[clug] Idle Speculation: Are 'smartbooks' The Killer App that'll knock out Winders?

[steve jenkin]

I was reading about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 'smartbook's - a netbook
that's really a smart phone - and had this thought & wanted to get
comment/feedback on it...

<http://www.meetsmartbook.com/index.html>
<http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/snapdragon-1-ghz-phones-coming-to-android-sooner-than-you-think/>

Will there are 50M-100M 'smartphones' sold in the next 12 months?
If so, will that impact the webmaster approach of "IE only" and Win-only
file formats?? [iPhones already sell 5M/qtr, this poss @ right $$]

The phone market is much larger than the PC/laptop - and the GFC is
increasing the trend to look for PC substitutes (think games consoles,
'blackberry' type devices for email/IM, phones for browsing)

Will the "App Store" (Android & iPhone) be the death of Microsoft?

That market is one that MSFT can't get into with it's current Megolithic
Software (Dinosauric?).
Is that the real threat from Android/Chrome OS: $0.99 Apps? or Free?

Speed & Agility with a micro-price tag.
Seems like its A Perfect Storm based on what the Internet does well.


Does the iPhone experience say we might be converging on the current
"sweet spot" of PDA/netbook/phone?
Like the one that Palm Pilot found in 1996 with the $300 PDA.

=> something like a 'smartbook' still needs a homebase/master.
   Which could be a nice, cheap appliance, even an NSLU1 :-)


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Comments/Feedback anyone??

How does this scenario fit with FOSS?

Any takers on how/when we will know if this is actually a trend?

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cheers
s
-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin