So I had this brilliant idea. My entire university campus is wireless... so I can walk from my residence to class, or across the street to the cafeteria with no interruptions to the signal. So I was going to buy an iPod Touch and install it with free apps to make it this great wireless device, without the monthly fee of a cell phone... Skype for free or nearly-free calling, free GPS, MP3 player, games, etc. The only problem? The iPod Touch has no built-in microphone.
So maybe just buy an iPhone with no plan and use it instead? They are $99 with a 3-year plan, how much more can they be if you just buy the device? Well, apparently the cost of a new laptop more... $699 for a 32GB iPhone 3GS by itself (or $1,000 for an unlocked one on eBay.) Only two vendors in Canada sell the iPhone, and only 1 of them will even sell the device without a plan. Not only that, but on top of it, most good apps like Skype are only available in the US store, not the Canadian store. In order to make a US account, you need a US credit card or a US iTunes gift card.
I could get a mobile Skype phone and have unlimited calling to Canada and the US for $2.95/month, but then you can't use all the other various apps that most cell phones have, and according to Amazon.com, all the skype phones available in North America suck anyway.
So that leaves the best-available wireless device being what.... a PSP? The PSP has a decent web browser, VOIP support, gaming, MP3s, but it is far from being a wireless iPhone.
Why is nobody cornering this market? A device like this could replace cell phones... it would basically be a cell phone without a monthly fee. They would sell millions. I think it's reasonable to assume that within a decade, all major populated areas will have uninterrupted wifi connections across entire cities. Even in my city of about 75,000, I think it's safe to say that you could pick up a free wireless signal every few hundred feet. So why has nobody created a device like this? Gahhhhh. I am not paying $30 a month to have a cell phone for something that should be available for free already.
So maybe just buy an iPhone with no plan and use it instead? They are $99 with a 3-year plan, how much more can they be if you just buy the device? Well, apparently the cost of a new laptop more... $699 for a 32GB iPhone 3GS by itself (or $1,000 for an unlocked one on eBay.) Only two vendors in Canada sell the iPhone, and only 1 of them will even sell the device without a plan. Not only that, but on top of it, most good apps like Skype are only available in the US store, not the Canadian store. In order to make a US account, you need a US credit card or a US iTunes gift card.
I could get a mobile Skype phone and have unlimited calling to Canada and the US for $2.95/month, but then you can't use all the other various apps that most cell phones have, and according to Amazon.com, all the skype phones available in North America suck anyway.
So that leaves the best-available wireless device being what.... a PSP? The PSP has a decent web browser, VOIP support, gaming, MP3s, but it is far from being a wireless iPhone.
Why is nobody cornering this market? A device like this could replace cell phones... it would basically be a cell phone without a monthly fee. They would sell millions. I think it's reasonable to assume that within a decade, all major populated areas will have uninterrupted wifi connections across entire cities. Even in my city of about 75,000, I think it's safe to say that you could pick up a free wireless signal every few hundred feet. So why has nobody created a device like this? Gahhhhh. I am not paying $30 a month to have a cell phone for something that should be available for free already.
Recently Spotted:
travo (3m)
step 1: patent your idea
step 2: do absolutely nothing
step 3: wait until someone brings you idea on the market
step 4: wait until they have sold millions of it
step 5: sue them
step 6: profit