The latest trend in personal computer world is smaller, lighter, lower cost, yet with decent screen. This is what we are presented as a way to go for mobile Internet by the personal computer (PC) industry. I do not share that vision. If it is only larger screen that we need to access information on the Internet from our “terminal”, then there is a serious crisis in the area of user interface development. Indeed, it is. The major challenge for mobile interface is how to develop human-machine interface (I would rather say, human-information interface). It seems that we are still not at the right level of technological advance for voice user interface to replace graphical user interface. Or are we not? If mobile phone manufacturers and network operators are trying to convince us (consumers) that mobile phone screens are large enough for video content, then what is PC industry trying to sell with Lilliputian notebooks with 512kB RAM , slow CPUs and very limited storage? Are we going to spend 300 US$ to carry around those just to be able to read daily online news , check our e-mail and make some online purchases? Don’t think so… Maybe very few people, but most of others would prefer doing those tasks from their mobile phones and other “more serious Internet access” from “more serious computers”.
As for the emerging markets, you’d be surprised to find out how well are they developed in terms of mobile telephony. That is the way to go. Nicholas Negroponte has already done a remarkable work in developing 100US$ laptop for emerging markets. Unfortunately his project launched a bit more expensive computer than it was anticipated (I bet we could find some reasons within the PC industry). Why then Eee and the like now? Why PC industry did not support better “one laptop per child” few years ago?