many of us bought early Vaio notebooks, Wega TVs and Mavica cameras that used floppy disks as the company eventually joined the frays of digital television, PC-TV convergence, CD ripping and the fight for the living room. Some bet that Sony would take over the technology industry with its powerful brand and sense of design; others said it was stretched too thin and didn't understand the cutthroat computing industry. Those arguments persist in our newsroom today. Give us your thoughts on Sony, from the company's strategy to your experiences with its products.

sony's PDA efforts

I am a user of PDA's for 10 years--sharp, palm and handspring.
Sony tried to use Palm, but honestly, they so slanted it to use
only on windows, only on sony, that I couldn't buy it. I wanted
to, but need to bridge operating systems. They chose to
exclude those who need Palm for what it is, a versatile bridge
between operating systems in different locations.

Sony killed its own invention. One shouldn't cut off potential
customers by design.

[jaguaraja]

PDA's are dead

I've always though PDA's are cool, but I can never justify to myself why I would ever buy one. I see a niche use for the ultra mobile user, but cellphones are filling that need. I put the PDA and the Tablet PC in the folder labeled "Dead, but was a cool idea"

Limited Global Market

Agree with you. I'm a PDA user that moved to Asia four years ago and recently came back to the U.S. In many countries with high mobile penetration rates, PDAs never really took off when their boom began because smart phones were already gaining ground. Definitely much of the functionality they offered today can be replaced by many smart phones, so I don't have a strong reason to buy a new PDA now. Also outside of the U.S., where will the growth come from as wireless penetration rate grow and new competition comes from a variety of sources?

[Wayne]

Evolutionary Process

I do not see either the PDA or Tablet PC as an evolutionary dead-end. PDA functionality will appear in a number of devices, including the current stand alone PDA. I see the Tablet PC as becoming more and more refined with additional functionality created as the device continues to mature. Changes to these types of devices are going to come quicker than other types of electronic devices because of their nature.

I am currently using a Gateway M275 which I find myself using as both a Laptop and a Tablet about the same percentage of time. Until you experience the Tablet PC and can put it through it?s paces, you really can?t appreciate the versatility of this device.

I will switch over to a smartphone such as a Treo or Voq when the prices come down. I use my PDA daily but would enjoy the convenience of not having to carry both my cell phone and PDA. The PDA has entrenched itself as a valuable portable tool. With convergence, I see PDA functionality morphing into other devices. Additional technology breakthroughs such as OLED will be incorporated into mobile devices making them smaller, more powerful and easier to use and enjoy. I see a bright future for these devices not an end.

PDA usefulness

I agree. I have had three of these pieces of junk over the past six years, and have not kept using any of them, because they're a pain to carry around, always need recharging, and are generally hard to use. I know some people who make a lot of use of them, but more who have discarded them. A small paper notebook is much more useful.

There's a variation of Occam's Razor which says that "given multiple satisfactory solutions for a problem, the less complex is desirable."

There may be a small niche for PDAs, but not as big as hopeful manufacturers thought.

[Mendz]

Hybrid Personal Devices Are The Future

The beepers were big hits before celfones boomed. Today, who wants a PDA if you can have a phone?

Will it be the same fate for PDAs? Hmmm... Who wants a PDA if you can have a smartphone?

Unless we redefine PDAs as something that can deliver (almost) everything an individual needs from a single electronic device.

Smartphones are a good start though they are still mostly celfones. I still look forward to seeing:

- Hybrid Personal Devices (HPDs) that are PDAs and multimedia devices in one;
- wireless connectivity is purely via web. Public WiFi perhaps?
- the phone feature is purely software and uses VoIP (though standard celfone connectivity may still get into the picture but that will take us back to smartphones);
- IR, Bluetooth, computer sync, digital cameras, games, etc.
- plus everything nice...

And what can be more interesting is to let the same unit support the reception of radio, TV and/or satellite "cable channel" signals (talk about streaming content).

Oh, well... let's wait and see...

[jelabarre]

Coming upon this discussion a few years later, I would like to make a reply here:

Per Mendz's comment "Who wants a PDA if you can have a smartphone?"

Because the so-called "smartphones" are *WAY* too expensive, to begin with. Right at the beginning there is the cost of the device. A basic PalmOS device could be had *free and clear* for between $80-120. Your so beloved "smartphone" might be available in some form at a comparable price, but you will be saddled with a long, inescapable contract in order to buy it, because the *real* cost of the phone is subsidized. And that long contract will be rife with hidden fees and expenses. If you try to but a phone without the indentured servitude of a long-term contract, the moat basic of units will cost you 3-4 times the cost of one of your non-phone PDAs.

And if you decide to go with one of those subsidized "smartphones", you will find your provider has likely locked-down finctionality, forcing you to run functions over *their* network taht a non-phone PDA would simply rin over the sync cable.

No thanks, when my Clie dies, I'm going back to paper.

The Future Is Just Starting!

Sony is making a mistake exiting the PDA sector. For years, manufacturers have been touting the "dreamlist" of features and functions for the PDA and only recently, the arc of technology and cost have met and us, the consumers are finally getting what we were led to believe.

Take for example the last Clie TH55. For the first time, I am able to leave behind my VAIO TR1A notebook by replacing most of my mobile requirements with the TH55. Check emails on the go, write one or two documents and heck, even enjoy music without looking like a technogeek B-Boy holding the TR1A as my digital boombox.

The PDA have finally come of age - with enough power in the CPU to watch smooth movies, bright screen to read ebooks and even play a game or two. I can even look respectable at the meeting taking voice notes.

Sony is going through a funk, and they are in a disarray. Yea, the PSP is coming soon but really, it does less than the Clies. Do I really want another Mariah Carey UMD after plopping down for her CD? And I don't think my CEO will be too excited with me bringing the PSP into meetings - just because it may also double-up as my cellphone.

Speaking of which - the PDA/phone hybrid. Sure, cellphones have become more powerful and having a Clie solely as an organizer does not make sense as most functions are found in one of those super-duper smartphones. But, have you seen the size of one? Even if they squeeze it down tiny, do I really want a small screen to read or view movies?

Sony is in a funk. They have the mini VAIOs (U50) and Pocket VAIOs ("iPod killers"). They are pinning their hopes on the PSP (actually, Ken Kutaragi - the Prince of Sony is steamrolling it) but it is untested and yet another proprietary UMD format. They think SonyEricsson and its P-series of smartphones can take over the Clie's needs.

But until each and every of this funky moves Sony is making, it isn't a slam dunk. To me, the Clie line was already nearly all of the above that they were trying to achieve. It is an MP3 player, it is a movie player, it is a mini-PC, hell, it could even be remade into a gaming machine (they did release a game controller before). All they needed was to pop-in one of those micro Cornice/Hitachi drives.

PDA, not quite dead yet

I just discovered PDA's not long ago after reading a computer magazine article about the Windows Mobile operating system versus the Palm OS. I love computers, I love gadgets, and I love PDA's. I have found a dozen uses for mine and each day I discover something else that I can do with it. The mp3 players and digital cameras are cool as well, and useful, but why abandon a device capable of serving multiple purposes to buy one or two devices that can only do one thing?
Why not buy a digital camera and store some of those pictures on your pda so you can access them quickly and easily wherever you go?
Why not take your favorite songs and put them on your PDA so you can listen to them while you wait in line at the grocery store?
There's even an attachment for my handheld that makes it a cellphone capable device, although its not available in the US right now I know it would be made available if the makers of this particular were made aware of a demand and a market for it.
God knows I see enough people around town with cellphones, making calls while driving, walking, etcetera.
If I can have a cellphone, camera, mp3 player, and voice recorder, all in one compact device, why not?

super pda's are the future

a pda which has the power to function as a laptop or pc when in the appropriate shell is the future.

which will end first, the laptop or the PDA

The PDA will never go away as the Newton once did. As a person who uses a PDA in the medical industry, I can safely say there is no way a cell phone with an addressbook can do what my PDA does. The question becomes, how much of a future market will there be?

I agree with the prior postings that the PDA is coming of age with the convergence of multiple devices (cell phone, addressbook, mp3 player, Gameboy, digital camera, voice recorder, web browser) as well as the fact that technology is finally catching up with the wish list. However, the one equipment that I believe the PDA will need to replace will be the laptop. Let's face it, laptops are not all that convenient to tote around, and I for one eagerly await the day when PDA's come with a USB port and a VGA-out.

What about Sony? I can't say that it is a bad decision for Sony. In the short term, perhaps the market will not be so lucrative. I'm sure they can jump back in whenever they want... perhaps even into the PocketPC camp. It is however a very bad day for Palm. A few years ago I had even hoped Sony would buy out the struggling Palm franchise. Although I favor PalmOne products over other branded Palm systems, Sony has definately set the standard for Palm devices for much of the last few years.

[kamchoor]

Great Stuff. Over Priced

I luv them. But they're simply too over priced for they deliever.