Move Over Notebook, Jupiter's Arrived

Electronic News, Nov 30, 1998 by Carolyn Whelan

The Smart Handheld device market should really take off in 1999, according to IDC. Worldwide shipments in 1999 are expected to surpass 10.7 million units next year, an increase of 45 percent over 1998's estimated 7.4 million units in shipments. Of those, some 300,000 Jupiter devices are expected to ship worldwide, and projected to eventually become the dominant form factor among all Windows CE keyboard-based devices. Still, the market will remain highly fragmented.

But, there are issues. Like new entrants, they include the convergence of form factors, and competing operating systems (see sidebar). Also, handheld users may expect to pay significantly less for a Jupiter product than the $1,000 price point currently being pitched. In that same IDC survey those interested in Jupiter products expected to pay between $500-$750 for the product.

And, like the Palm-sized PC, there are shortcomings, which could deter buyers, or have them go for the whole package rather than the whittled down version. CE documents (Excel or PowerPoint, for example) can't be embedded into other documents. Macros are often lost in conversions. Pocket Internet explorer doesn't support Java, audio or client-side scripting. And, there are a whole lot more applications and development tools for the PalmPilot than Windows CE devices. Moreover, those CE tools that do exist have limitations.

Of note at Comdex was the proliferation of smartphones demonstrating their connection capabilities, and other vertical application devices, which could well eat into the PDA space. Also prominent was the availability of peripherals to ease that transition, like Mitsubishi's Mobile Access Connector Kit and Intermec's Handheld Data Collection device.

"It's become especially difficult to make an impact in the handheld companion market as more devices alter the landscape, resulting in heightened competition," said Hwang. "Vendors need to be aggressive and execute their strategy flawlessly in order to capture significant pieces of the market." u