Inspiratio Optimé: Pods, Mods and other PIT

Pods, Mods and other PIT

Who can have failed to note the meteoric rise in popularity of the iPod.
This can be identified as being primarily down to:

Ability to use/listen to music acquired by way of file sharing;
Capacity; and
Usability

Adaptability is another important facet waiting in the wings.
All the above said, iPods clearly illustrate a consumer desire for accessible technology - cutting edge, computer-derived/hosted functionality with high and immediate availability, I'll coin the phrase Personal Information Technology (PIT).
Note that mobile phones and PDAs also share similar characteristics, though obviously for differing purposes.
However the iPod fails to deliver in the majority of application domains, save for its (multi-)media playback capability.
Thus iPods join the pantheon of personal technologies. For the more avid of techhies, it's yet another box/gadget to carry.
One could make some interesting comparisons with the Palm LifeDrive, which takes the iPod concept and adds to it PDA capabilities as well as file/data storage and retrieval.
So here I propose an alternative approach.
Cognaisant of the PC with its generic design aspects, there's a ready opportunity for an equivalent product, but specifically designed with a fit to the (highly portable/available) ergonomics demonstrated in the iPod, in mind.
Fundamentally, such a device would:

Require minimal on-board functionality; and
Provide interfacing.

As has proved effective with PCs, pretty much all additional componentry could be made available by way of add-in/plug-in modules.

Easily conceivable (starter for 10?!) modules would include:

Power (variety of power to weight ratios thus options available)
Mobile telephony/GPRS/3G services
Storage (for MP3s/programs/data)
Wireless modules (Bluetooth/other for wireless headsets/I/O devices, such as keyboards and printers) - though this could conceivably be built-in, an external module may provide advantages in terms of upgradability. E.g. swap out or add on a WiMax adapter.
Display (e.g. OLED HMDs)
GPS

Thus custom ensembles of high-tech gadgetry can be assembled into a single, compact yet extensible module.

Once a product has bested this market space their longevity is surely assured as the basic framework becomes prerequisite for emergent solutions.

Posted 4:58 PM, Thursday, June 01, 2006, by Faber Optimé.
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