a mailPod?

k_munic

Hi, my fellow americans,



pure speculation:



I claim, one of the reasons of the success of the iPods lies in "separatism": for 30 years, the computer is well known as the all-in-one wonder: you can write on it, you can view iNet site, you edit video, etc.



Now, the iPod is a little computer (harddrive, file management, decompression of files etc) but it doesn't look so. You don't even have to handle it as a computer? or, for window users: no dikettes, not even a keyboard!!



The many mentioned Halo-Effect could be, that some people realize a Mac not as a "computer"? that would be nice, I do love the old commercials with Jeff Goldblum?

I sat aside two people, "installing" their MacMini - "? oh! _that_ easy!?"/"? a Mac is much easier then a computer?" Mac?computer!!



back to speculation:

premise: people don't like the complexity of computers.

so, what could be the next successful "device"?

could it be, that we will get separate "machines" for different tasks? not the super-duper-mobile-fone-player-camera-organziers?? but??



what are the people using their "computers" most? I believe, John Doe does use the internet; websites and mailing (on my last party, one person was missing - she's the only one without a mail adress? she was forgotton).



thesis:

a mail-machine;



plug it into any telephone line; "plug" into any open WLAN; connect it/BT to your mobile?

yes, I've seen a blackberry before ? but I've seen mp3 players before the iPod? imagine a blackberry device with the functionality and the look-'n-feel of an iPod. Over here, SMS is a billion dollar business, young people send dozends of "mails" with their mobiles; now do that better & wider?



we have rendevouz/bonjour, iSync, mail, airport, BT, iPod wheels, ? we even have Ink, which would make our blackberry a little smaller/yes, I've seen & used a Palm before?



I think, the spec about a tablet pc were nice, but again too complex; keep it simple: a big one with a "mice keyboard", a smaller as a Palm; wireless integration in your Mac/.mac system. zero-config, just the button "fetch mail".



what do you think about "a new machine for every task"?

cubist

I strongly doubt it. The iPod is a read-only device, and Apple has strongly resisted efforts to make it capable of data entry.



The device you describe is available today. It is called a "PDA". Apple doesn't make them.

k_munic

Quote:

Originally posted by cubist

?The device you describe is available today. It is called a "PDA". Apple doesn't make them.

Hi cubist,



thanx for your reply - remember Newton ?? no, not a personal assistent, just a mail-machine, as I tried to discribed with the word "separatism"?_even the actual PDAs have much to much features? and they get many more (mp3, navigation?); and I miss the super-easy handling as with the iPod?

cubist

Well, there are the MailStation and the Audrey; and Motorola sells a simple box ($50) that you can carry around and send IMs from. If Moto's box did email, too, I'd probably buy it.