Taking a look around the techno-blogosphere, it's clear the "it" technology this year is the tablet. All the buzz right now focuses on iPads, Dell Streaks, Samsung Galaxies, and any mention or rumor of a new competitor in this fast-growing market.
The allure of these tablets are obviously the different functions they serve, whether it's as a laptop, media player or a gaming device. This means that if you're a device that only does one of those things (I'm looking at you, gaming devices), you've probably already seen your popularity slipping.
I've made this point before when talking about the impact of smartphones on gaming devices, but the latest move by Panasonic warrants a revisit to this topic. Panasonic is diving into the already-shallow waters of hand-held gaming devices with the upcoming release of the Panasonic Jungle.
It's a questionable move to say the least, because as I mentioned earlier, the hand-held gaming market has taken some serious hits over the last couple years due to the rise of smartphones and tablets.
This raises the obvious question; why doesn't Panasonic scrap the gaming-only device and focus on creating a tablet? They have the resources and the credibility, and a device that only does games provides serious limitations. A tablet could still be used for gaming, but would provide the added functionality and utility of a laptop.
I'm aware my suggestion is a hard left turn from where they were originally going, but if Panasonic is set on diving in to those gaming waters they might find that it's not so easy to stay afloat.
