|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The state of handheld computers
and my recent brush with Palm-enabled supermodel Claudia Schiffer have
a lot in common. It's all about disappointment and failing to connect. It all began at a press luncheon at the PalmSource developer conference in Santa Clara, California where Palm Inc. honchos were about to discuss their vision of handheld computers for 2001. At a table in the corner was Claudia with her People. She's an eligible bachelorette with great prospects as a geekette because she's just launched the Claudia Schiffer edition of the Palm Vx handheld computer. Being a single, eligible guy with great prospects I figured an introduction was in order. So I said to my People - a bunch of ragtag tech journalists and several Palm executives - "I'd love to get a picture with Claudia." Michael Moskowitz, president of Palm Canada, said, "Got a camera?" I had forgotten to bring it. So Moskowitz's right hand man Matt Hickey said, "I've got a PalmPix camera." That's the Kodak add-on that snaps photos on a Palm computer. So off rushes Moskowitz to chat with her People to secure the photo-op. He comes back grinning. "They agreed," he says. "Matt, give me your camera." Hickey face goes long. The batteries are dead. Now Claudia and her People are standing and moving toward the door. She's towering deliciously over them thanks to her three-inch stiletto heels. Moskowitz seeing the opportunity fading asks to borrow a camera from the neighbouring table. But - alas - it's too late. Claudia and her People vanish out the door. I drowned my sorrows in what was left of lunch. I don't hold Moskowitz or Hickey's batteries responsible for the missed opportunity to wow Schiffer with my geeky charm. It just didn't come together. And that's what's happened with the handheld computer market and wireless technology in North America. The technology to bring wireless data to the palm-top exists but it's been a market reserved for business. Joe and Joanie Commuter just can't afford it. In 2001, all that will change. After Claudia swept out of the luncheon without me on her arm, Palm executives outlined their strategy to make the handheld computing experience a wireless one for all future Palms. In the second half of this year, Palm will begin to ship several new devices that will feature the stamp-sized Secure Digital slot. This slot will take new add-on devices that will expand the functionality of Palms. SD devices will include wireless modems that will connect to cellular phone networks to provide data connectivity. Wireless e-mail and Web access on Palms will be possible where there is a cellular signal available. Curiously, that will change the nature of how handhelds are sold. A wireless-enabled handheld package - which will include a Palm computer, wireless modem, and wireless data subscription - will be bought through a cellular phone company, like cell phones are today. So can a zero-cost or discounted wireless handheld computer be far away like cellular phone handsets? Version 4.0 of Palm's operating system will be required to support the new SD cards. It is due out in the second half of the year and is in beta testing today. The new OS will also support voice so that the enabled handhelds will be able to use an add-on that will give them cellular phone capability. Not to be outdone, the competing Pocket PC devices - that sport the Microsoft Windows CE operating system - will evolve in lockstep with the Palm devices. They already have an expansion port called Compact Flash. Packages with a bundled Pocket PC, wireless modem and data account will also become available. What may be the big challenge for both flavours of handheld is battery life. Cellular phones still struggle to offer battery life beyond a couple of busy working days of wireless cellular chatter. So what of wireless data modem-enabled handheld computers? Pathetic battery life may thwart the wireless handheld dream, though Research in Motion has done it on their wireless Blackberry devices. We may be surprised at what feats of engineering the handheld makers will cook up. An early glimpse of how this will play out will be available by spring. Kyocera Wireless has announced a smartphone, which integrates the Palm operating system with a CDMA cellular phone. It will be available in February or March. CDMA or Code-Division Multiple Access, is a wireless protocol run by Sprint PCS, GTE Wireless and AirTouch. Samsung will also roll out two handheld-like phones by summer. Their Stinger phone will ship with the Pocket PC operating system. The company also announced a licensing deal with Palm. A PalmOS-enabled Samsung phone will also appear later this year. Year 2001 will also be the year of Bluetooth add-ons for handhelds. That's a short-range wireless networking technology that will allow any Bluetooth-enabled device to communicate wireless with other Bluetooth devices. If your cellular phone and handheld computer both have the technology, you'll be share data and a Web connection between the two. Bluetooth add-on cards will emerge this year and be integrated into a device's chipset in 2002. No matter what wireless technology you use, Internet data speeds from your palmtop will remain slow. Expect a maximum of 14.4 Kbps, which - give or take a few kilobits - is about one quarter the speed you can expect from your PC's dialup modem. In 2002, cellular data speeds are expected jump to 100 Kbps as network operators retool their networks. Palm executives said half of their handheld offerings will have colour screens by year end. Pocket PCs, which already have colour screens, will get smaller. Bet on Handspring, the hot Palm clone, to also make some interesting moves now that they have sold their millionth device. Expect deployment of phone and wireless modem kits through Handspring's partners. In all this flurry of activity, RIM will continue to develop their handhelds to work more like the competitors. Currently you can't add software to RIM's Blackberry devices like you can on the Palm and Pocket PC devices. RIM is changing that. They are developing a strategy that will enable RIM Blackberry users to add Java-based software to their devices. Java is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Informal chitchat at the PalmSource conference had it that RIM may also be one of the next big PalmOS licensees, though no one in either camp would tip their palms. That would be a dramatic move on RIM's part, given they are one of the wireless data incumbents and Palm owns the handheld market. So let's not call it a rumour. Let's call it wishful thinking, much like my new relationship with Claudia. Back to Tech to Go columns |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
  
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Look Mac, I'm just gonna tell you once - you have to back up to the web with XDrive 
Adding RAM is easy, 
