Goodbye Cell, Hello Mobile?

In BusinessWeek today there's an interesting article on the use of the term "cell phone" -- namely, how outmoded it is, considering that we often use these gadgets for things other than calling people, and we're just beginning to see use of Wi-Fi and WiMax for alternate networks.

In Europe, particularly the UK, the term "mobile" has been in use for quite some time -- in fact, as far back as when cell phones were only used for voice calls -- and it turns out that it's a useful, catch-all term. (Astute readers will note that I've used both terms in Digital World, partly because I'm wrestling with which term to use and partly as a function of how recently I've been reading UK publications.)

Of course, we may be overthinking this. Many people still say "Band-Aid" and "Kleenex" when they mean "adhesive bandage" and "tissue." I also visit record stores (though many still do have records), occasionally say I'm going to tape a show (even though it's going straight to my DVR) and attend film festivals where half the content is on DVD.

So is it worth the effort to retrain ourselves to say "mobile" instead of "cell?" Or should we just let the next generation laugh at us when they come up with some new term?