Specialized IM Devices on the Rise

Well, I had really hoped that we would have moved to something cooler than plain-old text-based IM, but the truth of the matter its here to stay for some time.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been releases of new devices that focus on one thing, and one thing along - IM. These handheld, phoneless devices provide a outlet for "expression" for teenagers around the States. Engadget reports on the ZipIt Wireless IM Device:

It’s going to have some stiff competition amongst the IMfree, Ogo, and, of course, the Sidekick II in the increasingly crowded arena of teenage handheld wireless-texting gadgets, but everything about the Zipit Wireless Instant Messenger—from the 802.11(b, we presume) with WEP, to the integrated firewall, to the full QWERTY keyboard and 4-8 hour battery life—should ensure it will be in good compan., So yeah, you could say it’s pretty good for a Benjamin, considering it’s 4 x 3.5 x ¾-inches in size, and also supposedly downloads plugins for updating IM protocols and streaming music. We’ll see though, we’ll see, we’re trying not to get our hopes up too much.

Source: Engadget.com, "Zipit Wireless IM finally gets your teenager off the phone"

In a world that seemed to be steaming towards convergence of media devices, this is somewhat of a surprise. However, considering the target and the environments they play in, it's not that surprising.