Cellphones Won't Soon Replace Today's GPS Devices

I feel a little confused, limit as upset !

Well, I read you.

Why keeping idea that using a cell phone is harder than a PND ? Many of them just need a tap to start the navigation tool (TomTom, iGo8, Navigon...), the GPS part of the device is started at the same time ! A tap is an easy going operation, isn't it ? And then, you just find all your contacts (TomTom, iGo) in a very easy way. PND can't link with contacts in a so smart way.

The two only things I agree with Caroline Chow are :

1 - Screen size : yes a phone couldn't be as large as a PND. Screen phone are little bit less than 3 inches, PND could be 5 or nearly 7 inches to be great and readable (also about sound capacities). Well, may be next gen of PND (and cell phone navigation programs) won't need anymore a screen, but only sounds. Vocals are getting better and better nowadays.

2 - "I'm amazed at how low they're selling these things" : well I'm too ! Think, or phones are realy too expansive, or PND are a little bit too cheap ! Market made a choice with fashion.

But don't forget that PDA's market re-raised 3,5 years ago with achievement of navigation capacities. Some near Amsterdam

Netherlands have perfectly well taken this kind of opportunities.

Yes, PND should not read videos or photos, as this is not a natural built-in capacity. But hand-held have done this for more than 7 years now. And hand-held is a (small) open computer, as PND is not and will never be.

But PND is like Richard Robinson says : very easy for everyone, with a great accessibility. It may win at this point, but as radio for cars, it may become integrate in many models ! As far as I can see, it then stays in the car now (radio car market changed a lot these 4 last years), but the phone shouldn't : it will always come with us, in our pocket.

Open vs closed technology ?... Enbeeded vs unmovable ?... Readable or listenable ?... Future of technology still hard to guess !

Regards from France !

J-Marc @ Jan 12, 2009 22:51:04 PM