Comments on: Maybe Your Phone Doesn’t Need to Be Smart

By: Mexxqk

Mexxqk — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:51:19 +0000

test

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:28:11 +0000

I don’t agree with this at all. Unless you are trying to keep costs down, convergence of media devices – cell phone, camera, mp3, web, etc – is the way to go. Sure, it sucks when you need to call someone and look through 10 screens instead of typing the number, but thats a weakness in the software. If the software is designed right, then each “use” should be easy to access. Its better than carrying 5 devices for each of your tasks.

Thats where the iphone is going to be great – they seem to have the UI down for the mp3 player and phone part of it – now to get the rest of these parts in without complicating things.

By: Roger Shepherd

Roger Shepherd — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:17:32 +0000

I’ve been using the term “digital divergence” myself………

I agree with the “horses for courses” view you give and you’ve inspired me to revisit the topic on my blog http://bloggershepherd.blogspot.com/2007/03/divergence.html.

By: Roger Shepherd

Roger Shepherd — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:15:34 +0000

I’ve been using the term “digital divergence” myself………

I agree with the “horses for courses”

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:52:11 +0000

I am for convergence - I use a K800i phone which I can access my mail on BUT it is not push. I was just about to jump to a Pearl but then Mr Jobs stood up at MacWorld and that was the end of that route!

So at the mo, it's a K800i and an iPod. It will be an iPhone.

By: Neal Watzman

Neal Watzman — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 02:44:29 +0000

I think some of the "convergence" decision is about how each of us works. I do software development and carry my laptop with me everywhere. So there is my calendar, contact list, music (iTunes), etc. In my case yes, I have an iPod which also serves me as an external hard drive, so I say. I've carried a laptop for ages and when it's not running I make notes and appointments on paper.

I have no need for a camera in my phone, besides it's too hard to get any images out of it. If I wanted a camera, I'd carry a camera.

I like a cell phone that is a phone. I use a flip phone with an outside screen. I suppose I have some convergence here, as I don't wear a wrist watch. When I need to know the time, I look at my phone.

By: LG

LG — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:52:38 +0000

I'm all for convergence, but currently can't find a "convergence device" that's even a 1/4 as good as the individual devices on their own. So as it is I carry a Nokia 1100 (a very ordinary phone), an Ipaq rx3115 (A nice but slightly aging PDA with great Wifi reception), a Powerbook G4 and a 3G 20Gb Ipod. It's still far too much gear, and I usually carry it all on my shoulder/in my pockets. So I'd love convergence: I'd like a phone+PDA with a 4" screen that doesn't have a keypad, that has great Wifi reception, will run any program I want it to (cough Iphone), and will play all my music without me having to look at the screen.

By: Anne Zelenka

Anne Zelenka — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:36:52 +0000

Hmmm. I’m a bit disturbed at how my latest thinking is paralleling the 37Signals’ guys. ;)

By: BJ Clark

BJ Clark — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:46:00 +0000

37signals talked about this in this post: http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives2/less_phone_the_moto_pebl.php

By: ajaxus

ajaxus — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:19:51 +0000

I think we cant escape from these features-rich-devices... I personally prefer to have them separately, but when I wanted to get a simple mobile and looked at the market, all phones were supporting mp3, having wide screens, making nice pictures, hude memory storage etc etc....

Apart from that I still carry my nano with me :) its style that matters! somebody above mentioned "fashion"!

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:39:36 +0000

Despite all the shiny objects and converged devices, I still like a phone that is a phone, an email device. unfortunately, my days have been so hectic that i have had to give up the iPod. Oh well … need to be productive at times.

By: Amanjeev

Amanjeev — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:57:41 +0000

I believe that it is "entirely" a matter of personal preference. Convergence or semi-convergence, all of this is just seen as a trend but behind this trend there are solid personal efforts. Every time a "style" or "fashion" is produced, it has more or less got to do with people.

I think you can never draw a line on this. Some people would always prefer everything in one device and others would like all of them to be separate. Obviously if there is a commercial photographer, he would not be happy with a cellphone camera and would require better lenses and zoom capabilities of a professional camera.

But what definitely can be said is that "now" is the time. Decide your flavor and you shall get it.

-AJ

By: rick gregory

rick gregory — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:38:00 +0000

Me? I have a Nokia 770 tablet.. when I needed a new phone I got a Nokia 6133… Good reception, Bluetooth, nice screen, nice form factor. Does IM if I really need it… but let’s face it… if I ‘m not on my laptop I probably don’t need to be IMing. the question is whether I need the intermediate device (the 770 in my case) – how many times do I need to browse and do other things but dno’t have my laptop?

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:20:05 +0000

Put me in the separate camp. There are certain pieces of functionality I always want with me and others I only want in certain situations. It depends on personal preference, though. For me, always having phone and handheld Internet is a must, but music/video playing and picture taking aren't important enough for me to justify the higher price for a device that supported everything I could ever use.

---Pete http://nerdguru.net