An empirical examination of direct and indirect network externalities of the Japanese handheld computer industry: An empirical study of the early days

Abstract

As a mobile tool, the handheld computer provides accessibility to information for users away from their homes or offices. This accessibility is based on the technology that exhibits both direct and indirect network externalities. The empirical results suggest that communication technologies (direct network externalities) and compatible technologies with PC (indirect network externalities) are among the most important technical attributes of the handheld computer.