Dedicated Devices Face Off Against All-in-One Tech
Jessica Marcel — September 13, 2009 — Tech
Slate has a new article about the death of the iPod. They’re not being literal, of course. The iPod name isn’t going anywhere—you may have a PC, but non-Apple MP3 players just aren’t cool.
The point is that technology combining the most wanted elements is destined to win out of dedicated devices. Amazon’s Kindle book reader and a mp3 player that is only an MP3 player won’t stand a chance against reasonably priced technology that incorporates the same features.
The new iPod Nano is a case in point. Once upon a time the primitive iPod was a music player. It played music. Now the device includes radio access, a camera, and a pedometer. And you know Internet access is coming soon.
Who’s going to go out and buy a pedometer now that their iPod Nano does it for them? Who’s going to buy a point-and-shoot camera once a phone can take the same quality shots? Someone will, but the masses won’t.
The point is that technology combining the most wanted elements is destined to win out of dedicated devices. Amazon’s Kindle book reader and a mp3 player that is only an MP3 player won’t stand a chance against reasonably priced technology that incorporates the same features.
The new iPod Nano is a case in point. Once upon a time the primitive iPod was a music player. It played music. Now the device includes radio access, a camera, and a pedometer. And you know Internet access is coming soon.
Who’s going to go out and buy a pedometer now that their iPod Nano does it for them? Who’s going to buy a point-and-shoot camera once a phone can take the same quality shots? Someone will, but the masses won’t.
Trend Themes
1. All-in-one Devices - The market is shifting toward all-in-one devices that combine the most popular features of dedicated devices, creating opportunities for companies to develop new products that incorporate a range of functions.
2. Feature Convergence - Feature convergence is becoming increasingly important in the tech industry, with consumers seeking products that can perform multiple tasks.
3. Disruptive Innovation - The emergence of all-in-one devices is a disruptive innovation that is changing traditional markets, creating an opportunity for companies to invest in new products that can compete in this new landscape.
Industry Implications
1. Consumer Electronics - As consumer demand for all-in-one devices grows, companies in the consumer electronics industry are in prime position to develop new products that meet this demand.
2. Mobile Devices - The proliferation of smartphones and tablets that incorporate a range of features is disrupting the mobile device market, creating opportunities for companies to develop innovative products that combine multiple functions.
3. Fitness Tech - The incorporation of pedometers and other fitness-related features into all-in-one devices represents a disruptive innovation for the fitness tech industry, creating opportunities for companies to develop new products that combine multiple functions in innovative ways.
3.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
