SlashGear

According to the Institute for Mobile Markets Research (IMMR), come Q3 2011, 33-percent of the people who currently own or use a cellphone, smartphone or PC will have bought a MID [pdf link].  That’s quite a statement, considering Mobile Internet Device sales have been less than impressive up until now.  However, this is another example of abbreviation confusion, with IMMR defining a MID as:

“MIDs, or Mobile Internet Devices, are a new class of devices/PC’s that offer many of the features of a PC, but at 1-3lbs. are lightweight and portable enough to easily carry and use virtually anyplace, at any time.”

Now that definition might fit in with some manufacturers, but it certainly doesn’t correspond with Intel’s own, original definition of what a MID is.  To them, it’s a device with a smaller display than a UMPC (i.e. under 7-inches) and one or more methods of wirelessly connecting to the internet.  IMMR’s definition encompasses smartphones, “feature” cellphones, even netbooks.

Should Intel give up on their MID definition?  The models we’ve seen so far – notably from aigo and Gigabyte – have been interesting but too niche to set the market ablaze.  Is this just a way of saving a reasonable acronym without putting too much thought into how well the new category (or categories) of products live up to the title?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

[via UMPC Portal]