Consumer Electronics Convergence Shows Continued Promise

eMarketer released some numbers today via ABI Research which, frankly, surprised me. 89.4% US household penetration for personal computers, but only 82.1% for cellphones. It got me thinking about what the overlaps are here.

I have an iPhone which I consider to be my cellphone, digital camera, portable media player, USB hard drive, portable video game device and even personal computer. Just in my small corner of Brooklyn there is/are two people, one desktop computer, four laptops, two iPhones, four 'regular' cellphones, two LCD HDTVs, one digital video recorder, one video game console, two DVD players, one printer, several USB hard drives, two routers, several digital cameras and lots of network attached storage. (Please don't come rob me. I also have 17 pitbulls.)

So what's left? I suppose I'm still in the market for an HD DVD player, though I don't plan on getting on anytime soon. I don't need GPS, as most of us don't drive in NYC and the subways tend not to stray from their given course. Satellite radio, I think, is a waste of money, especially with so many computers laying around, ready to stream all the Internet radio you can handle.

I guess that settles it then. Market opportunities in "Select Consumer Electronics Devices" are in convergence. Apple's tapping the cellphone + portable media player market with noted success, despite the fact that portable media player penetration is only at 36.4%. HDTV's got a ways to go and will likely continue to grow for several years, but I think they would be better off integrating with more successful products, like personal computers and DVD players. HD DVD won't really take off until prices fall and a standard is chosen.

What do you think?