iPhone and device convergence

PCWorld asks whether TomTom for the iPhone points the way towards the end of dedicated, single-purpose devices.

In comparison to Apple's intuitive touch interface, I've found it highly frustrating to deal with other devices. Simply setting the volume on an XM receiver yesterday was a maddening exercise. The conference phone at my office has a screen with labels for the buttons beneath them, but I keep expecting the labels themselves to be useful. My two-way pager has one of the worst interfaces I've ever used. Hardware manufacturers tend to be incompetent at interface design.

So as much as possible, I'll gladly replace single-purpose devices with my iPhone. More convenient, vastly better interface, always with me: what's not to like?

On the other hand, as a photographer, I would never replace an SLR with an iPhone, but I'll have my phone with me more often than my "real" camera. If I traveled extensively through major metropolitan areas, I might need a dedicated turn by turn GPS device. I still need a pager, because my cell phone is not nearly annoying enough, and doesn't hold a charge as long.

So no, we'll continue to have dedicated devices, but hopefully most consumers will need fewer, and hopefully Apple's strengths in interface design will compel other gadget manufacturers to pay more attention to usability.