Time to Leave the Laptop
Behind
BY
RACHEL SPENCE
KATHLEEN SPONSELLER
ALAN STALEY
SCOTT SUTTON
Introduction:
Shift from using laptops on the
road to Smart Phones
Smart Phones have handle nearly
every chore business travelers need to
do like checking inventory levels
Laptops are used for “heavy-duty”
computing like creating Power Point
presentations
Some do all of their mobile work
from Smart Phones
Carry On
Larger screens and keyboards
on laptops will remain
superior to Smart Phones
Simple jobs like note-taking
are tedious on Smart Phones
Firms warn against relying
entirely on Smart Phones
In a survey of 1,402
technology users, only 3% of
Smart Phone users said they
rely exclusively on it when
traveling
Slimming Down
Surveys show people leaning toward more smart
phone use
Change is result of Apple’s iPhone
Using laptops for presentations and using smart
phones for everything else
Software available for store sensitive business
information on smart phones
Shows shipments of smart phones compared
to laptops
Pole Postion
Verizon Communicatoins Inc. of New York started
testing BlackBerry smart phones
Verizon field technicians used online
Technicians did those same chores on laptops
Verizon is Phasing out the-- eight-pound Panasonic
Toughbooks that are "ruggedized" to withstand shocks
AWKWARD !!!
Technicians raved about five-ounce BlackBerrys.
12,000 of Verizon's field technicians over to BlackBerrys
The first-year costs of a
BlackBerry under $1,300
Compared to $3,500 in first-
year costs for a laptop with
wireless service
Replacing a lost or damaged
BlackBerry costs about $129
Compared with more than
$2,000 for the laptops
BlackBerry is more efficient,
too.
BlackBerrys, are "always on“
Business users, smart phones
offer another advantage
So what’s next for smart phones?
Microsoft is starting to come out with ports that let
users connect the devices to digital projectors
through a cable for giving presentations.
Palm Inc. developed a “mobile companion” product
called Foleo. It is a laptop size keyboard and screen
for mobile phones. This product is currently shelved
but might be released someday.
Celio Corp. offers a product called the Redfly. This
has been a very successful product.
Change in Computers
Hardware makers are creating slimmer, smaller
classes of computers that are getting closer to the
size of smart phones.
Ultramobile PCs (UMPC) like Asustek Computer Inc.’s Eee PC
Mobile Internet Devices (MID) like Nokia Corp.’s N800
Internet tablet
These are both about the size of a small paperback
book.
Jim Malloy
VP of sales for Miyachi Unitek Corp.
Japanese manufacturer of welding and other
industrial equipment.
Believes the distinction between laptops and smart
phones will get less clear.
“Laptops seem to be getting smaller and smaller,”
says Mr. Malloy. “Smart phones are getting bigger
and bigger. There's a melding or mixing happening.”
Conclusion
Laptops are still a very important part of the
business world today, however smart phones are
starting to take the role of laptops and are much
more accessible.
It is expected to see laptops and smart phones
become more like each other as time goes on.