Welcome to day 3 of our 10-day series covering our top UMPC predictions. While we continue to rattle off what we see in our crystal ball, we would love to hear what you see in yours. So, shoot us a line and let us know what you think the future holds for the Ultra Mobile PC.
Prediction #3: A dedicated peripheral industry will emerge
We’ve watched as several successful consumer technology products have paved the way for lucrative periphreal aftermarkets whose revenue and profit can rival those of the device itself. The iPod is certainly the model example here.
We believe that the UMPC/Origami will follow in those same footsteps, but to a lesser extent and at a much slower pace. However, you can expect that the market will rush to supply everything from hard cases to day-planner-like leather portfolios to screen protectors to case skins that let you add some personality to the bland industrial stylings we’re currently seeing from the manufacturers.
Of course, most things on that list of examples are table-stakes. It’s the high dollar peripherals that will be the most exciting. These add-ons will cover everything from device docks and keyboards to tv tuners and satellite radio receivers.
But, what else, besides the obvious, could roll down the UMPC peripheral pipe and really set a bar for UMPC innovation or even become the platform’s killer app? We certainly don’t know the answer to that, but we’ll make some suggestions. An easy to use, all-in-one field audo recording/mixing kit would be a welcome addition. As would an analog control pad attachment that could make playing certain game genres even easier.
The possibilites are endless as the UMPC really is a device that strikes a singularly unique balance between size, functionality and price. I’m sure I’ll spend as much on UMPC extras as I have on iPod extras (translation: I will be spending alot!)
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