VentureBlog takes another look at the convergence of mobile devices and home/family servers. Note his table of useful apps for Treo 600 at the bottom!
Home servers and smartphones will eventually replace notebook computers for most users
First, people had computers at work. Next, they got them at home. Eventually, the work computer became a notebook, or one was added. This allowed mobility, and a scan of any airport will tell you how successful the notebook has been.
The next step is to eliminate the notebook and go back to a home pc with access via your smartphone. Several trends are behind this transition: more home applications require the power and constant availability of a home computer, while mobile technology and wireless data networks are evolving to meet the needs of notebook users.
Welcome to the age of personal servers.
Home applications require always-on and power
The next generation of any home appliance is likely to require an always-on server. For example, Tivo plays MP3s over any home stereo and shows photos on TV - but the library resides on your PC. Try doing that with your notebook, and your family can't play music if you're out.
Equivalent functionality exists through many media appliances these days, such as the Gateway Connected DVD Player. Media appliances are just the first of many applications coming that make an always-on PC a requirement. Ubiquitous home networks, often wireless, are spawning a variety of other applications, from home control to security.
At the same time, broadband connections have entered enough homes that users often use VPNs to connect to work for files and email. Disconnected access at home is no longer a requirement.
Finally, popular consumer applications such as audio/video editing and gaming require power found in few notebooks. These are the the fastest growing areas for home PC manufacturers.
All of these trends -- always-on, the convenience of one set of files, and video processing power, are leading consumers to add a computer at home rather than just carry a notebook everywhere. The number of multiple PC households is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the expanding market for home networking gear.
Smartphones sneak up on the notebook
The notebook was the solution to bringing work home. However, with a computer at home and access to your files at work, the need for notebooks has evolved. They are now required to stay connected when you are traveling outside the home or away from your desk.
However, notebooks are not designed for maximum portability -- they were designed for maximum functionality, then made portable. Portability and instant access belonged to the PDA, but many people didn't want to carry another yet another device around and the applications were simplistic.
Instead, the replacement is coming from a surprising source: your cell phone. The first generation of smartphones were more like PDAs that also had speakers so you could use them as phones. The second generation includes some units, such as PalmOne's Treo 600, that are more like phones with PDA functionality. Combined with Sprint's cheap unlimited data plan, it is always carried and always connected to the Internet. This means it is slowly taking over functions from the notebook.
Applications now exist to read and respond to emails and attachments, edit documents, and do full Powerpoint presentations over standard projectors (see the Sidebar for a list of current applications that support this). For the first time, it is possible to travel without lugging the notebook.
Not quite ready for prime time
However, it is only possible today if you have some technical sophistication and are willing to put up with a few minor annoyances.
First, while the keyboard size problem has been solved with an add-on keyboard, there is still a major issue with the small display. It's fine for on-the-go email, phone, and PDA functions, but gets in the way of word processing or reading large documents. The next generation of smartphones must be able to support external displays. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to plug into whatever display happens to be handy, or have a display as cleverly portable as the folding keyboards.
Second, only now are applications emerging to support the always-on connectivity of smartphones. For example, there are very few options for accessing your PC files. Most solutions require loading files you need before you leave home, or complicated interfaces for emailing your files to your phone. New developments are in the works to close this gap, however. SenVid is in the final stages of development for an easy way to share drives between any Internet-connected computer -- and their roadmap includes mobile devices.
Finally, there are very few companies packaging this as a notebook replacement solution. Those that do, such as Good Technology, are aimed at enterprises and can be expensive. (Check out their video for a good view of using the Treo 600 to replace the notebook). If you aren't part of a company that purchases the entire solution, it takes a fair bit of technical sophistication to configure your device.
The death of notebooks?
Those are problems that will be addressed in the next generation, however. The technology has advanced far enough that the trends are clear and offer a glimpse into the future. Smartphones and home servers will meet the same necessity notebooks did, but in a new way: the home server is the center of everything, and the smartphone is your conduit to it. It will be surrounded by an array of accessories that can extend its capabilities when needed.
While notebooks will never truly disappear, the rapid growth will slow as people move to the personal server paradigm. You will soon use your mobile device to edit documents, do presentations, and check email as easily as you do from home.
Sidebar: How Close Are We to Replacing the Notebook?
The technology is almost there, but still requires too much knowledge to customize
| Laptop Function |
Treo Equivalent |
Approximate Cost |
Assessment |
| Email |
Exchange: GoodLink
IMAP: Versamail
POP: SnapperMail, Eudora (free)
|
Free - $50 |
All the way there; attachments, multiple accounts, HTML mail |
| Document Editing |
MiniWord (free), DocsToGo, QuickOffice |
Free - $70 |
Getting close; can now edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint while retaining original formatting; however, still requires a translator between MS format and PalmOS format. |
| Presentations |
Margi Presenter-To-Go, Igo Pitch |
About $200 |
Displays full resolution PowerPoint presentations on any projector; however, requires conversion to PalmOS format |
| Keyboard |
Treo 600 Keyboard |
About $30 |
Very good for typing and navigating without stylus; still no pointer/mouse equivalent built in |
| Display |
None |
N/A |
Large void in portable larger display |
| File Sharing |
Mobile Agent, MobileFile |
$30 |
Many steps involved in downloading and converting files; should be able to open them and save them directly from the applications |
Also of note, there is a great free application called PalmVNC which allows you to control your home computer desktop directly from your Treo 600.
[VentureBlog]
trackback []
