My own concern is trying to figure out the segmentation of the market. Talking about handhelds, or MP3 players is meaningless except in the most general terms. I'd like to be able to define their value, and in turn, the value of the hardware and software that drives them. Does that mean that I am going to have to look at a universe of mini-PC like galaxies? That's what I reckon.

Of course, once the novelty of handheld devices wears off, when we start laughing at Palm Pilot users, for example, and throwing things at them on the bus, or in restaurants, then who will be left standing? 3COM, Handspring, Microsoft?

I know, I am not going anywhere except posing more questions, and I know how some of you like your articles clear cut. Tough, I don't think anyone has the answer. I need to think this through out loud.

I know one thing that bugs me about the whole handheld market, and I am thinking more about the time when they are truly connected devices - who's gonna own the pipeline? Is it going to be AOL, or AT&T for example? I can't imagine that 3COM has enough going for it to be able to implement the infrastructure needed to support even its own Palm Pilot users. I have to believe that it will be the big telephone companies, or AOL through an affiliation with a wireless communications company.

Doesn't sound like a great model for software distribution. Sounds like the console business, but instead of Nintendo or Sony, you have a phone company determining who gets to put content on your handheld.

Of course, the other thing about content and services is that they had better be cross-device. I mean, the same guy you have delivering broadband into your home better be doing it on your cell phone and handheld. Otherwise, how many ISPs are you going to want?

I guess the real reason I raise these issues is because, I am concerned that we are so enamored by the idea of a post-PC era that we tend to forget that we may be ushering something worse in its place.