Convergence of Technologies

I have a smart cell phone. It runs Windows Mobile 6 and gets my email. It can surf the web and sync my contacts with Outlook. It can even take pictures and play music. The problem is, it really isn't the best at any of its features, but it sure does have a lot of them.

As technology gets smaller and better, products with several seemingly unrelated functions merge together. If you purchased a cell phone in the last 3-5 years, you surely know about the choice as to whether it includes a camera or not (and if you haven't, then it may be time to upgrade). Prior to that, your biggest choices were whether the phone was a "flip" or "candy bar" model. I don't know anyone who said "you know, I sure wish my phone took pictures" but now it's a reasonable question (and almost a required feature if you're under 30). Why not? You're less likely to leave home without your cell phone than your American Express. You'll always have a camera with you to take candid shots of friends or for just fooling around while out on the town. In the US, at least, video cell phones are not really as widely available nor as popular as they are in Europe or Asia, but that will change as well, I'm sure.

The problem is that if you want the best of everything, you don't really have the option of a single device. If you want a good cell phone for making and receiving calls, get the $50 model. It turns on nearly instantly (it doesn't have to "boot up") and it feels like, well, a phone.

But if portable email is your thing, then you want a Blackberry. Nothing quite tops the instant receipt of an email. If you have a Blackberry and only use it for email, the battery will last you a week or more and the setup is simple (especially if you work for a company with a Blackberry server). Its not the best phone, however.

If you take pictures regularly, there is no doubt that a camera phone shouldn't be your tool of trade. For under $100 you can get a digital camera about the shape of a thick credit card that will take infinitely better pictures. These cameras do not, however, answer the phone or receive email.

If surfing the web is what you want to do remotely, then you need something larger than a phone. A Smartphone might do a decent job of it, but if you're looking for the "best tool" you'll really want a ultra-portable notebook. These ultra-portables have bigger screens than phones but smaller than your typical notebook. If you want processing power for that Excel spreadsheet, though, you'll need a full sized notebook computer and if you want the most power, you can give up portability for a sleek desktop or workstation computer.

My GPS in my car tells me where to turn and speaks the street names to me. It even receives traffic updates so it can tell me if there is a better route available (that maybe wasn't such a good choice yesterday). To me, there is nothing more that I want and it truly is the best of its class in my opinion. However, it also can play slide shows of pictures, play music or audio books, or stream music from my cell phone. I've never used those features because I have better technology available to do so.

What I'm getting at is that its going to be a while before everything truly converges. Sure, some devices will merge together and they will hopefully remain the best in at least their core competency (that is, a GPS better get the directions right even if it doesn't serve as the best option for music playing). I suspect that there will be leaps, though.

I think that is why the world is holding its breath waiting for the iPhone right now. There are already phones out there with touch-screen functions. Many phones already play MP3 or AAC music. There are quite a few phones that allow web access. Apple didn't invent any of these. However, there's a chance that they'll get this right; if not in its first generation, then soon thereafter. There's just that slight possibility that there will be a new device that is the best at doing two different things (dare we hope for three or more?). Many of us are hoping that multiple technologies that we bring with us everywhere (like the our iPods and our phones and our email devices) will converge into one and we won't feel like we're losing something for teh convenience of carrying fewer devices with us.

I don't have one. No one has offered me one. I certainly can see myself with one someday but not on day one (mainly because I don't want to camp out for the next two weeks just to be the first). I'm hopeful that a leap forward in convergence is around the corner. Check back in a few weeks and I'll probably have an updated opinion!