All great from a gadget geek's perspective, myself included.
But the vast majority of consumers never use any of their phone's auxilary features.
Sure, there is always the first week, when people play with the other features. Yet, soon they revert to simply using their phone as a pure telephone (and phone book).
This phenomenon is easily observable. You only have to look past our circles of techophile friends.
It isn't a result of lack-of-technology, its a result of lack-of-need.
There's a vast difference between what people "need" and what they "want". Hell most people don't need cell phones. There's a payphone damn near everywhere you drive unless you live in the boonies.
Well....not so much any more...harder and harder to find these days.
I'm not overly concerned with the masses. I believe there is a market segment of people who desire such features and integration. I have no problem with others using the phone as basic tools but then again some people buy computers just to type word processing documents and surf the web.
Some people want more than just phone calls. Is there enough of this type of person to make a profit? I believe so.
Mac users are a different type of person. We were the ones that embraced digital downloads, we are the ones that demand functionality and efficiency and are willing to pay for it.
Where else does Apple have to go? Where else can they enter markets where legacy doesn't hurt them ala the computing market? Where else can they leverage their talents as well?
Gartenberg added: "JupiterResearch surveys show that 77 per cent of consumers who would purchase a portable music player would want no more than 1,000 songs on a player at any given time, regardless of the size of their music collection".
The iPod Mini's success corroborates this. What happens when the avg cell phone can hold 1000 to 2000 songs. Will the iPods interface be enough?
Well, Apple seems to have solved this problem in the obvious way: Have someone else who is already well-established vend the phone, and just port your software and license your DRM scheme.
The risks to Apple and Motorola both are minimized, the payoff for both could be impressive indeed — and depending on the quality of the interface on those Motorola phones, it could very well be that we see a bunch of people muttering, "well, this thing can apparently play music, but I've never figured out how." Or not. It's not a question of technology, it's a question of design.
I'm not overly concerned with the masses. I believe there is a market segment of people who desire such features and integration.
[snip]
Some people want more than just phone calls. Is there enough of this type of person to make a profit? I believe so.
I think you've gotten to the core of the issue. Many gadget proponents fail to reach this point in the thought process.
However, I think most don't realize how different their desires are from the bulk of the consuming public. The size of the gadget market is consistently overestimated.
It seems that Apple has always striven to make interfaces that cater to actual users. Too often, developers and engineers at high tech companies design products for their rather insular culture rather than the general public. Ironically, the better a greenhorn's education, the more out of touch they are likely to be with their target users when designing a product.
iPod, super-phone, and PDA saturated academic or corporate campuses are not representative of the bulk of the market.
While there are many of us gadget geeks out there, the gadget market has proven remarkably unprofitable.
Just about the only successful gadgets have been those with limited functionality. Nintendo succeeded by keeping their gameboy simple for nearly a decade. Phone manufacturers have succeeded by not producing PDAs. PDA manufacturers have mostly failed except for Palm, which produced a PDA with relatively few functions. Apple succeeds where others fail by making a limited use, but useful device.
While the market has been flooded with electronic gadgets, it is important to note which actually turned a profit.
The size of the gadget market is consistently over estimated. I don't think music phones will buck the trend.
Just make the Apple click wheel have buttons for all the numbers, # sign etc.
Or select the numbers from the screen with the touch wheel and the center button.
I agree. It won't be long before someone else figures a cell phone can do just about everything. My dad has a palm/phone device and works beautifully. Very elegant. One day they'll strap a mini HD on the back and there ya go. Bye bye iPod.
And everyone will say "but the iPod has the click wheel! How can people not buy it?" They need to start expanding the number of tricks this buddy can do.
Just make the Apple click wheel have buttons for all the numbers, # sign etc.
Or select the numbers from the screen with the touch wheel and the center button.
I agree. It won't be long before someone else figures a cell phone can do just about everything. My dad has a palm/phone device and works beautifully. Very elegant. One day they'll strap a mini HD on the back and there ya go. Bye bye iPod.
And everyone will say "but the iPod has the click wheel! How can people not buy it?" They need to start expanding the number of tricks this buddy can do.
ipod mini with moto guts= iphone perhaps this little deal works both ways and allows apple the access to the gsm/gprs chipsets that moto makes.
Moto gets to come to the market first and apple follows up with 2g ipod mini with phone
Comments
But the vast majority of consumers never use any of their phone's auxilary features.
Sure, there is always the first week, when people play with the other features. Yet, soon they revert to simply using their phone as a pure telephone (and phone book).
This phenomenon is easily observable. You only have to look past our circles of techophile friends.
It isn't a result of lack-of-technology, its a result of lack-of-need.
Originally posted by applenut
not gonna happen.
it's just that simple.
you're beating a dead horse.
I think that apple and moto just did some CPR on that horse!!
Hello MOpod!
Originally posted by hmurchison
There's a vast difference between what people "need" and what they "want". Hell most people don't need cell phones. There's a payphone damn near everywhere you drive unless you live in the boonies.
Well....not so much any more...harder and harder to find these days.
Some people want more than just phone calls. Is there enough of this type of person to make a profit? I believe so.
Mac users are a different type of person. We were the ones that embraced digital downloads, we are the ones that demand functionality and efficiency and are willing to pay for it.
Where else does Apple have to go? Where else can they enter markets where legacy doesn't hurt them ala the computing market? Where else can they leverage their talents as well?
Potential trouble ahead for iPods?
Gartenberg added: "JupiterResearch surveys show that 77 per cent of consumers who would purchase a portable music player would want no more than 1,000 songs on a player at any given time, regardless of the size of their music collection".
The iPod Mini's success corroborates this. What happens when the avg cell phone can hold 1000 to 2000 songs. Will the iPods interface be enough?
The risks to Apple and Motorola both are minimized, the payoff for both could be impressive indeed — and depending on the quality of the interface on those Motorola phones, it could very well be that we see a bunch of people muttering, "well, this thing can apparently play music, but I've never figured out how."
Originally posted by hmurchison
I'm not overly concerned with the masses. I believe there is a market segment of people who desire such features and integration.
[snip]
Some people want more than just phone calls. Is there enough of this type of person to make a profit? I believe so.
I think you've gotten to the core of the issue. Many gadget proponents fail to reach this point in the thought process.
However, I think most don't realize how different their desires are from the bulk of the consuming public. The size of the gadget market is consistently overestimated.
It seems that Apple has always striven to make interfaces that cater to actual users. Too often, developers and engineers at high tech companies design products for their rather insular culture rather than the general public. Ironically, the better a greenhorn's education, the more out of touch they are likely to be with their target users when designing a product.
iPod, super-phone, and PDA saturated academic or corporate campuses are not representative of the bulk of the market.
While there are many of us gadget geeks out there, the gadget market has proven remarkably unprofitable.
Just about the only successful gadgets have been those with limited functionality. Nintendo succeeded by keeping their gameboy simple for nearly a decade. Phone manufacturers have succeeded by not producing PDAs. PDA manufacturers have mostly failed except for Palm, which produced a PDA with relatively few functions. Apple succeeds where others fail by making a limited use, but useful device.
While the market has been flooded with electronic gadgets, it is important to note which actually turned a profit.
The size of the gadget market is consistently over estimated. I don't think music phones will buck the trend.
Or select the numbers from the screen with the touch wheel and the center button.
I agree. It won't be long before someone else figures a cell phone can do just about everything. My dad has a palm/phone device and works beautifully. Very elegant. One day they'll strap a mini HD on the back and there ya go. Bye bye iPod.
And everyone will say "but the iPod has the click wheel! How can people not buy it?" They need to start expanding the number of tricks this buddy can do.
Originally posted by monkeyastronaut
Just make the Apple click wheel have buttons for all the numbers, # sign etc.
Or select the numbers from the screen with the touch wheel and the center button.
I agree. It won't be long before someone else figures a cell phone can do just about everything. My dad has a palm/phone device and works beautifully. Very elegant. One day they'll strap a mini HD on the back and there ya go. Bye bye iPod.
And everyone will say "but the iPod has the click wheel! How can people not buy it?" They need to start expanding the number of tricks this buddy can do.
ipod mini with moto guts= iphone perhaps this little deal works both ways and allows apple the access to the gsm/gprs chipsets that moto makes.
Moto gets to come to the market first and apple follows up with 2g ipod mini with phone
Here it is folks, from moto available at the same time as itunes ports to moto
From CNET
http://news.com.com/Motorola+rolls+o...3-5284588.html