Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Is Apple working on a new handheld? Why, yes they are.
They would have to be. Engadget (I seem to be riffing on - or is that ripping off? - their stories a lot lately) has another interesting entry again today, this time asking, "Is Apple working on a new handheld?", and going on to say "[PowerPage] reports Apple is working on some sort of new mini laptop/pocketop that will fold neatly 'into your pocket' and run on a stripped down version of OS X and use Apple’s Inkwell handwriting recognition technology. They’re describing it as being something like a large Motorola RAZR V3, just with a keyboard."
My comment on this: it's a phone. Or, rather, a 'converged handheld', and they will come out with it. It may be along the lines of the Sony Ericsson P series - i.e., more telephony oriented; or, it may resemble more the OQO, with telephony as an adjunct; but Apple will definitely bring something like this to market. Whether it happens next quarter or 18 months from now, it will happen. Without OSX in a handheld (or at least the Apple name on one), the company has no long term future.
Why do I say this? For two reasons. First, because it's obvious (as I pointed out in an earlier entry) that's the direction personal computing is headed in - converging with wireless telephony, electronic entertainment, photography, etc., and shrinking down to fit in your pocket. And its happening so quickly, manufacturers can already barely keep up. This is the trend that will drive the computing business over the next ten or fifteen years, at least. You'll see Microsoft and Linux on the platform - of course, you already do - and you'll see OSX there as well. Steve Jobs is a prescient man - which is the other reason I say this.
See also Apple Developing New Palmtop Mac [PowerPage].
