CEA, the Consumer Electronics Association, is putting together a group to consider establishing industry standards for portable devices ranging from MP3 players to GPS units. The group will be leading a discussion at the CEA Industry Forum in October.
The primary purpose of such standards would be to ensure products from cars to home stereos could be have support for a variety of devices ... [ read the full article ]
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Quote:Perhaps the biggest question at this point is why it has taken so long to think about this issue. Most people who own the sort of devices they're talking about can tell you how frustrating it is to see the potential of their PMP or GPS neutered by a lack of support in products that seem like a natural fit.
My only guess would be to allow the technologies, when they were in their "infant" stages, a chance to improve and expand without being tied down to standards. However, now that the technology has matured, it is a good thing to start talking about standards. It would also help technology integration!! Cell phones are already becoming the "swiss army knife" of technology. Could you imagine if other portable technologies were more standard!!!
I've been wondering why they didn't do this at least 5 years ago. Have a standard set of features, and if Apple/Sony/Creative etc. wants to add features to it, let them. Don't stick it to us (the consumer) by making everything so proprietary. If the added feature is well received, then it may eventually become the standard.
It's about time.. for instance why does every phone need a different cable and drivers? Why not just make them another "mass storage device" as adopted by many camera and mp3 player manufacturers.
There is a USB consortium or some such which is also working towards this same goal.. plug it in and access whatever aspect of the device you want using fully open drivers, cables and standards.
This kind of capability is important so someone like me who doesn't want to just do what they condescendingly allow me to with their software. I buy a device and it is mine to do anything I want with... which is why I will never ever buy anything from Apple!!
