Will iPod Touch Revive the PDA Market?
The new iPAQ 210 Enterprise Handheld, iPAQ 110 Classic Handheld, iPAQ 910 Business Messenger, iPAQ 610 Business Navigator, and the iPAQ 310 Travel Companion are HP’s ammunition in what appears to be a serious go at resurrecting foundering (and neglected) once very successful mobile-device business.
I am sure this is very useful for the corporate road warrior or a very conscientious auditor/accountant type. (but I would question the wisdom of launching on top of any Apple presentation). There is a smart phone (Business Navigator), some traditional Palm type PDAs and a Tom Tom type portable device (Travel Companion).
Corporate warrior tools don’t exactly strike the imagination. They are purely functional and their bland exteriors belay their utilitarian purpose of tying oneself to the corporate machine, a constant reminder of the staid existence of cubicle world. Frankly like most launches of Windows based products it is as exciting as the release of a GAP statement. Contrast with the almost manic coverage of the new iPod Touch, the question is why the difference?
The difference is in the fundamental view of what personal devices are. While I paint a dull (zune like) brown staid existence of the cubicle world that the Windows PDA exemplifies, the new Apple iPod Touch characteristics the youthful optimism of sharing and social.
As humans we are social animals and we are characterized by participation and sharing. Where as the HP iPAQ is about personal productivity, the iPod Touch is about content and sharing. It more closely aligns with the social self. This of course leads us down the path of not only You tube, but My Space, Facebook, twitter etc etc. Tools that are explicitly designed for sharing and building. It is not going to take very long for the iPod Touch and iPhone to be enabled to support the hot social networking tools and turn into a pivot point for the myspace and facebook generations. If you can integrate the music and video content of the iPod part of the iPhone/iPod Touch, maybe sharing partial or free content such as music videos around the iPod experience.
Another thought is that now iTunes Wireless is available, can we share the playlists in the same way we do on Macs now ? can we share the latest episode of Desperate Housewives or blog about the latest Lindsay Lohan incident (not me but I can imagine someone wanting to do that).
[gratuitous Linday Lohan shot]
To answer my own question, the iPod Touch may have ushered in an entirely new market for consumer based PDAs or Social Digital Assistants (SDA).
We don't use the nofollow tag out of principle, you are welcome to comment, but please respect it or it could disappear. If you want to understand what this means please read my 
new zealand
flight of the conchords
Peter Jackson
Kiwi
Kiwifruit
Moblog
Travel and Places
Very interesting and informative post, thanks!
For now I think the PDA market (business wise) is still holding up, but with the iPhone being as successful as it is for a multi purpose device, I think the next update is going to be a killer.
Great article! Every iPod owner should be aware of this information. Hats off
I think it has every chance of reviving the PDA market if the touch is anywhere near as popular as it’s predecessors.
This is interesting, I don’t know if the iPod touch is in fact a PDA but one thing is for sure, hardware devices are getting more and more alike over time. It won’t be long until we simply own one single device that does everything.
I’m not sure about the iPod Touch reviving the PDA market but I think its close relative the iPhone3GS will certainly help to do this, although if it’s a business market the Blackberry style devices are probably better suited to the use.
.-= Chris Thomas@Free iPhone3GS´s last blog ..Apple announce iPhone 3.1 – available today =-.
It has every chance of reviving the PDA market if the touch is anywhere near as popular as it’s predecessors.
Yep it’ll definitely revive the PDA market if you ask me.
My 2 cents.
.-= sam@Fun with iPods´s last blog ..Types of iPods =-.
Great post as always.
.-= bruce@iPod Antics´s last blog ..A New Breed of iPod =-.
Cool info, cheers.
I think the touch and even more the iPhone has revived the market. Look at Google’s android enabled phones coming out now and the “Droid” coming out in a few weeks.
.-= Ron@iPod car adapter´s last blog ..iPod Receiver – iPod Car Stereo =-.
Not sure it will revive the PDA market but it is a very stylish device. Apple make the most aesthetically pleasing gadgets, no doubt about that!
.-= Aaron @ Huffy Green Machine 2´s last blog ..Huffy Pink Green Machine =-.
I agree the new generation of iPod touch could be a killer, I will be a fight, Apple or Blackberry ?
I think that eventually you will have one gadgets that does everything. And every technological advancement is one step closer to that. This debate is a perfect example.
.-= Dave@Lake District Routes´s last blog ..Ctrl Z @ Triple J Radio (Set Download) =-.