News PDA Sales Continue to Drop

Looks as if convergence is going to be the death of the PDA, as more and more people use smartphones. This from PCWorld:

If a handheld device doesn't have voice capabilities, a growing number of users around the world aren't interested, according to IDC.

For the third straight quarter, shipments of handheld devices such as personal digital assistants fell as some prominent vendors decided to pull back from the market, IDC says.

Worldwide shipments totaled 2.1 million units in the third quarter, down 8.7 percent from last year's third quarter. IDC defines a handheld as a device that does not include telephony but may include Internet connectivity. This includes models traditionally known as PDAs but excludes a growing category of devices known as smart phones, such as PalmOne's new Treo 650.

More here

I have to admit that I rarely use my Clie these days, as eveything I need is on my Z600 - and that isn't even a smartphone. Looks as if Sony's decision to pull out of the PDA market was a wise one...

 

The only thing that I use my Zire 71 for anymore is Pocket Quicken & addresses... I use my V600 for everything else..

 

I don’t even use a PDA anymore

Not even my P900 as it’s too big for it to be used as a phone; it ruins the line on my trousers when it’s in my pocket

 

Who needs a PDA when you have an iPod?

(And a cell phone....)

 

I use my Dell Axim X30 for all sorts of gubbins, yet to use it as a 'pda' though

Even overclocked it, from 312 to 416-or-so. Runs TomTom Navigator nicely. Had it running at 520 while charging, but I guess it doesn't give too much juice as it crashed running on battery so backed it down to 416.

 

Just sold my iPaq this week, just wasn't getting the use out of it to warrent the cost.

 

I don't use mine... because it got corrupted. And I barely use my dad's which I swiped from him although I knew it wouldn't be much