Synapse

They are going to design cities around this thing…

Remember that line ? It’s a slightly paraphrased version of what journalists said when they saw (and tested) Dean Kamen’s Segway prototypes before its release in 2001. They were wrong back then. The Segway, while no doubt a significant feat of engineering, has failed to transform the landscape of personal transport (as an aside, Segway was sold to a british group early this year)

Anyway, the point I am making is that there was something in the tech space in the last few years that did indeed deserve the journalist comment of having ‘roads’ built for it - smartohones, in specific the iPhone and ever increasing number of android devices. Looking at my iPhone at the moment I can see a large number of apps that act as functionality enhancing web-site ‘wrappers’. The sheer number of these has always struck me as an odd, implicit support by companies to the Apple business model - of course with the number of webkit browsers out there already and the trend towards more mobile browsing in the future, the development is likely proving a boon to the creator and the mobile device alike.

I am a device geek - I readily admit it. Much to the chagrin of my girl friend, my technology acquisitions are frequent. The usage model follows a curve where initially the device is with me everywhere, only to drop off within a couple of weeks once interest wanes. If you’re mathematically inclined I’d say that the slope of that curve could probably be a useful desirability/usefulness index :)

It’s now been a week since I first received my iPad, and I am here to tell you that the slope is flattening out and fast heading to an intersect at infinity - i am going to need a bag :). The good old itunes store is making more money out of me. So far i have spent around $70-80 dollars on various apps (in the Australian app store) on apps for the iPad. My device has been charged on a variety of connections and cables I have lying around me and it has been with me practically everywhere. Curiously perhaps for a tech device I have had more comments from women wanting to know abut the iPad than men (ignore the pad jokes for now please).

If i had a complaint about this device it would be leveled at the weight. One handed holding of the iPad, the way for example you’d hold a paperback novel isn’t the most comfortable way to go, and my wrists aren’t tiny.

The iPad has been hailed as a savior of the comics business as well as a ‘second coming’ for the beleagured newspaper industry by pundits in either camp. I believe the fact that the iPad is somewhat a clean slate (ie. software transforms the device purpose), together with an excellent form factor, will bring on an entirely new slew of products that will use the iPad as a universal interface device - think car dashboard.

Having owned one for a week now I am certain that we’re going to see some major development around it, perhaps more so than for the iPhone/iPod touch devices. I’ll wait and see - it’s going to be fun :)

Cojones: The point about the iPad

…yep big shiny brass ones, like the kind you suspect Bear Grylls likely possesses.

[I might as well warn you that if somewhat colourful language, bad grammar and/or atrocious punctuation upsets you, you might be better served reading something else]

So there I was, a lone geek like guy, surrounded by about 35 or so other geek guys (and a Super-model[1]). It was bring-along-unsuspecting-friends night, which is probably why so few true tech-types actually have non-geek friends. Alternatively perhaps these friends have long ago figured out that an “evening at the pub with mates” equates to “find out about scientology night” - just with less religion[2] and more transistors.

Anyway, the call went out as to who would be buying the iPad - turns out there only was one outcast amongst the lot of folks. An audience may I ad, that - while only 35 strong - I suspect has done more for the rising coffers of Microsoft, Apple, Google and then K-Rudd’s “a laptop for every school child” policy (those of you from aplaceotherthanaustralialand can replace the last sentence with any failed political vote-grap policy you can think of).

As your probably guessed, the lone outcast, one arm held high (the other firmly attached to a beer via a hand) was me.

Turns out the iPad appears to be either in  ”wait until some other sucker buys it” or “i just spent 400 bucks on my Kindle and the wife won’t give me more money” territory. Hearing the arguments and (admittedly mostly, my) counter arguments, it occurred to me that the iPad is not a “book”, “a large iPod Touch” or even “a convenient tray to snort cocain of”.

The iPad is not about the device at all. The iPad is a large set of brass balls that simply, and forcefully states “We can announce a product, build the use case afterwards and *still* re-animate the stone-dead weasel the tablet pc market has turned out to be”.

Picture this conversation between a random consumer (lets name him Bob) and some fictitious tech savvy store clerk (lets name him S.C. because these only seem to exist in parallel universes):

Bob: “I’d love to buy a notebook”

S.C.:”Hey, why don’t you try one of our new fangles tablet pc’s - you can draw on those!”

Bob: “Why would I want to do that ?” [fail - not applicable use case]

S.C.: “You know, to takes notes..”

Bob: “Will it make my note taking faster ?”

S.C.: “Uh..” [fail - most people these days type faster then they write]

Bob: “Inkball is pretty neat - how much does the tablet pc cost?”

S.C.: “Uhm <insert a number that roughly equates to a 50-100% premium to a comparable non-tablet notebook” [price > benefit fail]

Bob: “No thanks, i”ll just buy that Lenovo Netbook over there … and a notepad and some pencils”.

These are all totally valid reasons not to dig the tablet/pad form factor. Complaints along these lines have been in existence ever since the first tablet devices rolled out of the door (and they have been rolling for a while).

These are tough chains to break. It turns out the market actually needs someone to succeed and succeed “big” so that the customers pre-conceptions (right or wrong) are changed.

Best example I can think of the Smartphone: Once upon a while teenagers were happy to have a device that allowed them to call, or - wonder upon wonder - send SMS’s to each other (In the process causing mobile communications share prices to rise faster than ..well.. you get the drift)

These days if your device doesn’t keep you connected to msn/skype/aim whilst simultaneously collect relevant data about Robert Pattinsons[3] pizza preferences and posting cute dog pictures to facebook .. well you’re just not hip any more.

That need is artificial, created as a product of smart marketing & technology. It made Apple rich(er), gave android a leg-up and made MicroSoft <gasp> innovate!  Who in the right mind would have risked pushing out premium service phones before ? Oh that’s right .. IBM did ..(how did that work out for ya?).

Occasionally we need a company, with a demonstrated background of “making shit happen, profitably” to take a gigantic leap of faith, polished brass balls dangling (and in the spirit of the metaphor: smashing boundaries). A demonstrated trust in that capability brings content creator buy in which in turn establishes a precedence & an ecosystem for other companies to compete in. Yep, first mover advantages goes to the man with the lose fitting pants but there’s plenty of life left in watchful & agile competition (it’s unlikely there will be another iPod).

Notes:

[1] Yes there was a super model, check my previous tweets.

[2] As if Mac vs PC wasn’t a religious debate !

[3] Plays a vampyre with a glitter fetish.

iPad + iPhone gaming .. or iPad^2 gaming

Jeremy Apthorp mentioned something at the LittleBird Electronics drinks that got me thinking. He proposed that the iPad + multiple iPhones (one per player) might actually make a pretty nifty “flat on the table” game board (= iPad) + “personal HUD” (=iPhones) setup for many multiplayer games out there (he was referring in specific to the excellent SpyWear game he and friends built during the Global Game Jam event in Sydney).

In the same sense, multiple iPad’s in an x by y grid might make pretty nifty game boards as well, albeit an expensive-ish one.

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Jon