Windows Phone Thoughts: More Evidence The Market Isn't Interested In Converged Devices

As recently as last spring people were clammoring for the converged device - a PDA and cell phone all in one. Today, the noise has died down somewhat and, intially at least, it seems the market is more interested in two devices connected via bluetooth or IR. Two examples:

• HP abandons plans for a converged device. The so-called iPAQ 5600 series, basically the 5400 series with either a CDMA or GSM radio in it, has been dropped for now. Brighthand has more info on this.
• Handspring, a company that threw caution to the wind and launched headlong with only a converged device offering, is sinking fast. They have only sold 180,000 Treos in just a little over a year. Their revenues have been cut nearly in half from a year ago when they still sold the Visor line.

Based on our non-scientific poll 46% of you preferred the two device solution and 42% preferred one device. Given we are "uber-geeks" here, I am not sure that is representative of the market. I suspect HP found the percentages were far more heavily skewed towards dual devices. I, and many others, just can't see even putting a device as large as an H1910 to our ear. Any smaller than that and the screen isn't worth much, or you are headed over to a voice centric device like a SmartPhone.