Product Review: Danger's 'Hip' Communicator Could Scare the Competition
Danger's 'Hip' Communicator Could Scare the Competition
Michael Cibula, MBA1
Issue date: 4/21/03 Section: Technology
- Page 1 of 2 next >
One of the things I missed about work when I came to the GSB (okay, the only thing) was my Blackberry. While it certainly helped me stay connected at work, I found it most valuable in helping me stay in touch with friends.
Despite the convenience, I could not justify the added expense as an individual consumer. However, all of that appears to be changing with the recent wave of so-called 'smart phones' that combine PDA, messaging and cell phone functionality. Just take a look at your fellow classmates and you will see what I am talking about. To further explore this shift in consumer purchasing, I decided to tap into local Palo Alto startup, Danger, and test their hiptop Communicator (aka T-Mobile Sidekick).
What first drew me to Danger's device is its sexy design. For one week I toted one of these devices around the GSB to constant 'oohs' and 'ahhs' at its design and form factor. Danger's device offers a huge grayscale screen with crisp resolution (if and when they launch a color model, it will turn even more heads). It is roughly on par with a palm-like PDA, but much larger than your typical cell phone. Just when you are getting used to the screen, a little finger pressure on the screen's side causes it to swivel 180 degrees to reveal a backlit keyboard, which is critical for messaging. Unlike the Blackberry and Treos of the world, this keyboard has decent sized keys and adequate spacing so even man hands can give it a go.
My favorite 'golly g' came from onlookers who were impressed that the data orientation changed when the screen flipped. The genius of the flip design is it overcomes the tradeoff between the size of the screen and the total device. We want one without the other. That said, I would still like to see a leaner version of the device. It is still a little too bulky for my tastes.
Are you an AOL Instant Messenger addict? If so, this is the device for you. Not only is the keyboard great for typing, but also you can hold multiple IM sessions, and all in real-time. The best was IM-ing my unsuspecting schwab-mate while standing behind him. I didn't know Fish could jump that high! I certainly hope more companies adopt this type of technology. Danger's IM experience is leaps and bounds above text messaging.
Despite the convenience, I could not justify the added expense as an individual consumer. However, all of that appears to be changing with the recent wave of so-called 'smart phones' that combine PDA, messaging and cell phone functionality. Just take a look at your fellow classmates and you will see what I am talking about. To further explore this shift in consumer purchasing, I decided to tap into local Palo Alto startup, Danger, and test their hiptop Communicator (aka T-Mobile Sidekick).
What first drew me to Danger's device is its sexy design. For one week I toted one of these devices around the GSB to constant 'oohs' and 'ahhs' at its design and form factor. Danger's device offers a huge grayscale screen with crisp resolution (if and when they launch a color model, it will turn even more heads). It is roughly on par with a palm-like PDA, but much larger than your typical cell phone. Just when you are getting used to the screen, a little finger pressure on the screen's side causes it to swivel 180 degrees to reveal a backlit keyboard, which is critical for messaging. Unlike the Blackberry and Treos of the world, this keyboard has decent sized keys and adequate spacing so even man hands can give it a go.
My favorite 'golly g' came from onlookers who were impressed that the data orientation changed when the screen flipped. The genius of the flip design is it overcomes the tradeoff between the size of the screen and the total device. We want one without the other. That said, I would still like to see a leaner version of the device. It is still a little too bulky for my tastes.
Are you an AOL Instant Messenger addict? If so, this is the device for you. Not only is the keyboard great for typing, but also you can hold multiple IM sessions, and all in real-time. The best was IM-ing my unsuspecting schwab-mate while standing behind him. I didn't know Fish could jump that high! I certainly hope more companies adopt this type of technology. Danger's IM experience is leaps and bounds above text messaging.