Will mobile phones replace the PCs in the future?

A new survey suggests that today's youth--and minorities in particular--are using cell phones more and more as mini personal computers, sparking a revolution in ubiquitous computing. The survey could have important implications for school leaders looking to design programs that appeal to their students and younger stakeholders.

Young adults and minorities are leading a revolution in how Americans use their cell phones, according to a new survey with important implications for education.

People ages 18 to 29 and minorities are more likely to use their cell phones as personal computers, digital music players, cameras, and more--a phenomenon that school leaders and content providers should consider when developing programs aimed at students and young staff members or parents.

"We've got everything on my phone," said Mark Madsen, a 24-year-old college student from Chattanooga, Tenn. "I use it mostly for the phone, but I also play video games and use the MP3 player. I pretty much use it all the time."

Almost two-thirds of young adults use their phones to send text messages. More than half use them to take pictures and almost half to play games. They use these features, as well as internet connections, about twice as often as cell phone users overall.

Minorities were far more likely than whites to use the phones to take pictures, send text messages, and use the internet, though the minority rates were influenced by enthusiasm among Hispanics--who tend to be a younger population, the poll found.

"We think of them as mobile phones, but the personal computer, mobile phone, and the internet are merging into some new medium like the personal computer in the 1980s or the internet in the 1990s," said Howard Rheingold, an author who has taught at Stanford University and written extensively about the effects of technology.

You may continue to read the article in link below:

Source: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6228

Similar article comes from Australia:

Schools have a blunt approach to mobile phones: ban them in the classroom. But in a radical reversal, a new push has emerged for students to use them as the learning device of the new century.

Source:http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/education-tool-a-phone-call-away/2005/08/14/1123957950672.html

I bought a cell phone recently.

It is a Sony Ericcson 810i and it helped me to put together my MP3 player, Radio, Web Browser (very limited though) and Digital Camera all together.

So do you think cell phones will replace all the personal computers in the very near future?