IBM Simon Analysis
What kind of world would we live in now if we did not have the smartphone. Communication would be widely restricted and we would have to gather our notebooks and calenders again to pencil someone in for lunch on Saturday. It’s hard to believe that people did that given the circumstance we are in, in this day and age.
What I think is more interesting is how we even got to the idea of smartphones. Who thought of it? What was their purpose? Who were they trying to sell this crazy new idea to? Well, let’s take a look back to 1992. IBM has just showcased its newest prototype code-named Sweetspot. The idea behind the Sweetspot was simple, combine a mobile phone and a PDA into one device. This would allow users to make and receive phone calls on the go. Other features included a calendar, address book, and notepad feature.
Now let’s fast forward to the product of the hour, IBM Simon. Simon was advertised in 1993 as a handheld touchscreen PDA. The LCD screen was 4.5 in × 1.4 in and came with 1MB of memory and storage. Along with its somewhat sleek looks (according to the standards in the 90s) it also could make and receive phone calls, and send and receive faxes, emails, and cellular pages. It also included applications like a calendar, appointment scheduler, calculator, world time clock, and electronic notepad. Now that we’ve established the background and features of IBM Simon, it’s time to truly analyze its significance.
What is its purpose?
As stated before, its main purpose was to combine multiple devices into one simple to use the device. Keep in mind, in the late 1980s the idea of calm computing or ubiquitous computing had just been realized in the PARC labs. That research had spread into the idea that mobile phones can do more than just call someone. With the advancement of hardware and prototypes being thrown here and there, inevitably IBM created the first smartphone. The main issue Simon was built to solve was to essentially bring everything a person needs into one single device.
Was it successful?
Unfortunately, there were a lot of issues that came along with Simon. Given how ambitious they were, some would say Simon was ahead of its time. One of the main problems was the battery life, according to consumers on talk mode the phone would only last for one hour. Since the phone needed to use so much data, a lot of the power was spent trying to keep up with the user.
Along with the immense power issue, the price point also had a part to play in the demise of the smartphone. Being marketed for around $899 for something that required charging every hour was not appealing to the general public. By the sixth month, 50,000 units were said to have sold since its launch, that's when they decided to get off the shelves.
The legacy of the IBM Simon allowed us to move forward and continue to innovate to greater technology. Although it was not a commercial success, it set one foot forward toward the future of smart devices.
The Crowds Reaction
Although it was evident that IBM had started something drastically different, what did the general public think of this product? In an interview with Orlando Sentinel Rich Guidotti, known as the man who debuted Simon, discusses how the entire process went from debut to its eventual downfall six months later.
When questioned about how the reaction was to the official debut, he had this to say, “The reaction was overwhelming. It was very similar to when Apple introduced the iPhone. People were in awe because it was a revolutionary device.”
Given the circumstance of the time, Simon was going to compete against other personnel assistance devices like the EO communicator and Apple’s Newton. The expectations were high, and unfortunately, it came crashing down due to many failures while being sold in 1994.
Comparing the Old With the New
Now when comparing the modern smartphone to IBM Simon a lot of differences and advancements can be seen, almost immediately. For one, modern smartphones like the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy are actually quite functional. The battery life is optimal for all-day use, compared to the one-hour battery life with IBM Simon.
A lot of the features in modern smartphones can be traced back to the original features of Simon. With Simon, the main feature included making and receiving calls and sending and receiving faxes, emails, and cellular pages. Keeping in mind these were not very common among mobile phones in the mid to late 90s. Now thinking about a smartphone with these features it's almost mandatory.
Some things like faxes and pagers were essential for the 90s. Now we use text messaging and social media to communicate with other people. Also, one major difference would be the ability to connect to the internet. The ability to communicate with others now requires a connection to a data plan and/or wifi. Comparing that to Simon shows how we’ve taken the ideas of our predecessors and continued to build upon them.
Conclusion
Overall, the IBM Simon was something ahead of its time. Comparing the ideation to the implementation shows that the technology of its times was not built to hold up such a device. But that does not mean that we should discredit the ideation of such a device. Simon showed us what could be possible in the future. With time and effort, we showed that anything is possible with the advancement of technology. It just requires patience.
