Either You Succeed or Explain

Casual Computing

I read so many lukewarm reviews of the new iPad that I simply have to write my own opinion: it is an amazing product and it will be a hit. The reason for that is simple: people are lazy. We value our comfort. We value our time. We crave fun. And, we are willing to pay for it. 

It is quite simple: we like sitting on the couch. We prefer sitting on the couch over sitting in a chair in front of a desk.  When you come home in the evening and want to check your emails for a few minutes, would you rather do it with your family in the living room or in the small home office?  Would you rather have a bulky laptop separating you from the rest of the world, requiring the use of a table or a small, unobtrusive device that fits every posture?

It is called casual computing. It is going to be a massive hit from the same reason that I play games on my iPhone even though I have a way more capable PS3. The PS3 takes time to load, it occupies the main TV in the living room and it bothers the surrounding environment. 

One should also remember that Apple is still a software company. Yes, it sells hardware which is designed by Apple. But the software is the real unique value here. Apple is going to succeed because of the software. Take the iPad, install Windows 7 and it won't sell half as much. Yes, Windows 7 has multitasking, Flash and it is completely open. If that sounds good to you, there are tablets out there already running it, so don't you have one?  Because the desktop OS doesn't fit well with the tablet paradigm. You are getting an awkward experience combined with a resource hog which dictates bulky devices and poor battery life. 

The UI is very much like the iPhone. We are used to that UI so there's no wow factor here. Here's what I think: this is a lifestyle device and in order to truly appreciate it you need to spend some time with it. See how well it integrates with your life. See if it contributes to your comfort, if it makes life more fun. Then, you can give a verdict.

Some footnotes:

1. What's the obsession with video conferencing?  Who wants to get dressed before a phone call anyway? Front facing cameras are very common in Nokia devices, yet, I'm not familiar with a single person using them.
2. I can see why Multitasking is missing. I feel it on my iPhone. However, the combination of apps loading fast and keeping their previous state with notifications (like incoming call or chat) makes it much less of an issue. Eventually, it will come.
3. Sites requiring Flash?  As a long time Mac user I encounter sites that don't work well with browsers other than Internet Explorer. I use remote desktop for those sites. You can do that from the iPad. In the long run, I do my best to avoid these sites (it's something to consider when picking a bank, a Telco, etc.).
4. Keep in mind this is the first iteration of a brand-new device. Let's leave something for v2 (otherwise, nobody will want to upgrade :-).
5. This can be huge in an enterprise setting. Think about all the hi-tech action shows (CSI, 24) with their cool tablets. 

The Big Brother is Listening

Google's Nexus One phone really puzzles me. It makes all the technological sense in the world but it seems like a business model disaster. From one hand, Google is cannibalizing its' own market: two months ago the Motorola Droid was the hottest thing and now its' junk. From the other hand: it does not work tightly with the Telcos like Apple and sells the device unlocked.  

So how does Google plan to monetize Android and Nexus One? 

My guess is that Google will just keep on cultivating its' major revenue stream: advertising. 

The answer is tucked inside Google Voice (GV). The Android is tightly integrated with the service. Some analysts believe VoIP services will replace the conventional voice services of Telcos. Apple is fighting it, banning VoIP applications from using 3G networks on the iPhone and keeping on good terms with the operators. Google is strongly promoting it through Android. 

Think about it: GV has a cool feature of transforming your voice mail into text. The whole "speech to text" seems to take center stage in the latest Android versions, enabling "speaking into text boxes". How long will it take for Google to start eavesdropping on your conversations and offer you related services?  

Here's a not too unrealistic scenario: your wife will call you and ask you to buy some wine on your way home. Boom! You get a text message with a special offer from a nearby store. You tell your phone "make it so" and the location is added automatically to your Google Maps so you can easily get there and SHOP. 

If your reaction is: "no way, that's way too intrusive even for the big G", I just want to divert your attention to a somewhat obscure and hardly used service called Gmail. Yes, Gmail serves ads in the context of your email. Yes, there was a huge debate about it when the service first came out and there were many naysayers. That didn't stop it from becoming one of the most popular mail service today. 

What's the difference between reading your email and listening to your conversations?  It is pretty much the same. Legally, there might be an issue here, as this might be classified as "phone tapping". Read the fine print in the GV user agreement. You might just be giving them permission to do that anyway.

PS. It all becomes in another page in the dossier Google holds on all of us, but let's leave the conspiracy theories for another post.