Apr 24, 2008

Cell phone is a mobile device is a computer. Dork.



I was reading this article about Nokia Apple-fying it's image with a Spike Lee-created film using uploaded audio, video, still photo and text created (a) on mobile devices (b) by nobodies. I used the term "mobile device" in the above paragraph because of this sentence in the article:

"During an interview Mr. Lee corrected himself twice, remembering that he was supposed to call the cellphone a 'mobile device.'"
My first thought was "He's using a term the company paying him wants him to use." But then I thought more. Not much more, but more.

A cell phone that records and sends audio, video, photos and text is a mobile device. It should not be named after one function: person-to-person audio communication. Really, it should be called a computer. And why should it be defined by it's difference from a desktop, immobile device? A computer is no longer assumed to be sitting on a desk.

Ok, from now on, I won't call the thing I get email, twitter, texting and photos from a "cell phone,' or even a "mobile device." It's my computer.

That is dorky.

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