It never ceases to amaze me how people can get emotional - to the point of rage - over a piece of technology. I don't mean, "I just spent $XX on this thing and it doesn't $#%%^ work!" That reaction would make complete sense. What doesn't make sense is when people hurl abuse and get upset because someone else spent $XX on a piece of technology. It also doesn't make sense when people proclaim the arrival of heaven on earth at the announcement of new product and line up in 2 ft of snow to buy it.
It was this kind of reaction - when I first mentioned on Facebook that I was thinking of buying an iPad - that led me to actually go out and get one and write these articles. I don't think I was really serious before. I wanted to buy a portable device, but was actually thinking more of a laptop, probably a MacBook Pro. But when the comments started coming thick and fast, I wanted to know what the fuss was about, first hand.
I'm not an Apple fan-boy, but I used to be. That was a long time ago, when I was young enough to be fooled by the idea that a global corporation could nurture a personal relationship with an individual customer. I believed the hype - which is easy to do. The marketing machine is cleverly planned, the product experience is craftily tailored, and everything is done in personal tones, very subtly, using data they've collected about you whilst using their products. Or even while just browsing their products. Oh, and I don't mean Apple specifically. I mean all of them: Microsoft, Amazon, Sony, Google, Yahoo, etc. Hell, even companies like Domino's Pizza do it. I used to work for them, I know.
The reality is that all the tech companies are the same when it comes to the bottom line. There are only 3 things that count: the amount of profit they make, their position in the marketplace and, most of all, the future well being of their shareholders. Sure, there might be an enigmatic CEO at the helm who actually wants to make a difference...but he's still at the whim of the board of directors. Benevolence is fine as long as the financial outlook is rosy. However, as soon as those dark clouds on the horizon start to move in and the weather forecast begins to look grim...
The difference between Apple and other companies is simply that they place a lot more value on product design and ease of use. But, I still think this is only to lock you into your purchase and extract more money from you. I know that's cynical, but I've been a company director who was answerable to a board of directors and I know how it works. At some level they probably do want to make the world a better place - who doesn't? – but, not at the cost of their own survival.
Which, in my book is fine. Why not design something so well that users won't want to go anywhere else? Why not design something so well that your customers become evangelists for your product? It makes perfect sense. A happy customer is the best thing a company can have, whilst an unhappy customer is the worst. In the restaurant trade, the adage is that one unhappy customer will cause you to lose 10 more, once they tell all their friends about their experience. Coming from a family of chefs, I can attest to that. While I don't know if that's true for other industries, I'm pretty sure that regular folk place a lot more trust in the opinions of their friends than they do in the opinions of the media and press releases.
This is why it's so fascinating that people can have such strong opinions about something they've never tried or even seen. The comments I received on Facebook and Twitter ranged from, "That's a shame, good luck getting one", all the way to, “You're a victim and a dick”. Wow, that's pretty strong!
To me, that kind of reaction makes about as much sense as mocking someone for spending money in a high-end restaurant. Just because you like burgers & pizza, it doesn't mean that someone else is stupid for eating in a fancy expensive bistrot, does it? Especially if it's relatively new and no one has eaten there before. Personally, I would rather wait until after the meal, and get their opinion.
On the other side of the coin, I'm amazed at the blindness of people whose opinions are based solely on a very carefully orchestrated marketing campaign. To think that a luxury product is going to solve all your problems, in a field which didn't even exist a decade or two ago, is a bit daft.
It was this kind of reaction - when I first mentioned on Facebook that I was thinking of buying an iPad - that led me to actually go out and get one and write these articles. I don't think I was really serious before. I wanted to buy a portable device, but was actually thinking more of a laptop, probably a MacBook Pro. But when the comments started coming thick and fast, I wanted to know what the fuss was about, first hand.
I'm not an Apple fan-boy, but I used to be. That was a long time ago, when I was young enough to be fooled by the idea that a global corporation could nurture a personal relationship with an individual customer. I believed the hype - which is easy to do. The marketing machine is cleverly planned, the product experience is craftily tailored, and everything is done in personal tones, very subtly, using data they've collected about you whilst using their products. Or even while just browsing their products. Oh, and I don't mean Apple specifically. I mean all of them: Microsoft, Amazon, Sony, Google, Yahoo, etc. Hell, even companies like Domino's Pizza do it. I used to work for them, I know.
The reality is that all the tech companies are the same when it comes to the bottom line. There are only 3 things that count: the amount of profit they make, their position in the marketplace and, most of all, the future well being of their shareholders. Sure, there might be an enigmatic CEO at the helm who actually wants to make a difference...but he's still at the whim of the board of directors. Benevolence is fine as long as the financial outlook is rosy. However, as soon as those dark clouds on the horizon start to move in and the weather forecast begins to look grim...
The difference between Apple and other companies is simply that they place a lot more value on product design and ease of use. But, I still think this is only to lock you into your purchase and extract more money from you. I know that's cynical, but I've been a company director who was answerable to a board of directors and I know how it works. At some level they probably do want to make the world a better place - who doesn't? – but, not at the cost of their own survival.
Which, in my book is fine. Why not design something so well that users won't want to go anywhere else? Why not design something so well that your customers become evangelists for your product? It makes perfect sense. A happy customer is the best thing a company can have, whilst an unhappy customer is the worst. In the restaurant trade, the adage is that one unhappy customer will cause you to lose 10 more, once they tell all their friends about their experience. Coming from a family of chefs, I can attest to that. While I don't know if that's true for other industries, I'm pretty sure that regular folk place a lot more trust in the opinions of their friends than they do in the opinions of the media and press releases.
This is why it's so fascinating that people can have such strong opinions about something they've never tried or even seen. The comments I received on Facebook and Twitter ranged from, "That's a shame, good luck getting one", all the way to, “You're a victim and a dick”. Wow, that's pretty strong!
To me, that kind of reaction makes about as much sense as mocking someone for spending money in a high-end restaurant. Just because you like burgers & pizza, it doesn't mean that someone else is stupid for eating in a fancy expensive bistrot, does it? Especially if it's relatively new and no one has eaten there before. Personally, I would rather wait until after the meal, and get their opinion.
On the other side of the coin, I'm amazed at the blindness of people whose opinions are based solely on a very carefully orchestrated marketing campaign. To think that a luxury product is going to solve all your problems, in a field which didn't even exist a decade or two ago, is a bit daft.
So what is it about the iPad that really has everyone so worked up? The iMac didn't get this kind of response when it was announced. Neither did the iPhone. If anything, they were viewed with suspicion.
When the iMac was launched, Apple was barely alive as a company and, whilst the iMac looked good on paper, the world had become used to the Microsoft vision of computing. A lot of people were aching for something different, but I don't think anyone believed Apple would be the company to provide it.
It was the same with the iPhone. Even though the iPod had became the de-facto standard for mobile music, the world of mobile phones was well established and had mighty players - especially in the European & Asian markets. Everyone was happy with their Nokias & SonyEricssons.
But maybe that was the reason that both products were so successful. With the iMac (and subsequently, the whole line of Laptops & OS X workstations), Apple very cleverly played on the difference. And with the iPhone, the world’s biggest marketplace - America - was completely under-served by technology and services. Europe may not have been so desperate for something new in that area, but the USA definitely was.
But the iPad...well, this is different. Apple are not starting out as the underdogs. Nor is this an area where the people don't know what they want. What is different this time is trust. Apple have proven over the last decade that they can get it right, first time, straight out of the starting gate. And I'm not referring to the technology (although that, too). I'm talking about the user experience.
The user experience (which I'll discuss in more detail in another blog entry) is the reason for the extreme views, both positive and negative. Apple products are very carefully controlled and well-thought-out, designed from the ground up to be easy for the average person - not a computer geek or someone even slightly technical - a normal person. So when you use an Apple product - any Apple product - your user experience is going to fall into one of two categories: 1) Wow, you've taken something complex and made it simple, or, 2) Dammit, you've taken away control and dumbed everything down.
Now, that's a gross over-simplification, but it captures the essence. You'll notice I didn't suggest that it has anything to do with how technical you are. I know many super-brains who simply prefer using a Mac because they don't want to waste any time dealing with menial technical procedures. Likewise, I know many technophobes who are uncomfortable in an Apple environment because they feel like control has been taken away from them, or, worse still, like they are being patronised.
At the core of these two very distinct categories are some basic human emotions. One side is happy, the other is angry. One side is gracious, the other is bitter. One side feels empowered, the other feels patronised.
These emotions are so strong that they are hard to suppress.
When the iMac was launched, Apple was barely alive as a company and, whilst the iMac looked good on paper, the world had become used to the Microsoft vision of computing. A lot of people were aching for something different, but I don't think anyone believed Apple would be the company to provide it.
It was the same with the iPhone. Even though the iPod had became the de-facto standard for mobile music, the world of mobile phones was well established and had mighty players - especially in the European & Asian markets. Everyone was happy with their Nokias & SonyEricssons.
But maybe that was the reason that both products were so successful. With the iMac (and subsequently, the whole line of Laptops & OS X workstations), Apple very cleverly played on the difference. And with the iPhone, the world’s biggest marketplace - America - was completely under-served by technology and services. Europe may not have been so desperate for something new in that area, but the USA definitely was.
But the iPad...well, this is different. Apple are not starting out as the underdogs. Nor is this an area where the people don't know what they want. What is different this time is trust. Apple have proven over the last decade that they can get it right, first time, straight out of the starting gate. And I'm not referring to the technology (although that, too). I'm talking about the user experience.
The user experience (which I'll discuss in more detail in another blog entry) is the reason for the extreme views, both positive and negative. Apple products are very carefully controlled and well-thought-out, designed from the ground up to be easy for the average person - not a computer geek or someone even slightly technical - a normal person. So when you use an Apple product - any Apple product - your user experience is going to fall into one of two categories: 1) Wow, you've taken something complex and made it simple, or, 2) Dammit, you've taken away control and dumbed everything down.
Now, that's a gross over-simplification, but it captures the essence. You'll notice I didn't suggest that it has anything to do with how technical you are. I know many super-brains who simply prefer using a Mac because they don't want to waste any time dealing with menial technical procedures. Likewise, I know many technophobes who are uncomfortable in an Apple environment because they feel like control has been taken away from them, or, worse still, like they are being patronised.
At the core of these two very distinct categories are some basic human emotions. One side is happy, the other is angry. One side is gracious, the other is bitter. One side feels empowered, the other feels patronised.
These emotions are so strong that they are hard to suppress.
If you bought an iPhone and found it seriously lacking in certain features that you were used to on your Nokia, to the extent that you no longer wanted to use the device, you'd not only be unhappy - you'd be outraged. And outrage normally ends up expressing itself to the public at large.
On the other hand, if you could never come to grips with your Blackberry and seldom used it, but found your newly-purchased iPhone so easy to use that you never put it down, you'd feel overjoyed. And that kind of elation ends up expressing itself to the public at large, too.
These kind of extreme emotional response last for a long time. And more than likely will forever colour your opinion of that manufacturer, until shown otherwise. And even then, it may be irreversible.
At least, I think that's what's going on. Nothing else really makes sense. If it was just about the technology, the arguments would be expressed in terms of features-per-dollar, clock-cycles-per-screen-inch or some other quantifiable unit of measure. But they're not. The reason one person called me an idiot for thinking about an iPad purchase was that they hated Apple, whilst the reason another friend thought I should get one was they felt that anything made by Apple is sexy.
These reactions are not based on empirical observation. Rather, they are a very emotional response to personal user experience.
Next: The iPad User Experience
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