A recent column by regular Analyst Angle contributor Gerry Purdy reminded me of one of the most glaring issues still facing the mobile industry: There is still not one device that can do everything.
Purdy’s issue was that due to a superior user interface, he still carried around a BlackBerry device along with his iPhone. These are two rather portly devices to have to carry around on a regular basis and unless a fan of a man-purse these can tax the carrying capacity of most males.
I am in a similar position, though for different reasons. Due to the inability for some “contacts” in the past to discern time zones and calendars, and my own fear of mixing business and pleasure when it comes to phone numbers, I usually carry two devices: one with a personal number and one with a work number.
Now I know there a various reasons why one device cannot truly integrate all the great singular features of multiple devices, but I no longer care. I want this to happen.
Why can’t I have a single device that can support multiple phone numbers without having to go through some crazy integration with a VoIP provider?
Why can’t I have a single device with a multi-megapixel camera lens and optical zoom?
Why can’t I have a single device that can support every single digital music format regardless of DRM?
Why can’t I have a single device that if need be can be used to punch a hole in sheet metal or prop up a car to fix a flat?
Why can’t I have a single device that works anywhere in the world, including underground and inside a metal restroom?
Why can’t I have a single device that has better sound quality then talking through cheap-ass walkie-talkies?
Why can’t I have a single device that can support all of these services as well as last more than 30 minutes before needing to be recharged?
Why can’t this mythical device cost less than $200?
I am not looking for a device that can also double as a personal computer, as I think this is asking too much for something that I can slip into my extra-tight pockets. But, maybe some sort of add-on thing similar to what Motorola is currently offering for some of its models, but without a price that rivals a PC.
Again, I know the answer to most of these, but I no longer care. What about all the man-on-the-moon stuff. Dang it, I can sit in a hollow aluminum tube hurtling through the air at 600 miles per hour while drinking a Tab, yet I can’t have a single device to handle all of my “device” needs?
