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Originally Posted by walkerbroadcas
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While UMPCs are intriguing products, I still don't see them as being PDA killers except for the very high end.
Why but a Palm Life Drive if you can get a UMPC for a little more?
But for the day to day organizing and other tasks that we already use our PDAs for, none of the early reports suggests that UMPCs have the functionality so closely linked to the PDA market.
Bill Gates said he wanted them to have "instant on." Unless I've missed it, none of them currently have that feature. So if is still has to boot up, it will take to long for the PDA market and you might as well use your laptop. But how many people use their laptops the way they use a PDA? Not many.
That's one of the things that continue to make PDAs viable, they act more like a paper based organizer when you need to access or enter information. Which is another reason people don't use their laptops for its PIM features.
It would take to long and drain the battery every time you had a reminder come on or wanted to look up a phone number or jot down a quick note.
See? Might as well stick with your PDA that does all of that quickly and easily.
So, I don't see them as in the same market. PDAs do what they do very well, that's why we have them. Laptops aren't good at that sort of thing, even if they are soon to be in a smaller package.
Nobody buys a computer to get more "organized" but that is the main reason people buy PDAs.
I do think it will attract PDA users when they go to get a new laptop and want a smaller form function (that reminds them of their PDA) at a possibly cheaper price.
I'd buy one as a laptop replacement because I like the concept of a smaller form factor TabletPC that allows me to do "real" computer work when needed.
But I would never consider it a replacement for my PDA for all the things only my PDA can do and, despite miscellaneous gripes, does very well.
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I think just about the same. This is somewhere between PDA and laptop, but if it was going to replace one of the two for me, it would be the laptop.