- Recommend:
- 0 Comments
What Does the Future Hold for Your PDA?
Converged devices, mobile phones expected to steal market share.
The continued evolution of mobile phones and growing sophistication of converged mobile devices means a bleak future for traditional personal digital assistants, market research firm IDC predicts.
"From mobile phones to converged mobile devices, which combine the data capabilities of PDAs with the voice communication capabilities of mobile phones, competing device types will draw buyers away from traditional handheld devices," the firm notes in a new report, "Worldwide Smart Handheld Devices Forecast and Analysis, 2003-2007."
According to the firm's prognostications, this year the worldwide handheld device industry will decline by 8.4 percent to 11.35 million units, its second straight year of decline.
Limited Growth
IDC forecasts "limited growth" next year, but notes that "dreams" of a 20 million unit-a-year market will be replaced by a less than 15 million unit-a-year "reality."
The result will be companies such as Palm, Handspring, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard moving more toward converged mobile devices with such devices seeing strong growth this year (with sales approaching 13 million units).
If the research firm is right, Apple Computer's decision not to produce a PDA may be a good choice. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has said that Apple doesn't see PDAs as a lucrative market. He has also said that the company has no plans to product an Apple-branded cell phone.
For more Macintosh computing news, visit MacCentral. Story copyright © 2011 MacCentral. All rights reserved.
Would you recommend this story? YES NO
- Recommend:
- 0 Comments
-
Speed Up Everything!
PCWorld shows you the secrets to improve performance on all your hardware.
-
Stellar Tech Deals
Don't miss out on great deals from around the web.
-
ThinkPad Edge E420 Lenovo Style in an Affordable Package
Buy now direct from Lenovo -
ThinkPad X220 Fast and light, with great input ergonomics and battery life, this powerhouse ultraportable is best-of-breed.
Buy now direct from Lenovo -
ThinkPad X120e One of the best netbooks ever, X120e has the best netbook keyboard ever--nothing else comes close
Buy now direct from Lenovo
-
Samsung Galaxy S III Won't be Unveiled at Mobile World Congress
-
Tablets, Phones to Surpass PCs for Internet Use in Four Years
-
T-Mobile Says 1 Million iPhones on its Network
-
Samsung Galaxy Note: 1 Million Units of 5.3-Inch Device Shipped
-
Music Via Subscription Projected To Grow More Than 300% in Next Four Years
-
Apple Topples Nokia, Samsung as Top Smartphone Maker
- 12 Criteria for Selecting the Best ERP System Replacement An ERP system is your information backbone and reaches into all areas of your business and value chain. Replacing it can open unlimited business opportunities. This white paper explains the 12 criteria that allow you to identify and select the solution that will meet these expectations.
- Leveraging Social Computing Technologies for ERP Applications This white paper details how Web 2.0 technologies support business strategies by improving efficiency, productivity, and collaboration.
-
Apple Sold More iOS Devices in 2011 Than Macs Ever
-
Android 5.0 Jelly Bean Mobile Operating System May Arrive in Spring 2012
-
Scalado Remove Fixes Photobomb Moments
-
Android Dodges Apple iOS Address Book Debacle: But not by Much
-
How to Locate Your Unprotected Android Device
-
15 Smartphone Games to Play for Free in Your Browser
-
Motorola Droid 4 Review: Snappy Performance and a Great Keyboard
-
Apple Revamps IAd Terms Again
-
Apple to Ban Stealthy iPhone Contact Data Harvesting
-
The Byte: iPad 3 and LTE, Yahoo is Challenged, Android Losing to iOS
-
News Your Way: 10 News Aggregation Apps for Android Phones
-
AT&T Wireless Bandwidth Throttling: The Backlash Has Begun
Ad Choices