Are personal digital assistants becoming a credible alternative to laptops? Among "mobile professionals" they are. It's not just Psion who would say that, I'm sure Palm and Microsoft would say the same. I still use a laptop, so a PDA is not a full replacement but there are many applications, email being a good example, where they are doing so. There's still an element of manufacturers positioning them as "gadgets" - an example being the building of MP3 into a PDA or a mobile. It is not all that usable because of memory constraints and battery issues.
Is there a saturation point for PDAs? If there is, we are a long way from it. The UK and Switzerland have the highest penetration for PDA use per capita at about 5%. This is significantly lower than for mobile phones.
What applications are becoming useable for handhelds? Everyone tries to identify killer applications but I don't think it's clear that there are any. Messaging is big today but with GPRS (general packet radio service) it will be even better and more convenient. The cellular operators are keen to see us move from SMS (text) messaging to enhanced and multimedia messaging.
How important will 3G technology become? 3G will be a significant step forward for wireless technologies and will enable many new, exciting and compelling applications. However, operators are struggling with the complexity and costs, which will inevitably delay market adoption. Psion's strategy involves a number of wireless technologies of which 3G will ultimately be a major one. Until then, our focus is on today's technology, ie Bluetooth, GSM and GPRS.
Is the dearth of available bandwidth in the UK a major problem? Band-width and cost will need movement and simplification before the mass market can adopt 3G devices. There is much talk and hype surrounding applications that require significant bandwidth. These applications could become reality, but at what cost?
Is convergence the key word for the future? We will see converged devices but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll want one device that does everything. When you converge devices, it brings with it compromise. You have to weigh up whether by being clever you might be sacrificing aspects of usability.
Do you have a favourite gadget? My current favourite is the Psion WaveFinder. It's an interactive digital radio receiver. We believe that Digital Audio Broadcasting is going to be important, as well as very synergistic with 3G. 3G is going to be point to point whereas DAB is broadcast. The quality of the content delivered over DAB is also fantastic.
Any favourite websites? www.mobilelifestreams.com is a great source of all things wireless. Also www.ft.com and www.nasdaq.com
Visit: www.psion.com
