Why a Tablet?

The tablet seemed to be a niche product until Steve Jobs came along and said the iPad was the most revolutionary computing device since the personal PC. Most of the vocal web responded with shock in thinking Steve and finally fallen off his rocker. Had he finally come out with a flop for Apple? or was he on to something?

If you step back for a moment and look at what the tablet represents, you realize it is definitely the next step in casual mass web consumption. Why do I say that? Take your average Joe Somebody internet user, he is very different than your vocal web user. Your vocal web user, which is probably you if you are reading this entry, publishes the web, they don’t consume it. They use their computer heavily to enter complex data and interact with everything digital. Joe Somebody on the other end consumes the web. He just uses it to view content. Though he may publish content to it as well, it is simple content (email, video, photos, etc.). Therefore Joe doesn’t need a complex device to interact with what he consumes or publishes. In fact, the simpler the device and more convenient the better. A tablet is much easier to use than a lap top. It is smaller, it doesn’t have to be opened and situated on a surface, and it is simpler to interact with. Try using either in a small environment like a plane (in Coach) and the differences will stand out dramatically.

Here they come

Even though the vocal web was somewhat dismissive of the iPad, device manufacturers understood what was going on.
The message is simple – Mass markets will ditch their PCs and laptops for tablets once they realize the convenience.

In Q4 of 2010, we are now seeing what the device manufacturers are responding with. The tablets are coming in like the waves of a hurricane. So we are all left to sift thru device after device wondering which one will be our initial purchase. A devices true success over another completely depends on what it feels like to interact with it versus another. Joe Somebody doesn’t care what software is running on the system or what runs and what doesn’t. He just wants it to be a beautiful experience. The better the device feels in his hand, the smoother/faster it appears to run, the more of his content that he can consume, the elegance of the interface and how easy it is to use all play into this experience. The device that does it the best will win.

iPad vs the competition

The iPad is nice, Apple focuses on experience first and they were the first to really put their stamp on this space so they have a lead. However, it all boils down to experience. If someone beats Apple at this game they win. With a ton of competition sitting in the distance, will someone come along and grab the pie? Android tablets are marching in like a CGI scene in Star Wars, but the Android OS still feels like a nerd put Linux on a touch screen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a nerd, I like the under pinnings of the OS, but PLEASE Google use your $ and get some serious UI and interaction designers. Oddly, the one that seems to stand above the others is BlackBerry’s Playbook. You have to ask yourself, really? I mean BlackBerry the BlackBerry who seems primarily focused on business? Oddly enough, yes. The device is smaller, thinner, faster, and its interface seems like a visual motion masterpiece. You can read the specs and it seemingly dwarfs the iPad, but at the end of that day that doesn’t matter to a mass market. Probably the only specifications they ever read are on food containers. Point blank, it seems like a nicer experience. Sitting across from Martha Stewart at a conference who could probably be a decent gauge for for Sally Somebody, her reactions seemed to agree. When the Playbook was presented, her interest peaked and her questions went flying. Consumers want pretty things that are a joy to use. Apple gets it, now even the suits at BlackBerry get it. Given the amount of mobile and tablet work we are doing at Dreamsocket, you can bet we’ll have a stockpile of play toys. It is fitting that the Playbook tops our list for the most anticipated device. However, in the end only time will tell and the device that feels the best will win.