While I understand what you mean with the actual growth that happened with the PC and Windows, I would disagree because the PC and Windows just copied everything from Apple and exploded from IBMs stupidity!
Yes Apple got stuff from PARC and Xerox, but there is one HUGE difference, Apple and Steve HAD PERMISSION!!!!!!!!!!
yeah ... I get it. I've read the same article about the 3 screens mantra. Although interesting its still limited and only speaks from a marketing side - user familiarity with the GUI from desktop to laptop to handheld (smartphone, MID, tablet or otherwise).
Symbian is going a HUGE overhaul and its got the largest of members by the big shots in the entire Industry. This is what you do NOT get; along with the best in battery life performance - despite what Apple would have you believe in terms of running multiple applications: SMP check!
symbian-foundation:
http://www.symbian.org/
http://blog.symbian.org/
http://ideas.symbian.org/homepagelight - contribute ideas for the platforms evolution (free membership & your voice does count, critical or not).
Yes coding for it is NOT for the faint of heart, but with Qt supporting Symbian^3 and moreso with Symbian^4 we'll see something serious.
TO be honest, I see the smartphone market going from its infancy (like a baby to a 5yr old) to its adolescence. Its coming of age - where the only feature/dumb phones you'll see is for 3 basic markets:
* The elderly [physical prowess challenged, or cognitively challenged to emerging and advancing technologies/ideas/paradigms: we'll all get there one day] & hearing impaired.
* Those that just need to talk, sms, mms someone else while on the go; nothing special just emergency contacts. These types of phones could evolve to simplistic watch phones, child gps tracker/kidnapping alert devices, etc.
* financially challenging/emerging markets which will quickly adapt.
In 2yrs or less we'll see the real juggernauts go at it, tooth and nail with huge entrenched provider, credit, media industry, and even educational support. Yes Apple is GREATLY poised for this already with iTunes and iTunes University - I just hope their in it for the long haul!
I agree with you except about Symbian. Things are not looking good for Symbian right now and even Android!
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...led_as_new_iphone_android_platform_rival.html
It is looking more and more like an integrated solution like the iPhone is where the industry is headed! Once again being led by Apple.
And don't worry, Apple is IMMENSELY in this for the long haul. They completely understand the future of where this is all headed which is why we even have the iPhone, due to Steve's vision of all this. He doesn't just work towards the future, he creates it and everyone else wonders what happened and tries to catch up!
The Tablet is another important piece in this puzzle that is unfolding! Apple is VERY MUCH on the right track and positioned FAR BETTER than any other company to dominate and direct this future!
This is all karma for the way things went down in the personal computing revolution with Microsoft. Well now Apple is back and has really learned their lessons and Microsoft is still up to their pathetic MO, trying to catch up and stay relevant enough to prevent their monopolistic lock-in from falling apart. They got lucky with Bill Gates' negotiating and IBMs stupidity back in the day! That is pretty much the only reason they are what they are today, and since then it has just been them dragging their feet and trying to keep a tight grip on their lock-in! Well it is all starting to fall apart now because they have neglected too much too long!
Go Apple!
