Posted on 02/08/2011 10:32:45 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Manufacturers shipped more smartphones than personal computers in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to research, crowning mobile devices as the computing platform of choice earlier than many industry-watchers had expected.
Makers of mobile devices distributed a total of 101m smartphones in the last three months of the year, up 87 per cent from the same period a year earlier, according to International Data Corp, the market researcher.
IDC had earlier said that PC shipments reached 92m units in the fourth quarter, up less than 3 per cent.
Analysts had expected smartphones to take the lead at some point in 2011, but the transition happened more quickly as a wide range of manufacturers of mobile devices embraced Android, the malleable open-source operating system from Google.
“Android continues to gain [market share] by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market” said Ramon Llamas, IDC analyst. “It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors’ smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian.”
Android passed Apple’s phone software and Nokia-backed Symbian as the most widely adopted program for smartphones at the end of last year, according to research group Canalys. Because Google’s software is used in devices made by other groups, Nokia, which makes smartphones as well as the Symbian software, is still in the lead in terms of smartphone shipments.
The Finnish company’s unit share widened to 28 per cent from 20 per cent in the quarter, IDC said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
The smart phones are darn amazing. Just got one. First time having anything but a flip phone. The smart phone is amazing.
My Droid-X is the best electronic equipment I’ve ever owned. I’ve even posted to FR from it.
crowning mobile devices as the computing platform of choice
Let's wait with this crowning thing until people can routinely reencode a DVD on their smartphones, to begin with. Until then these smartphones will remain nothing but toys. Useful ones, perhaps, but toys nevertheless.
Not to show how clueless I am, but does smart phone mean it can answer and communicate for me? If so, I want one.
Do they make them in a full sized laptop, so I wouldn’t have to strain my eyes?
I saw somewhere the claim that PCs are on their way out, being replaced by smartphones and such, and that the only use for PCs would be in businesses where features such as spreadsheets are needed.
I dunno; I have no real interest in a phone that does anything besides make a phone call. I can’t see going to an online data center for storage of my personal files. The only way a smartphone could replace all of the functions of my computer would be if it were a computer. In which case, that tiny screen and keyboard and low resolution graphics would make it nearly impossible to use.
Let’s wait till smart phones saturate the market like desktops. Everyone has a PC. You only buy a new one when the old one breaks. People are still getting turned on to these phones. People get rid of old phones all the time to upgrade or because of a deal. Why don’t we wait about 5 years when smartphones are everywhere and see how brisk sales are. By then a new widget will be out to outpace the phones.
the smartphone, when used at home, will hook up to a tv through the hdmi out. so, if you have a modern big screen tv, you’re set there. You can attach an external keyboard if you like, and use the tablet or smartphone itself as the mouse.
as for the DVD work, with flash memory, DVDs are going out too. I get irritated daily by the DVD drive on my laptop, cause I will accidentally hit the button and open it. I cannot remember the last time I used it. I purchase and download my software via the web. I buy my music as digital files on the web. I plug my smartphone jack into the AUX input on my car and home stereo to listen to music or radio.
PCs will always be around, but for most people, mobile computing will replace their need for a computer.
My TV is, I dunno, about 26 years old. It works fine. I just can't justify the cost of buying one of those big screen things, which I would never watch anyway.
You need to describe to others on here,...what it is you like and how you use it.
Then there are the applications...
I like my sports on a 32" LCD...so I don't have to sit on top of the set.
if you got one of those things, you might want to view your smartphone through it. I find these LCD screens are great with graphics, but the colors don’t look too natural. I recently got a cheap 32 for about 250. It has a 3 or 4 hdmi connectors, and most people will have these screens in a few years. Not suggesting anyone replace their tv to see their smartphone.
In the morning, I like to check my email quickly. Before, that was a slow process. Push power button on computer. Wait for computer to fire up. Wait for browser to load. Go to email account web address. Enter pw and un. Wait then read.
In the time it takes to push the power button on the computer I already have my email in front of me on the smart phone.
Message center lets you know in one push of a button who has contacted you by text, email, voicemail.
Internet access anywhere. At home, wifi access for quicker browsing (although over the air is fast enough for me).
Easily read FR or my favorite political columnist in bed. If my eyes are tired from the end of the day, swipe the text bigger and it all resizes.
Includes a great HD Camcorder and a 5.1 mega pixel camera.
Video conference with anyone that has a phone with the same front facing camera and software. Talk face to face.
The navigation feature is tops. Calls out the directions turn by turn and includes the visual display. No need for my old navi unit.
Calendar is easy to use with reminders.
Bar code reader. I was at the store and they did not have enough of what I needed. Scanned the bar code and then had the option to go to three places to check the item. Called a nearby store and found out they had the stock. Bar code gets you lots of information.
Flash light. While not the most important feature, it has come in handy. Uses the flash from the camera in a stay on position with three brightness settings.
That's a few of the highlights.
Btt. Could not agree more.
my son streams our netflix account through his phone to the tv...
Just yesterday I wanted to order pizza. Instead of getting up and looking for an old menu, or a yellow pages, I sat on my couch and used my phone to go online to find the number.
The Princess Bride
Returner
Shall We Dance (Japanese original)
Shall We Dance (American remake)
Take The Lead
Strictly Ballroom
For A Few Dollars More
Because Of You
Good to have when I'm waiting at a job site.
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