Northforce:
While admittedly I am not the most impartial observer, my reaction to the pdQ is near orgasmic. The validity, or lack thereof, of the form factor for any piece of consumer electronics ultimately foots to its usage...and the pdQ is perfect for my application. Here's why.
An an investment manager, I always travel with my Pilot (PALM III) and a cellular phone. Almost everything important to my business life is stored in the Pilot's Date Planner and Telephone book. Meanwhile, I am forever opening the Pilot, finding a telephone number, and then dialing out on my cell phone--juggling two pieces of equipment (not to mention losing additional briefcase space). The availability of an integrated piece, that can be hot-sync'd by my secretary, will be extremely efficient.
As for data entry, the Nokia Communicator, and the Windows CE crowd, seem to miss the point in my opinion. I don't want to use my phone as a laptop and I don't want to type long messages on a chicklet sized keyboard. My desktop is the primary interface while the Pilot Graffiti allows me to quickly fix a date, telephone number or address (i.e. some minor data entry).
Could the form factor be smaller or prettier? Sure. But QC is wisely using the existing 3COM platform to commercialize the technology and establish proof of concept (not to mention leveraging the mind share of existing Palm III customers). This should be an efficient way to make us (i.e. us shareholders) happy.
Best regards,
Gregg |
