Gates: Cell Phones Will Beat the iPod
Not to beat a dead horse, but now Bill Gates is piling on the iPod as well (which, for those counting, puts me in agreement with former RIAA president Hilary Rosen and Microsoft, two constituencies with which I have long been at odds).
Eric Hellweg, one of my writers, and I had a debate with Technology Review editor Wade Roush on just this subject. There is an ever-shrinking minority of people, it seems, who believe the iPod’s success will continue – at least at its current market share. As cell phone makers continue to pump out more powerful tools (such as Nokia’s coming phone which stores 3,000 MP3s), it’s probable that mobile technologies – at least those with audio – will shrink into one device.
I do there can be a case made that video devices like the Sony PSP will remain as stand-alone products in the near future, but even they will likely be migrated into the audio devices as hard drives get bigger and battery drain issues are solved.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.