The "One" Gadget For Families?

Sara Silver from the Wall Street Journal blogged about some shedding their gadgets and turning to iPhones. The article quoted Mark Donovan, senior analyst at comScore:

"We see that lower-income consumers are increasingly turning to mobile devices to access the Internet, to listen to music and for email," said Mark Donovan, senior analyst at comScore. "

The interesting thing about this is that the article also mentioned that wireless ventures are losing DSL subscribers.

What does all of this mean?

I think it means families are looking to use "one gadget" as their dashboard to save money and help keep streamline family processes.

In reality, I see that one gadget being two, a wireless phone and a computer. The wireless phone will provide internet and phone access on the go, while the "dashboard" of every home will be the family PC. I see the family of the future having less paper on the fridge, family schedules, notes and reference information will be on a nice big screen computer. I see that screen being the only thing that the family sees, the computer itself will either be built into the screen or put under a counter. Maybe the screen will be a touch screen so even the little ones can use it to enter in their playdate schedule, or answer some of their questions by looking on safe online websites. School age kids will do their homework online and send it to their teacher before the night end. All family music will be loaded on some iTunes-like application that can transferred easily to MP3's or smartphones.  Better yet, that one screen will also be used for family entertainment. The only other gadgets needed will be a gaming console, MP3 player, wireless printer, a wireless router (along some sort of modem) and a DVR. Or maybe families will be using VoIP?

That may be more then two - but the "main" gadgets are still the smartphone and the PC.

In my house, a touch screen would need to be able to withstand varying degrees of sticky hands and wrestling boys knocking against it.

This techmama would always need her own laptop no matter what the rest of the family is using! My two devices would be a (MP3, GPS and all other three letter acronoym filled) smartphone and a small/slim laptop that I can carry in my purse. And my laptop can use my smartphone wireless access. I would take this computer to business and school meetings, sending notes out to others at the meeting instead of re-typing when I go home. All of this would make my life more efficient so I would have more time to spend with my family... That is in the home of the future.

Oh, and in the future some gadget will be created that sends laundry from the washer, to the dryer then folds it.

OK, that last one may just be a dream....