I teach at a community college, and what I’ve noticed is that between my traditional college students and returning students, a phone has been a necessity, texting has relatively recently become almost a universal requirement, but apart from Twitter and Facebook, few use the internet for much else. A surprising number don’t own a computer, and use the school’s, and astonishing numbers are confused by thumb drives and email attachments.

I’d love to see some statistics on online use in the general population. Other than a cursory check of email and Facebook, not only do most of my students not see the point of a 3G data plan, huge numbers don’t feel the need for traditional cable or DSL plans, either.

For all the Googling they might do for a pizza, few use Gmail (way more use hotmail and yahoo), or Google Docs, or Google Calendars, etc., though many do use Google Maps to locate each other, a pair of shoes, or whatever.

If a laptop for college students aren’t necessities, I don’t see how MIDs sell unless they power games.

nothing more needs to be said.

Could Apple do this with an MID? Make a MID that is netbookish enough to warrant a purchase? Maybe.

The current MID market is dissapointing right now. No one wants these products and no one is buying these types of products. If they do make this type of device could it become the Macbook Air(A device that is meant for a niche market).

Apple will stick with iphone, and develop different more powerful version because of the mobile internet capabilities. MID just sounds like a bad business model and too niche of a market.

Why oh why should the telcos make any specific money on my use of their network beyond its use as a basic carrier of data?

And i have to say that what apple did was to stip away half the power of a smartphone. so if thats how they will make a mid accessible, thanks but no thanks.

Note: I own an iphone, and have never owned a Apple computer.

Before the iphone, smartphones were not considered mainstream. They were considired expensive and difficult to use for a majority of individuals (Not for the gadget freaks like me). Apple made the smartphone dead simple, easy to use, and created an app store to add funcionality .

Apple has the opportunity to do the same with the MID market. The market now has alot of expensive models that no one really wants or sees a need for. They will need to create a product that could be usedfull.

I still do not see a need for an MID since I have an iPhone. How does an MID fit between my iphone, netbook, and regular laptop? It doesnt, its in limbo between the iphone and netbook.

For is there anything more personal then a computer in your pocket?

And also, more computers really need to ship with a handsfree set in the box, and a SIP client installed by default.

That way, telcos and others can provide a service that links any kind of phone to one number (i think google have something like that already, but i would like to see more providers) so that Any call or message to that number would be routed to a list of others, including that SIP client if logged in.

Phone capability is nothing more then a specialized WWAN connection after all…