Followed a Webinar from ABI Research (http://www.abiresearch.com/home.jsp) on the future and convergence of Mobile Devices–handsets, netbooks, smartphones, etc. I tweeted my thoughts during the Webinar–http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23mohands
My Top Takeaways:
- Netbook v Laptop wars: likely to be good for consumer in terms of price, but will probably reinforce the split of desktop replacement and highly portable, with the more portable end being threatened by netbooks. May be bad for consumer in terms of choice as the small, netbook format may become dominant and taking performance away from the highly portable laptop segment.
- Mobile Internet Devices could be the leading edge of personal area network enabled devices and special purpose “adapters” like headsets, Personal Navigational Devices, etc. But, they won’t. The US conusmer seems uninterested in MIDs and further the carriers have created too many rate plan barriers and are just plain too greedy in trying to force multi-line subscriptions. This is blocking innovation.
- Future for Microsoft has never been brighter. Windows XP is the dominant shipment on netbooks and Microsoft is all over enabling the battery management and instant-on features for a next gen (read 2010) netbook. This fits most consumer needs. Could Microsoft be the one innovating a netbook tether to a desktop in a WebOS connected way? Could they also innovate with a Windows Mobile handset that tethers to the netbook? I think that could be a very interesting idea that bypasses the carrier problems.
Also announced today was Sprint’s enhanced all you can eat and all the mobiles you can call plan. Perhaps Sprint will be the innovator in creating one-pay sub plans. TiVo and SiriusXM offer me these as alternatives to monthly. When will the wireless carriers wise up?
Oh… I know… when they get their infrastructure aligned behind making money on data instead of just propping up failing ARPU.
Posted by scottrfrancis 
