What is a PDA?
After IDC reporting handheld device sales declining, I was surprised to find Gartner saying PDA Shipments Grew 32 Percent in Third Quarter of 2006.
It turns out that this is due to how Gartner define a PDA…
"Gartner defines a PDA as a data-centric handheld computer weighing less than one pound that is primarily designed for use with both hands. These devices use an open market operating system supported by third-party applications that can be added into the device by end users. They offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC. A PDA may offer WAN support for voice, but these are data-first, voice-second devices. Smartphones offer all the attributes of a PDA, except that smartphones are voice-centric and are designed for primarily a one-handed operation."
The report also says…
"Much of the growth in the PDA market in the third quarter of 2006 was generated by cellular PDAs such as Danger, Inc’s. (T-Mobile) Sidekick 3, Nokia E61/E62 and Motorola Q."
So, according to Gartner, the E61/E62 is a PDA, not a smartphone. I wonder where the Sony Ericsson M600i and P990 fit? … and what about the Nokia E70 which has a fold out keyboard?
These days, the line between handheld, PDA and Smartphone is more blurred than it used to be when Gartner started creating these reports. Gartner would be better sticking to easily defined categories such as ‘connected’ or ‘unconnected’ devices or maybe ‘devices using an open market operating system’. In this way their statistics would be more meaningful.
