Windows Phone Thoughts: Why I miss my Palm III

Foo Fighter has written up a commentary in his site, PocketFactory, that talks about the physical construction of PDAs today. What do you think? Do you agree with him?

"Over the past few years I have shuffled through countless different mobile devices, ranging from Palm, Handspring, Sony, HP, Compaq, Dell...and even a proprietary Casio Pocket Viewer. This has given me a great opportunity to sample not only different software platforms, but also form factors. Lately I have begun to notice a rather unpleasant trend in PDA design. It seems that utility is being sacrificed for glitz. In particular, the materials used in PDA housings have become less friendly to rugged everyday use. For example, the earliest Palm handhelds were simple plastic shells molded in two pieces and in one solid color. Today, most PDAs are painted shells that are prone to chipping, scratching, fingerprints, and give less "grip" when held in the palm of the hand. In addition, I see many PDA vendors abandoning the tried and true flip cover, which offers critical protection to the screen..."