Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 109

All these companies trying to put the web onto their 4 line LCD screen have got it backwards. Even the folks at Qualcomm have it wrong by wrapping a phone around a Palm.

What we need is to have a PDA that has built-in cellular capabilities (for data & voice). To utilize the voice, you plug a mic/earphone into the PDA and use the phone application (this could be a headset, or a lapel mic and ear piece, etc.)

Dialing could be handled through onscreen buttons or through the address book. Perhaps a hands-free voice interface would be even handier (pun intended).

In fact, you could elimnate the wire and have a bluetooth headset or earpiece/lapel combo and just leave the PDA in your pocket.

The hardware buttons coould be configured to answer an incoming call with any keypress. One buton in particular would be dedicated to bring up the phone application at all times.

A telephone is a very simple and narrow task that should be wrapped into a multipurpose device, not the other way around. Heck, even my recliner has a built-in speaker phone!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Posts: 146

I agree! I've seen some mock-ups of future PDA's that have a mic and a speaker and they function as a cell phone. The keys are on-screen. The bluetooth thing is interesting, but I'd feel wierd walking down the street seemingly talking to myself, when instead, I'm talking to a little computer in my pocket.

As if PDA geeks and other techies don't get enough jokes at their expense.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Midland, Texas
Posts: 231

I have a buddy that works for Nokia, and we discussed this very issue. He said that it would likely always be a two philosophy approach: phone with PDA like qualities or PDA with phone capabilities. He said there is a demand for both.

Those of us on this board would likely prefer the PDA with phone capabilities due to our love of the PDA. However, we all can imagine those that are computer-phobic that will ride the learning curve as the phones evolve and always be more comfortable with the phone approach.

As you can imagine, Nokia et al. will gladly make money off of both groups.

tyler

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 13

It would be nice to be able to sync your phone/PDA phone list with something like Outlook without having to buy some $70 data connectivity kit . . .

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 125

I agree with the idea that wireless web via Visor would be far superior (for me, at least) to the tiny screen of a web phone. I posted a poll on this board earlier with the same results.

It would be great if we could get Nokia & Handspring together on this! See what you can do!

I think the Visor and an optional wireless Springboard will be a more attractive (not just aesthetically!) option than the pricey PalmVII.