Comdex/Spring, wireless, RIM and wireless LANs
I spent a couple of days at Comdex/Spring in Chicago and I'm glad I went. I actually wish I would have spent another day at the show because I didn't get a chance to listen to all the panels or view the exhibits. A computer/wireless consultant friend of mine, Craig Mathias of the Farpoint Group, develops the program for the Comdex eMobility tracks and he really does a good job. The panels and topics are on target, even though the attendance in Chicago was nothing to brag about.
I moderated a panel on wireless LANs and cellular, and had three good speakers (as I mentioned in my March 4 entry). They discussed the technical and business aspects of WLANS + cellular as well as providing a show-and-tell with the hottest wireless PDAs, cellular phones and PC Cards. There were a fair number of questions and the session could have lasted much longer.
Jim Thompson, founder of the wireless LAN company Musenki and the former CTO and vice president of engineering for Wayport, suggested that operators of payphones should install WLAN access points on their phones. Interesting suggestion. Musenki, by-the-way, is developing moderately priced access points for the OEM market.
BlackBerry 5810 Challenges
Wireless was a big part of Comdex/Spring, as CNET News reports, and it might have been the first public display of Research in Motion's (RIM) new BlackBerry 5810 wireless PDA/phone. I was asked by a journalist what I thought of the product and I think it might have trouble in the market. I haven't tested it, but RIM will face at least two significant challenges.
The first challenge is form factor. The 5810 adds voice capability to basically the BlackBerry 957 or 857 (the same unit, but one is for Cingular and the other is for Motient), which is the PDA-shaped two-way pager. The 957/857 is a great device, and it's both better and worse than the 950/850 that is in the "true" pager form factor. (Check out RIM's "handheld" section if you don't know what I'm talking about.)
The 5810 has a slot on the top of the unit for an earpiece and uses the GSM GPRS voice and data networks. It will be available in Europe and the U.S.
The form factor challenge
No manufacturer has come out with a "killer" PDA/phone form factor. Some vendors are getting close, and the Handspring Treo and Danger hiptop are two innovative examples that will be commercially available in the U.S. this year. Both units will be available first for GSM GPRS systems. But the 5810 is not in the Treo or hiptop league.
Instead of starting from the ground up to create a great wireless voice and data PDA, RIM added an earpiece without changing the form factor. That could save money in the short-term but be a mistake overall.
No matter how good the form is for data -- and it is excellent -- the ergonomics changes dramatically when voice is added to the equation.
For example, you must use the earpiece for voice conversations. You can't just hold the device to your ear and speak into it. That, I believe, is a mistake. Even overseas, where cellular subscribers use headsets far more than U.S. subscribers, people want the option of speaking into the phone without needing a headset.
The 957/857 units are very lightweight with a good screen, great battery life and a small keyboard. I prefer the keyboard of the pager-like unit, the 950/850. That keyboard has bigger, more raised keys and is much easier to use. I make far fewer mistakes entering text on that keyboard. The 957/857 keyboard is, as far as I'm concerned, at the limit of usability.
However, I prefer the 957/857 larger, sharper screen, which is much better for viewing messages. Also, although the PDA form is larger than the pager form, the former is actually lighter. Tradeoffs, tradeoffs.
The competitive challenge
RIM's BlackBerry two-way messengers are designed for business users. They have the right weight, form, battery life, reliability, pricing and network performance. That's why they have been successful. But they aren't particularly "exciting" products. You may have whatever color you want as long as it's black.
In addition, the ability for regular users to add software is almost nil. The BlackBerrys (BlackBerries?) adhere to the Palm philosophy -- do a few things very well and keep it simple. (Palm, however, is obviously "amending" its philosophy by offering more feature-rich devices.) The BlackBerry products are great wireless pagers and e-mail devices. But they offer very primitive PIM capabilities.
The 5810 positions RIM against many tough competitors. Every major PDA vendor is offering or will offer wireless data and voice capabilities. Moreoever, these PDAs can run hundreds or thousands of Palm OS and Pocket PC software. The screens are color. The designs are often slick.
I realize RIM is targeting the data-centric business market with the 5810. I wish RIM the best of luck. I've been using -- and liking -- their pagers since they were introduced years ago. Perhaps RIM has the right formula for some specific target markets. But it seems to me that the 5810 is for people who view cellular voice as something of an afterthought. I think RIM is going to have a difficult time selling a lot of the 5810s.
12:39:45 PM 
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