I was thinking that an interesting test of how advanced mobile phone evolution has got would be to ask if there was anything you used your mobile for, when your computer was readily available.
Of course, I know that mobiles are generally used when you’re out and about and don’t have a computer with you. But if you were to put them head-to-head, what would happen?
Personally, here’s where mobile wins:
Alarms
Voice call (even then I’ll use Skype if the other person is available on their computer)
SMS (again if I can’t see they’re there on IM)
Calculator (but spreadsheet wins if it’s more complex)
Camera (I can take still shots with my computer cam)
What about you?
One day, I believe that the mobile will replace the computer. When we need to undertake more complex tasks where a keyboard is needed, we’ll simply pop our mobile into a docking station. That is, if serious voice control and dictation still don’t take off.
Until that merger takes place though, the computer seems to win out - but only when it’s actually there to compete.
I use it for mobile banking although a PC is available.
My J2ME banking is much faster than web or PC banking.
I use my PC to download Mp3 and podcasting, but play them on my Nokia N70. The only reason is PC is faster. But I am looking forward to replacing those function once I have my WiFi phone, E70 may be.
The listed things except camera (I have a good dedicated camera), plus:
Clock while playing PC games; I don’t have a watch and I obviously can’t see the Windows clock while playing
Testing, as I develop commercial Java applications and WAP sites
Modem, when I use the notebook outside my home/office
Paper weight (just kidding, maybe…)
Highly unlikely I would say - how are you going to conduct desktop publishing tasks and website design on a S60 screen?
Tim
Tim - oh ye of little faith:-)
Here’s something I wrote a year ago about how I see this panning out http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2005/03/17/nokia-wireless-keyboard-su-8w-and-samsungs-sgh-i300/
Russell
Russell Buckley on: Mobile Vs Computer…
Ah, that never-ending question: will the mobile replace the PC? I think Russell here has a nice way of thinking about this: when would you use the phone even if the PC were there. Yes. That’s the way to think…
[...] I wrote last week comparing the mobile with the computer, concluding that for most things, the computer was still better. However, I also believe that our phones will turn into our computers and be our primary digital device. [...]
A couple of more areas to consider:
-Bluejacking / Nokia Sensor
-Voice or video recording
-Secure file or password storage (like a USB key)
-In certain cases, moblogging rather than blogging
-Showing stored video clips or photos
-Depending on the phone model: status symbol
Russell - I did read your article but it didn’t really address the issue I was posing - I just can’t see how on earth I could use a S60 screen and hope to build a website or edit a publisher document - Oh, unless what’s being said here is that nobody will have a desktop so all websites will be phone-screen size, which would make it easier, I guess.
Tim
My N70 is my right hand man:
Alarm
Calendar (although it syncs with my Mac, I still look it up on my phone)
Address book (same as calendar)
Calculator
Egg Timer
SMS
Sometimes I’ll also do the weather and yellowpages stuff on my phone first too. Go S60!
-A
I use my Nokia 6620 primarily for:
daily alarms
calendar (sync’d with .Mac)
SMS
browsing with Opera mini (mostly news, sports)
email (but the email client needs some real work to be worthy 100%)
One of the most useful features of my 6620 is that of a music remote control throughout my home (via Saling Clicker client). I run all of my music library from my IMac through an airport express and conencted to my amp and house-wide speakers. I can easily change my song or the volume from anywhere– really freaks my wife out.