Microsoft Says Your Phone is Your Next PC 271
eldavojohn writes "While other companies are marrying the obvious functionalities to cell phones (calendar, MP3 player, GPS, etc.), Microsoft is aiming for it to be your next computer. Microsoft Research chief Craig Mundie said that, "Microsoft has a research project called 'Fone+' that would allow the phone to work with a TV as a secondary display, and one that could allow video stored on the device to be played back on the television.""
More? (Score:5, Insightful)
Gee.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Too many functions (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Gee.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Gee.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Video from phone on TV? (Score:2, Insightful)
-matthew
Re:Gee.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Tablets.... yawn... (Score:3, Insightful)
MS direction is not set by listening to the market, but by Bill's ego. This is what happens when you have a virtual monopoly.
Re:Shhhhhh! Everyone be quiet! (Score:3, Insightful)
I presume you didn't read TFA and instead projected your negative preception of Microsoft onto the summary. FYI, that bit of the summary relates to this quote from TFA:
The fact that the average person in the developed world spends hours per day viewing video on a TV suggests that TVs are widely considered adequate for that task.
Re:Gee.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Shhhhhh! Everyone be quiet! (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, you can use a TV to watch videos, if that's all you do with your toys. On the other hand, if you read the first sentence of the article, it uses the phrase "formalize the transition of the phone to a mobile PC." I don't know about you, but I use my computer for a lot of things, most of which need text and very few involved just video.
So I'd suggest reading all of TFA before saying others have not.
Oh, and that pretty much renders your other point as a non sequitor.
Why not use your eggbeater as a windmill? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not use your oboe as a bassoon?
Why not use your sleeve as a handkerchief?
Why not use your car as a truck?
Why not use your PC as a doorstop?
Modularity (Score:3, Insightful)
1) In a convergence device, if two parts are important and are still in active development, one part will always obsolesce faster than the other part and force replacement of both.
2) In the particular case of a cell phone/computer, you -can't- replace the phone cheaply and easily until your plan's up (yes, eBay, but that can be tricky), forcing you to use an obsolete computer for the duration.
3) The design considerations for a phone and the design considerations for a portable computer are similar, yes--you want small, thin, and simple to use for both. However, if you want any sort of real power from the portable computer, it's nearly a given that it will need to be bigger and thicker and less simple than a cell phone of the same tech level would be. It needs to do more stuff.
4) Not -all- the design considerations are the same. The portable computer probably wants a relatively large, high resolution screen, and it probably wants to have a touchscreen. A phone doesn't need the complexity or defect rates of a touchscreen, and a high resolution screen on a phone means either a large phone or a relatively high defect rate from a high-pixel-density screen.
5) You don't always want all of your functionality wherever you go. Sometimes you just need a phone. It'd be nice if you could take your 2oz phone with you, instead of your 7oz smartphone.
6) If your phone breaks, you lose your computer, and vice versa.
7) We just don't really need to do it that way, now that bluetooth lets you essentially wear modules in a jacket or nearby bag. You can make a really small phone, if you're not trying to hang a computer off it. You can make it even smaller if you position it to use a bluetooth headset as the primary mic/speaker cluster (of course, you still have built-in ones as backups, but they don't have to be super-comfortable). The classic argument against multiple devices is too much space taken, but if you can make everything as small as they possibly can be for their focused purpose, you can minimize that. Making things smaller is one thing we generally get good at as time goes on.
Sure, there's always going to be a market for phones like the Verizon V/NV or the Sidekick, that do a relatively large subset of the functions of a smartphone for people who don't need more. And eventually, the phone/modem part will hopefully end up standardizing and will be a commodity item that you don't have to chase advancements on. Maybe we'll even drop the current handcuffs model on phone plans. At that point, moving phone functionality into the portable computer makes a lot more sense.
For now though, if you really need a -smart- setup, use separate devices. It seems clunkier and more expensive at the beginning, but you'll always be able to stay at the front of the curve if you want to, and you won't have conflicting buying priorities holding you back.
Re:More? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Too many functions (Score:2, Insightful)
This subject has to much importance for this kind of light analysis.
Before I start, I must tell that I'm pro-open source and I don't like Microsoft or Apple.
The interesting point here is to create a good platform to support mobile computing. At the present moment the hardware standards are a mess and the software... In the last two years I've programmed in a lot of mobile environments like J2ME, Symbian and
Unfortunately there's no practical open source alternative to the previous 3, and it is a shame. Mono and openMoko are not yet mature and mobile ubuntu is still vaporware.
In the meanwhile everybody speaks about Apple's iPhone... I don't see over there a good platform for third party applications. I'm not sure if apple has the resources to develop a software platform like Symbian or the
The community needs to pay more attention to mobile devices.
Re:More? (Score:3, Insightful)
Also here in Singapore there is no way you can refill said wallets online, or link them to a bank account (whether its a good idea is another thing) You're limited to paying paper money to load them up, or having to go to an ATM machine and do the transfer from your bank account.
Another system they've tried is vending machines you "phone" into, much like 1900 numbers, which dispense your beverage and then tacks the fee onto your phone bill.
There may be value in such a device... (Score:2, Insightful)
--
~AC
Re:Gee.. (Score:1, Insightful)
All of the features you list are things my phone is capable of RIGHT NOW and has been for a few years at least. I think Apple has some silly multi-touch screen, but I don't want to touch my screen with much more than the stylus because it marks it up - and I have a lot of buttons on the Querty (FUCK YOU nerd nazis, I did that on purpose!) so I can get stuff done faster than flipping through a bunch of menus using just one button ala Ipod.
Re:Shhhhhh! Everyone be quiet! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The Phone that runs Windows Vista (Score:5, Insightful)
You're dialing (8), cancel or allow?
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ten minutes later after you actually are talking to someone
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WinPhone has downloaded and installed an important security update, please reboot your phone
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Missing WINPHONE.DLL, Please Restart
Re:Gee.. (Score:3, Insightful)