Apple PDA
As a business owner, inventor, appl shareholder, techno-luster and, most importantly, a lover of all things Mac, I think Apple would be crazy NOT to enter into the PDA market. BUT, that said, it must be done right. They must hit the bulls-eye the first time, like they did with the iPod. This is extremely hard to do for technical, visionary, design, and even internal politicking reasons. All the necessary elements are aligned. First off, the hardware technology is in place to do it right (more on that in a second). Secondly, Apple is well on their way to have O.S. X be the standard bearer for their, AND, their competitors future (tell me that the next Windoz O.S. won't have as many of the Mac O.S. features as is legally possiblemost likely even infringing on Apple's O.S. knowing how Balmer and Gates operate). Thereby making Apple's O.S. the perfect aqua oriented system for a handheld/phone. Finally, the cell phone industry is entering their third generation (3G) and is ready for true usefullness beyond simple conversations - i.e. wireless broadband!!! Can't you see? This is the perfect time for Apple to be "developing" such a device. Apple is already smart enough to recongnize this "useful devices" mentality with the iPodthe right digital device to intro. as their first foray beyond computers. Okay, now for the fun part (as I see it): It must be a timeless design whose components can be upgraded for years, i.e. memory, O.S., screens, connections, etc. Therefor, I recommend something not unlike the Sony Clié. Aluminum case, flip open (for double the work space/usability), with an edge-to-edge-to-edge screen (ideally OLED) showing 16 million colors brightly lit (cheaper, brighter, higher resolution using less powerthis is all available through OLED, check it out). It must be thin, light, strong, high tolerence design. Now for the kicker, the built in phone would also work via Bluetooth with a small ear-bud or over-the-ear receiver that would be bought as an accessory. Thereby allowing us to speak/listen via the wireless Bluetooth earpiece while at the same time taking notes, looking at email, attachments, files, photos, video clips, a TV show (you know, incase it's a telemarketer or your mother-in-law calling)... all on the screen of the Apple iPad in our hand. No more juggling a phone in the ear while holding a semi-useful PDA to do what - look up someone's address? Let's make the PDA/phone a seamless unit that is actually useful for hundreds of real-life possibilities. That's one of the limitations with the Pocket PC available through cellular carrier TMobil, you're either talking or PDAing - not both at the same time. Next, it should use xD memory the new memory format card co-developed by Fuji and Olympus and soon to be adopted by all the major camera companies, it's smaller than a postage stamp, nearly as thin and will, by mid to late 2003 hold up to 8 GIG's. Yes, I said gigabits! Check it out at Best Buy and on Google. Now throw in the 20 Gig HD from the iPod (if it isn't heavy...?) and of coarse USB and Firewire connections. You wouldn't need a dock because it would have Bluetooth to wirelessly sync (think iSync now) at broadband rates since Bluetooth is a wireless, broadband, short distance technology (9-30 feet). And finally, for all the Palm folks out there. Jump on board because like the real world, business is business and the truth is that the Apple O.S. is so much better, foreward thinking than Palms O.S. Just as Apple has moved on with O.S. 9. (some might think abandon), Apple should put out a world-class PDA with their already existing world-class O.S. X. Let it operate Palm programs like O.S. X operates in Classic, but, let the best experience be with Apple's own O.S. XPDA version. Nothing personal against Palm. They just aren't visionary enough. So what if they have the greatest market share. Wells Fargo Stage Coach Co. did too. They don't have what Apple has and it's the right time for Apple to fill in the Gap.
