Mobility Site - View Single Post - PDA Decline due to terrible Marketing Stratergies

k2stingray · 12-07-06, 07:46 PM

Lack of adequate marketing certainly is a factor, but lack of new devices w/o phones is also a major factor (if not a larger factor). Convergence works for some, but market does not recognize there are many who wish PPC separate from phone. In the old days we could get a receiver (tuner/amp) or a separate tuner & amp and you could choose the option you want. Now if you want to buy a new non-phone PPC the x51v is one of very few options available.

X30 gave me infinite expectations for future of PPC platform. The last generation of top PPC’s (Loox720, x51/50, Hp4700, etc.) were close to perfect but each seemed to have at least one “fatal flaw” & competition between 4 models was so fierce that for all but Dell the lines were not as profitable as hoped or needed for follow-on devices to be made. I finally broke down & got an x51v, [not nearly as thrilled as after getting X30]. In addition, I bought another x30 on e-bay (which is a purchase process I despise [if you think Dell sales & tech support is bad then e-bay is true hell], but was forced to go through because in my opinion Dell stopped making x30’s way too soon).

I hope Dell makes a converged device for those who want one so badly, but I much more hope that they (or at least one other manufacturer) make(s) at least one follow-on stand alone PPC device. If the only way I can get a PDA in the future is to get a phone device then the x51 will be the last PDA I own. Again if you think Dell’s PDA support is bad wait until you see the pathetic support most (if not all) cell phone companies offer! Getting a full featured phone you want that works well as a phone and finding a carrier you want that offers such a phone is like winning the lottery. Trying to get a PDA/phone combo with what you want and the carrier you want is like winning the lottery on 5 tickets in a row. I like the odds much better for getting a PDA only.

Finally, IMHO the “over glorified”, much touted everywhere access data for converged devices is a bunch of baloney. For the prices most cell carriers charge for PDA data plans I will never purchase one and as such the convergence feature is useless. I can see a big price for the unlimited plans, but for casual user’s again IMO the data prices are ludicrous (the voice plan equivalent of today’s data plans must be something like $60 for 10 minutes of anytime calls). At current prices there is no internet info that I need so urgently that I can’t wait until I’m at work, at home or near a WiFi access point.

In summary it seems a combination of inadequate marketing, convergence, lack of new devices and ridiculous data prices is what is really killing the PDA market. Note that competition from iPod’s is not helping. Many iPod user’s do not want and/or cannot handle the added complexity (or cost) required to keep a PPC going.

May the stand alone PPC somehow rise back from the dead!

Also I agree with zoeydanielle, the profit potential ain't there for the PDA.

12-07-06, 07:46 PM	#43 (permalink)
k2stingray Aximsite Minor League Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 151 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Lack of adequate marketing certainly is a factor, but lack of new devices w/o phones is also a major factor (if not a larger factor). Convergence works for some, but market does not recognize there are many who wish PPC separate from phone. In the old days we could get a receiver (tuner/amp) or a separate tuner & amp and you could choose the option you want. Now if you want to buy a new non-phone PPC the x51v is one of very few options available. X30 gave me infinite expectations for future of PPC platform. The last generation of top PPC’s (Loox720, x51/50, Hp4700, etc.) were close to perfect but each seemed to have at least one “fatal flaw” & competition between 4 models was so fierce that for all but Dell the lines were not as profitable as hoped or needed for follow-on devices to be made. I finally broke down & got an x51v, [not nearly as thrilled as after getting X30]. In addition, I bought another x30 on e-bay (which is a purchase process I despise [if you think Dell sales & tech support is bad then e-bay is true hell], but was forced to go through because in my opinion Dell stopped making x30’s way too soon). I hope Dell makes a converged device for those who want one so badly, but I much more hope that they (or at least one other manufacturer) make(s) at least one follow-on stand alone PPC device. If the only way I can get a PDA in the future is to get a phone device then the x51 will be the last PDA I own. Again if you think Dell’s PDA support is bad wait until you see the pathetic support most (if not all) cell phone companies offer! Getting a full featured phone you want that works well as a phone and finding a carrier you want that offers such a phone is like winning the lottery. Trying to get a PDA/phone combo with what you want and the carrier you want is like winning the lottery on 5 tickets in a row. I like the odds much better for getting a PDA only. Finally, IMHO the “over glorified”, much touted everywhere access data for converged devices is a bunch of baloney. For the prices most cell carriers charge for PDA data plans I will never purchase one and as such the convergence feature is useless. I can see a big price for the unlimited plans, but for casual user’s again IMO the data prices are ludicrous (the voice plan equivalent of today’s data plans must be something like $60 for 10 minutes of anytime calls). At current prices there is no internet info that I need so urgently that I can’t wait until I’m at work, at home or near a WiFi access point. In summary it seems a combination of inadequate marketing, convergence, lack of new devices and ridiculous data prices is what is really killing the PDA market. Note that competition from iPod’s is not helping. Many iPod user’s do not want and/or cannot handle the added complexity (or cost) required to keep a PPC going. May the stand alone PPC somehow rise back from the dead! Also I agree with zoeydanielle, the profit potential ain't there for the PDA.