Friday, June 3, 2005
Non-Connected PDA Marketshare Continues Slide
Posted by Janak Parekh in "ARTICLE" @ 01:00 PM
"Shipments of personal digital assistants declined for the third consecutive quarter as large vendors continued ceding the depressed market to smaller electronics makers, the research firm IDC said Wednesday. Worldwide shipments of handheld PDAs lacking telephone capabilities decreased to 2.1 million units in the third quarter ending Sept. 30 — an 8.7 percent drop compared with the same quarter a year ago and a 4.6 percent decline from this year's second quarter, Framingham-based IDC said...So-called smart phones, which combine organizer functions with voice capabilities and more, have absorbed some of the PDA market."
Having used connected Windows Mobile solutions the last few years, I can see why this is the case. While there are still lots of useful applications for standalone PDAs, and for which HP and Dell will manufacture units, it's incredibly convenient to have an always-connected PDA. I think Microsoft realizes this with WM5. They've made the Pocket PC Phone and Smartphone code base closer, and the addition of softkeys to the Pocket PC platform makes it more natural for phone applications; the flurry of devices from Computex also suggests that vendors are also enthusiastic about the possibilities. Now, if only I could get my hands on an HTC Universal...
The article also cites the fact that PalmOne's share continues to slip; it's only 4 percentage points above HP's marketshare alone. I find it interesting that MiTAC is fourth; is this MiTAC-branded stuff popular in Europe and Asia, or is it just that they sell a lot of OEM product?
Having used connected Windows Mobile solutions the last few years, I can see why this is the case. While there are still lots of useful applications for standalone PDAs, and for which HP and Dell will manufacture units, it's incredibly convenient to have an always-connected PDA. I think Microsoft realizes this with WM5. They've made the Pocket PC Phone and Smartphone code base closer, and the addition of softkeys to the Pocket PC platform makes it more natural for phone applications; the flurry of devices from Computex also suggests that vendors are also enthusiastic about the possibilities. Now, if only I could get my hands on an HTC Universal...
The article also cites the fact that PalmOne's share continues to slip; it's only 4 percentage points above HP's marketshare alone. I find it interesting that MiTAC is fourth; is this MiTAC-branded stuff popular in Europe and Asia, or is it just that they sell a lot of OEM product?
