CutMeLoose.com

What is the NBT in mobile computing?: "

I spend a lot of time thinking about mobile technology and how it can be leveraged to help me in my life. I am fortunate in that I get to see and try many different devices, computers and tools that might take my productivity and enjoyment to the next level. All of this thinking has led me to the question- what is the Next Big Thing (NBT) in mobile computing? We have reached a point where PDAs are powerful little machines that can do a lot of different tasks that used to be solely in the domain of the personal computer. We are watching mobile phones get more of the capability that PDAs used to provide and we are now seeing entire computers shrunk to fit in the hand (barely). So what is missing from this mobile landscape?

This article does not intend to predict the future of mobile computing nor provide an overview of mobile devices currently available. I may do that at some point in the future but that is not the intent of this writing. I am focusing on what would work best for me since that is my natural point of interest.

I'll confess I have spent a lot of time thinking about this subject and trying to be honest with myself about what would really take my mobile life to the next level. Long time readers have read my plea for a mini Tablet PC which I know would be a good device for me and one that could make me even more productive than I currently can be with the Sony U750 ultra-portable computer. So would this be the NBT for me? Not quite. We have reached a point in the evolution of mobile technology where I think great things could be done and done right now with existing technology. So for better or worse I'm going to lay out a device that would fit my work style very well and then describe the software tools that would make this device the bomb, to paraphrase my kids.