Convergent Devices:
HP hw6700       Treo 650     Microsoft Peabody
 

As little as ten years ago, a cell phone was just the device you used to make calls while away from your home or office, a computer was a big black or beige thing that you used for basic tasks like record-keeping, report writing, and spreadsheets, and a Personal Digital Assistant was…well it was probably an Apple Newton. In 2005 those three devices are increasingly becoming indivisible as more and more convergent and hybrid products enter the scene with new innovations cropping up daily. But what can come of this intersection of the internet enabled cell phone, the Wi-Fi equipped PDA, and even the wireless PC? The answer: Progress and productivity!

While the handheld market has declined in recent years, cell phones sales are skyrocketing so fast that the research firm Gartner had to revise its most recent predictions to account for the substantial growth. And for the first time in May 2005, laptop sales in the US surpassed sales of desktop computers. Skip  the drooping handheld figures, (we’ll come back to those) and one begins to ask why the drastic increases all of the sudden? The answer is mobility and connectivity. Notebook processors, hard drives and other hardware have evolved to the point where many activities formerly possible only with a desktop PC can now be accomplished via notebook from many more locations, thanks to its inherent portability. Similarly, by paring down the list of essential tasks to simple contact management functions, communication and basic document composition and editing, and the core strengths of a notebook can now be carried out on a Pocket PC or handheld device. Even fully articulated PowerPoint presentations can now be delivered simply by connecting a Windows Pocket PC to portable video projector system for maximum impact and minimum baggage.

Microsoft Peabody

In light of the blossoming cell phone/smart phone market, Microsoft will be making another landmark debut into the hardware industry. In partnership with developer Flextronics International, Microsoft will release a low-cost device called the Peabody running a full, rather than a stripped-down version of Windows Mobile 5.0. Originally slated for underdeveloped markets, the mobile phone, capable of some computing functions similar to those found in a personal digital assistant, will now be released worldwide. Once completed the phone's specifications will be offered to contract manufacturers globally as a way for them to quickly enter the smart phone business. The new product will work on both GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) networks.

 

Treo 650

Another pioneer in the convergent device market is palmOne’s Treo 650. Modeled after its predecessor, the Treo 600, the 650 is slightly heavier but about average weight for communicators overall.  At 320 x 320, the screen is slightly smaller than normal. Complementing the touch screen, the backlit thumbboard is slightly improved from the 600 with a slightly curved key layout featuring flatter keys. The 650 features a highly-touted VGA camera and Bluetooth functionality, though Dial-Up-Networking (DUN) profiles for Bluetooth have not been consistent. (DUN would allow you to use your Bluetooth phone as a high speed wireless modem for your notebook computer). The Sprint version of the Treo 650 sports a dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDMA radio with 1xRTT support for data, while Cingular is offering the device in Quad-band format with EDGE support for high speed data. Though it does come with a Secure Digital slot with support for SDIO accessories, Wi-Fi, a staple of newer handheld devices,  is absent in the 650. The Treo 650 features the now-common Intel PXA270 processor rated at 312 MHz and runs Palm OS "Garnet" 5.4. The 650 supports POP3 e-mail and plays MP3’s though voice-dialing is strangely not included by default.

 

HP hw6500 and hw6700 Mobile Messenger

Slated for release in Fall 2005, the convergent device assured of making the biggest impact in the mobile device industry is the HP Mobile Messenger. Aimed at corporate and enterprise customers, the HP will come in two variants, the 6500 with SDIO and Mini-SD slots, and the 6700 which abandons SDIO for inclusion of  a Wi-Fi radio. Each unit will be available with or without a 1.3 megapixel camera, and both will come equipped will full-featured GPS functionality. The 6500 will release in July running Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition, with an update to Windows Mobile 5.0 to follow, while the 6700 will be released already running the latest Microsoft OS. Running the same 312 MHz Intel xScale processor as the Treo, the HP will feature another first for a Pocket PC device, a square 240 by  240 screen. Support for square screens has been included in the Pocket PC code since Windows Mobile 2003, and application designers have been able to incorporate the specifications into their programs accordingly. Both models will ship with 64 MB of dynamic RAM and 64 MB ROM, perfect for utilization under Windows Mobile 5.0. In addition to Wi-Fi support in the 6700, each model supports Quad-band GSM and EDGE technology for data transmission.

You can demo the functions of the iPAQ hw6515 by clicking this link.

The styling is of course reminiscent of the now infamous Blackberry design popularized on nationwide TV by Oprah Winfrey, but even before its release the new model from HP has quickly earned the nickname “Blackberry Killer”. In addition to increased connectivity, greater software compatibility, and more processing and computing power, the HP will go for RIM’s jugular in an effort to provide pull e-mail functionality in Microsoft style. Where RIM makes their money on selling servers to support Blackberrys, Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Exchange will bring break push technology wide open in that no additional monthly fee will be necessary. Now even small companies will be able to afford push email with actually no additional infrastructure. The new Microsoft push/pull technology will work like this:

1. A device submits an HTTP request to Exchange, which then reports any changes that occur in the mailbox of the requesting user within a specific time limit.

2. The body of the HTTP request allows the client to specify those folders that Exchange should monitor for changes such as the Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks folders.

3. After receiving this request, Exchange monitors the specified folders until either the time limit expires or a change (such as incoming email) occurs in one of those folders. Exchange will then respond to the request noting which folders changed.

4. The cycle of re-issuing the request for change notifications is called "the heartbeat." By continuously sending and re-issuing a request to Microsoft Exchange server every N minutes a true push is achieved. However using existing components (Microsoft Exchange, Windows Mobile devices) and simply patching  them, allows Microsoft's implementation to be much cheaper than BlackBerry for deployment and for every day usage. Furthermore, there is no longer any dependence on 3rd party service/server providers (like RIM BlackBerry).

 

 Recommendations

q      If carrying a notebook, a phone, and a PDA is not your thing—check out the many converged devices debuting in 2005. If you want all that plus GPS—go with the hw6700!

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