Tipping point an over worked phrase but have we reached one

A bit more philosophical reflection than usual. There has been much activity in three areas relating to mobile devices and maybe even computers in general. This maybe part of the usual cycle of innovation but maybe in fact MAYBE a real change in the cycle. A true break from a range of disruptive technologies

Devices

The changes in the area of devices are quite marked and breathtaking. He are just a few from the last 12 months...

• Ultra Mobile Personal Computers be it the Asus eeePC the Elonex £99 PC
  
• Smart Phones be it the Apples iconic Iphone Nokia N96 etc etc
  
• Other devices often referred to as Mobile Internet Devices. I love my IPod Touch for example
  
• General laptops just getting lighter and lighter with better battery life and chip developments means we are near all day battery life at a reasonable price. The ultra lights of The type of Toshiba R500 and the Apple Air
  

Software

Where does one start

• Google the list is long .Google mail integration via mapi for use of Gmail on range of devices especially important in the mobile field. Its integration with outlook exchange allowing both way editing of calendars. Google docs the launch of Google presenter and this week soft launch of ability to download these presentations in PowerPoint format. Google Gears is a back room product that allows Google and other products? To be available offline. I run it on a Mac and a PC and have used it for Google RSS reader for a while and this week they have launched this for Google Docs. It's been rolled out to users over coming weeks. This means you can word process, spreadsheet and design presentation offline. Have a look at the Google blog
  
• Apps for web based products widgets for mobile devices .Face Book a stealthy success that is described as BEBO (Blog Early Blog Often) for grown up (well maybe grown ups) has spawned a whole developer community of apps around it. For example dopplr (travel plan sharer). The whole vibrancy of mobile apps as typified by success of over the air at the weekend. What's an interesting growth is the effect of iphone/touch apps and importantly distribution route via iTunes. It comes at a cost but with an opportunity for easy widespread distribution.
  
• Service convergence the launch this week of video publishing on the digital image site Flickr for subscription customers. Images on the web via picas
  

Connectivity

The changes here are just starting o hit. 3G coverage is increasing costs are tumbling and all inclusive data packages are making mobile connectivity a real option for most users.

Broadband is evolving with Ultra Wide Band becoming a possibility though challenges presented by growth of bandwidth hungry application such as video services like BBC iplayer

Wi Max will make it to the UK in more than a limited way late in 2008 and with manufacturers in the UK rolling out built in 3g in laptops and wimax in the states

Conclusion

The market is going to get really interesting with the winners being individual consumers on a corporate level the picture is much more complicated. Technology choices take your pick you might be wrong. But you don't have an option you've got to choose.

Two thoughts it's not the technology you predict that's important it's the ones you mss and Daniel Applequist (of mobile Mondays and Vodafone) "In five years time there will be one internet and it will be mobile!