iPhone to Further Influence Future Apple Devices And UMPCs

The iPhone marked the beginning of a revolution, a change in how people interact with computers and each other. But as we progress through the technological food chain, the iPhone will be one of the building blocks for a truly mobile experience.

The other important thing to understand here is that the iPhone and even the iPod Touch aren’t the be all and end all of mobile computing, but rather an evolutionary stepping stone that will influence future designs heavily.

I know what you’re thinking: “how can the iPhone be a mobile computing platform, isn’t the UMPC failing at that?” Which is a valid reason, what severely crippled these devices was the feeble attempt at replicating a desktop environment without changing the software or hardware to the needed specifications of a gadget you take on the go.

UMPCs and the like weren’t optimized, or at least were done very poorly, for their cramped quarters. Even then it fit in the middle of two totally different products which caused conflict between smart phones and laptops. What would persuade me, in looking for a device that would accommodate my needs in a mobile device, from a laptop or smart phone? The whole point is I can fit the smartphone in my pocket and use a phone interface or I can stick the laptop in my backpack and use a desktop interface in full glory, well almost. A UMPC, on the other hand, takes a laptop, shrinks it, then axes off the keyboard and forces you to use a desktop OS on a horribly res’d screen, a whole 7 inches of triple digit pixel glory.

So back to the iPhone. It won’t solve all these problems and if it does we won’t see the changes any time soon, but the influence will be massive. See, the iPhone is one of the few devices to utilize a multi touch interface, a.k.a. using two hands to type, or do anything for that matter. Now what else requires two hands? Oh, a keyboard and mouse! How many hands does a smart phone and UPMC need? Umm, how about one?

Who ever heard of one hand computing besides some lonely geeks and maybe someone eating at their desk? Anyway, I don’t want to blast the UMPC platform too much, I’d like a 5 inch mobile tablet I could stick in my pocket, but nothing is optimized!

What would the iPhone bring? Well if these manufacturers can grasp two badly needed concepts from Apple it’d have to be multi touch and totally revamped, optimized OSes.

If not, then manufacturers will have to learn the hard way from Apple whether or not the iPhone does it, the iPod Touch, or even then the fabled Apple tablet.

I could see Apple entering the UMPC market but taking touch computing mainstream; their product line and focus is shifting heavily towards mobile everything. Sure, it might create a few bastardized products, and some with no orientation or sawed off features in the same design to differentiate itself, but ultimately it will be Apple paving the way and everyone catching up again.