1) Things will get worse before they get better.
2) Who said things would get better?

:)

“On people that need
multiply functions
that forces multiply
devices”

.

Absolutely. It’s all a matter of convenience and
accessibility.

I require computer-capability in a variety of
situations. Those who do not can get away with
just a desktop PC at home.

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The DataRat

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I remember the first 450 MHz NMT phones with batteries sized like a suitcase. Then better Ni-Mh batteries came extending battery life. Then bigger cellphone screens and texting came degrading battery life. Then Li-Ion batteries. Then colored screens. You see my point.

They take they freaking time with that. A lot of paradigms took years less to curl and die.

situation where we have available a complete range of computing devices with different capabilities according to size

Agreed, but I don’t see it as absolutely positive development. It is easier on people who only need one of something. On people that need multiply functions that forces multiply devices.

@szekelya
It’s just a matter of time and money. :)

You seem to assume that progress will fix stuff. But at moment progress had actually made some aspects like battery life worse.

It’s like devices are compromising instead of improving.

@kelltic
Maybe I should see my family once in a while, spend the day with a friend, take a walk, go to a movie, get . . .

You sure you are reading correct blog? :)))

I think of my cell phone as a device to make and receive phone calls

Which is nice and focused. How many phone advertisements you see that say “just calls, no extras” ? I read all the time how people miss older models that had no feature set but better reception, battery life and tougher cases.

Bells and whistles overpower common sense.

Do I WANT the the desktop experience in my pocket? Isn’t it enough that I spend at least 8 hours a day with my beloved desktop? SHOULD I be taking it with me every where I go? Maybe I should see my family once in a while, spend the day with a friend, take a walk, go to a movie, get . . .

But, silly me. I think of my cell phone as a device to make and receive phone calls – when no other phone, such as my nice, clear, digital, land phone is not available. I never expected it to beam me up, Scotty.

A mobile device? Well, that would be a laptop. One with a screen big enough that it can be used for something other than email and a keyboard large enough to do it with.

A “pocket device” is a keychain.

But – what do I know? I suppose “resistance is futile”.

And of course I dunno if pocket computing _will_ mean a very smart phone in the end or some other device, if these will be distinguishable at all.
I could imagine a netbook with fraction of today’s size for ultra portability if you wish, that you can dock into something that looks like today’s netbook if you want to perform tasks that really needs screen/mouse/keyboard. But as I wrote, for many tasks, basic web/mail/rss/music/camera you don’t need them, a phone-size device is good enough. Still I’d rather avoid suggesting device ideas and timeframes. :)

“But what are core words said about LCD tehcnology each year? They are “bigger” and “hd”.”
Give me a projector, and I give you twice as big screensize by stepping back from the canvas. :) Processing capacity for HD media can’t be an issue.

And finally I can nearly smell coldfusion in my pocket or techiniques reusing kinetic/solar/whatever energy allowing for unlimited battery time.

It’s just a matter of time and money. :)

“Pocket Computers” -whether a smart phone or PDA- are still trying
to find their place. ( A lot like netbooks when the first Asus came
out with tiny 10-gig solid state hard drives, Linux OS, and barely
unusable 7-inch screens ! )

Yeah, it’s absolutely nuts for a pocket computer to cost as much
as a notebook PC …and ~more~ than a first-class netbook. With
screens less than 3-inches on a pocket computer being about as
worthless as a netbook with a 7-inch screen.

Eventually the pocket computer market shall clarify (as the netbook
market recently has). 4-inch screens, lots of on-board memory and
a SD card port, and prices BELOW that of far more capable netbooks.

.

The sole limiting factor, however, will continue to be batteries.
We can’t do anything about THAT !

Raticus doesn’t find it too oppressive to carry a small battery
charger [cable - wall plug - brick]. Or even a spare battery.

At ~minimum~ it’ll be five years before battery life for these
devices are going to be dramatically extended. Until then (and,
perhaps, for as long as ten years from now) we’ll just have to
tolerate and accommodate this situation.

Nevertheless, what’s developing is a situation where we have
available a complete range of computing devices with different
capabilities according to size: Pocket computers for ultimate
convenience, netbooks for quick and readily portable PC’s,
notebooks when we can lug something bigger (and more powerful)
around, and desktop PC’s for ultimate power at the expense of
losing portability.

This a GOOD situation ! Much better than when the only choice
was a desktop or laptop.

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The DataRat

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Still I’m doing more and more with my cellphone.

No arguing there. But do you feel that set of functions catching up to computers? I feel it merely expands to same hacked down experience in proportion to extending computer experience.

On the other hand, computer input devices are so 20th century things.

Yep. And possibility of replacing those are bleak. Manufacturers can theorize about better batteries, but they are even less likely to invest into better input devices. Momentum to change is too big.

Are you sure these can’t be swapped in the future to something that can be used both with desktop and pocket devices?

That is exactly my issue. We are fed incremental updates and promised experience that is impossible without major paradigm change.

Are you sure it’s lcd screens we’re going to stare at all the time?

Ok, I may be impatient. :) But what are core words said about LCD tehcnology each year? They are “bigger” and “hd”.

I also want “sturdy”, “flexible” and “energy efficient”. Which we also hear but waaay less.

Are you sure it’s air you’re breathing?

More like cat fur remix. :)

And yes, today you are very much right, however this shouldn’t cause big frustrations. :)

It frustrates me that we made peace with an idea that device that can barely open web page and don’t last a day from batteries is being called mobile computer.

That next year we are going get served something with bigger screen, that will last even less, crash even more often and we are going to root for it and spend money on it. :)

Still I’m doing more and more with my cellphone. (No smartphone, no internet tablet, no pda phone, currently just a simple se w705)
Nothing I do with that is remotely similar than how I do things with my desktop/notebook/netbook. Still in a couple of years I got hsdpa (3.6 mbps currently), web with opera mini, rss, gmail, photo uploading, youtube, game downloading, 4 gigs of mp3, radio, ssh, etc.
You tell me I won’t ever have the desktop experience in my pocket, and I feel you must be wrong. Dunno how, dunno when, but if the above things are already available, I have the impression, that things will keep on changing.

On the other hand, computer input devices are so 20th century things. You _type_ almost exactly as my grandmother did. She was a great typist, owning a “Continental” typewriter. You should have seen her face in 1990 when I showed her backspace and excel though. :( She was like Kurt Vonnegut’s architect after buying a cheap SW doing things better than him.
Mice are the things that make geeks argue whether gestures or hotkeys are better.

Are you sure these can’t be swapped in the future to something that can be used both with desktop and pocket devices?
Are you sure it’s lcd screens we’re going to stare at all the time?
Are you sure it’s air you’re breathing? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. And there’s no spoon.:) )

And yes, today you are very much right, however this shouldn’t cause big frustrations. :)