Deja Obstructed Vu

May 18, 2010

I Miss my Buttons

My Kingdom for a Button!

Ok, I’ll be the first to confess I am a very early adopter of technology. For a reference point, if Moore’s “Crossing the Chasm” were literally about a real terrestrial chasm, then as an Uber early adopter I would be so far away from the chasm, I would need a satellite image to know there’s a chasm to cross. That said, I have spent a career helping promote technology – mobile technology to be specific. I have been among the first to own Blackberry’s, Palm VII, iPaq’s, Sony P900′s, Nokia 9000′s, Apple iTouch, Droids, etc… And I have loved them all… but… at this point in my life… I really really miss Buttons.

I am talking about buttons with numbers. Yes, 1-9, 0, a # and an *. I long to push those buttons and feel them Push Back, (wow, is that why we push each others buttons?). Smooth slick bright glass screens are amazing to view a web page, read a book, or play electronic Scrabble. But, they’re not much fun to dial a phone number with… Especially in a car or in bright sunlight.

(I can’t help but wonder if this is how it felt moving from a rotary dial to touch-tone?)

Yes, voice search and voice dialing are getting better – but they still are far from perfection. I am especially frustrated when I try to use voice dialing an the phone correct ME – Suggesting that next time I need to say, “… Call … Matthew… Work …NOW. Very helpful, indeed.

So I ask, how many of us can dial on a phones buttons without looking, merely by using our tactical sense and memory?

So as I rant in Luddite fashion about my absent and perhaps obsolete buttons, in the I interest of full disclosure – I writing this blog on my Apple iPad. (Yes, I know – lighting is coming for me!) But prior to being incinerated by a billion gigawatts of static electricity, please allow me to elaborate.

The keyboard “buttons” on my beloved iPad are;

- large enough to type on
- giving me an audible key click when touched
- in conjunction with a slick predictive spell checker – fixing my errors (mostly)
- designed to be used while stationary and paying some attention

In fact, I type as well on an iPad as I do on most net books. ( On a full sized keyboard I can type at approximately 65 wpm.)

As highlighted above, touch screen tablets work very well for me… As a tablet, not as a phone. In fact, I am considering going “back” to an old fashion feature phone to use as a phone.

Yes. Just a phone. For all other keyboard activities, messaging, tweeting, blogging, and web browsing work great on my iPad, and as a side benefit of using an old fashion cellphone as just a phone, I may not get into a car accident while using my favorite numbers, 1-9, and of course my real “Talk” and “End” buttons.

This just in – #Mashable’s Poll validates me! “Mobile Keyboard Faceoff: Physical vs. Virtual” 50% of those responding choose a physical keyboard!

http://mashable.com/2010/05/17/faceoff-qwerty-v-virtual/

I really do miss those buttons!

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April 25, 2010

Palm: Go-To-Market Failure

Palm. Palm invented the PDA. Palm invented the smartphone. Palm created the first handheld PDA that wirelessly connected to the internet. Palm had the first web enbabled location-based services web platform, the Palm VII.

The Palm Treo was a breakthrough product combining a PDA and a cellphone – so avant-garde that is featured in the first Bourne Identity movie. ( The inept customs guard that Bourne took out in 3 seconds had one, and Mr. Bourne cloned the SIM! ) The Treo 650 – honestly was one of my favorite phones – ever! Keyboard, touchscreen, and TONS of applications!

So, why is Palm struggling to survive today? Just over one year ago Palm launched the Palm Pre and WebOS to great accolade and fanfare – it was going to be THE iPhone Killer… said the press and pundits worldwide. What happened to that company?

It’s really so simple. Three letters are the real reason …. G T M. GTM… Go To Market strategy – and GTM execution failure. Many companies misunderstand that an exciting, well covered by both press and analysts – social media powered announcement does not – DOES NOT - mean a commercial product success is imminent.

GTM is more than just a product announcement or launch. It must include a sustainable lifecycle marketing plan – In other words – What are you going to do on Day 2?

The decision for Palm to launch exclusively with Sprint was a major reason for their GTM failure. Not that there’s anything wrong with Sprint – after all – 4G ROCKS! – and the Sprint network and customer service are grossly underrated. No, the problem wasn’t Sprint – they were a symptom – not the cause. After all, who among us could turn away $1M in marketing money? Especially if your company, like Palm was/is, already cash strapped? The million bucks bought lots of advertising – some a little … mmm.. how do I put this … SCARY… but - the PalmPre had a great deal of attention and Twitter Trending success both before and immediately after the Pre’s public announcement.

Palm had several core issues;

Sprint – a very good cellular provider – is the 4th largest carrier in the U.S. Even if, as Mr. Rubinstein has often suggested, Palm had done a “better job training the Sprint retail store rep’s” , Sprint alone – based on their market position, could not offer enough selling bandwidth to allow the Pre sufficient runway in an already crowded smartphone market.
Apparently, no GTM plan to sustain interest in the Pre and more importantly WebOS, was in place – and if it was- execution was flawed. A common misperception of GTM is that it only includes media buys and splashy pricey events – when in fact – today’s technology sales trajectory is almost solely in the hands of a small but ‘SUMO’ like technology community of developers, ISV’s, and integrators, that literally make or break a products success. Don’t believe me? Ask Apple how important their developer community is to their bottom line. WebOS is a fantastic mobile OS – but with only one phone to write software for – how could a small development shop afford the investment to write app’s for the Pre alone?
The delayed launch of the Palm Pixi - failed to convince buyers and more importantly developers, that Palm and WebOS was a “going concern” that they could afford to develop for – invest with… Again – the Pre was announced first on Sprint – only.

I propose that the Palm story would not be an epitaph if Palm would have had executed a strong GTM Plan, including;

Resistence of Sprint’s “free” $1M marketing launch investment and sought a launch on Verizon – simultaneously
Spent resources on the developer community to encourage and fund WebOS development
Offered WebOS for free – like Google has with Android – to interested cellphone and computer manufacturers

Most importantly, Palm needed a long term - sustainable marketing plan that included more then just a loud and boisterous launch. A steady stream and investment in a long term market strategy is the only way to get your message out – and sustain interest in your technology products in this very new marketing millenium.

I hope that Palm can make it alone. Really. But at the least, I hope a new management team and perhaps new ownership, ( With both deep experience and pockets), will come to Palm’s rescue. Best to you, Palm – and to your next GTM strategy!

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April 20, 2010

iPhone4: The 15 Minute Stampede

What do they know that we don't?

You know those movies where a noise is heard in the jungle that signals an impending disaster and the animals run -in a panic – for their lives?

Scared to death, they trample anything and everything in their path – with no regard to the consequences.

How does this have anything to do the iPhone4 “outing”? It seems to me that the stampede of the social media pundits and curious onlookers falling over themselves to find out the scoop on Apple’s next generation iPhone is a stampede – blind, senseless, ravenous, trampling on people, intellectual property, and morals.

The rumors say that GIZMODO has had almost 4 million web site hits since breaking this story – now that’s a big BIG stampede! And who have they trampled?

The list is long:

Apple’s IP
A person’s life/career
“The Press”
Moral obligation

(Random order above.)

First, Apple’s IP:

Any company, even Apple, has a fundamental right to protect their trade secrets and to disclose those secrets at a time of their choosing – if ever. This basic right is supposed to be supported by our various patent laws. The recognition of intellectual property is one of the free enterprise rules that makes the U.S. a business leader and innovator. Create a better mouse trap – patent it – reap the benefits of this knowledge and creativity. No one, no matter how big a “FanBoy” , has the right to publish or utilize IP that belongs to someone else – period. (Without their permission.)

A person’s life/career:

Wow. I guess GIZMODO doesn’t have a monopoly on this one! Is blogging about a person’s alleged mistakes considered “news” or is it just libel? Let’s face it.. GIZMODO has a vast global audience… the person that lost the iPhone has the right to not have judgement inflicted by here say and second-hand information. Have you not heard about the online social media bullying cases that are finding those participating guilty of harassment? Really, GIZ… there was no need to give the name of this person.

The “Press”

I am simply not knowledgable or conversant enough to cover this… but I really – perhaps naïvely - thought there was a difference in reporting the news and creating the news. Is it right to buy property when you know those in possession of the property aren’t the rightful owner? When you look at the media cascade for this story – I am reminded - Stampede Indeed! Did GIZMODO and other outlets not trample on everyone?

Morals:

Ok, so let’s just make this simple. You found something that doesn’t belong to you. You try to return the item – knowing it has great value to the legitimate owner. Circumstances and human nature delay the return of the item – so you think that you now have the right to SELL THE ITEM to a 3rd party???? Really? Legal or not – does this feel right and sound right to anyone?

Is our response to this stampede of curiosity human nature or are we instinctively drawn to the mistakes and misfortunes of others? Has “Tabloid” style news completely run over any decency and sense of what is right?

All I know is that if we all get our “15 minutes” of fame - for making a simple human mistake - I for one will gladly give up 14 minutes of my time.

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April 9, 2010

Tweet this:http://bit.ly/cuzIgotnthintosay

… Is the reason you ”got nuth’in to say”… is that you try to say something every five minutes on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc…?

I have noticed an interesting trend in Social Community sites – almost all comments link to comments from someone else. While I appreciate the visibility and insights that most of these links offer, I can’t help but wonder if in our effort to be social media “hipsters”, – that we are somehow violating the core principles of these new collaboration tools. It would seem that frequency trumps content in the “look at me” world of social communities.

After all, aren’t we supposed to be expressing our own personal and professional thoughts and ideas – not someone elses?

Does retweeting or adding a link to our comments add credibility to our thoughts and opinions - even though we haven’t expressed any of these ourselves? Will Social Media become nothing more than the passing out of markers to the opinions or the marketing messages of someone else? Is this what pundits of social media mean when they say we’re nothing more than “proxies” for everyone else’s thoughts but our own?

I am not certain what I really have to say on this subject – so – knock yourselves out: http://bit.ly/cTlcWN

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March 30, 2010

iPad. iSaw- iBought – iHappy

: iPad. The new black and the new crack.

UPDATE: April 4, 2010

Yes, my wait for the Apple iPad was worth it. It is all that everyone reported on, reviewed, and imagined – the good and the not so good.

An amazingly well made device – the look and feel – is nothing but quality. The screen, well yes – it is as good as the reviews said it was – brilliant, bright, and highly responsive.

The functionality – it’s all there – well – enough for a fantastic “1.0″ device. Do I wish that it had a camera, USB, etc…? Yes! I do – but I also wish I was less heavy, taller, smarter, and richer – so now that’s out the of way – The Apple iPad is the most aspirational mobile device I have ever owned. (And if you’re wondering – in the last 30 years, I have owned most every electronic device known to humanity.)

Aspirational? Yes. If Henry Ford’s Model A had been this well-engineered - we certainly would have had flying cars – 30 years ago! Just imagine in the very near future the breakthroughs to come; Pico Projection – 3D, Biometrics that do instant DNA scans, and nano storage technology – all squeezed into an iPad form factor. Ok, before the über geek in me implodes – let me digress – and ask a simple question. What other product has captured the imagination of so many diverse people – (everyday people, geekdom, etc… ), prior to the product launch? Easy answer: NONE.

I know that I may have lost all credibility in saying that I’m NOT an “Apple FanBoy”, but regardless of who engineered and built the iPad – my feelings would be exactly the same.

This form factor is a milestone for both the consumer and the enterprise user – we have only to figure out how to harness this new “access point” - to the worlds imagination.

_________________________________________________________________________________

As a hopeless technology geek, I am drawn to the iPad like a moth to flame – it is like an irresistable gravity that compels me to move forward unconsciously to the Apple Online Store.

I believe that I am not alone in this obsession. For me, as I am not a card-carrying Apple FanBoy, it’s more about the “next thing”. I am especially drawn to the promise of what the Apple iPad will do for Enterprise Mobility. Yes, Enterprise Mobility – I am excited not for watching movies and videos while I travel, (Although very cool..), I am excited about the future applications that will be created to satisfy the insatiable and growing demand for business applications – anytime and anywhere. (Yes, I am keenly aware of small handheld smartphone devices that can offer but a tiny a peek – a peephole – into a database or a glimpse into a document.) I am talking about the ability to bridge and combine these teeny tiny applet’s and views with applications best suited for a 20″ desktop screen.

I envision a completely new business application family that will deliver far more than the usability of a super slim notebook computer, or a 4″ “Plus” sized smartphone. Look at the offerings for the iPhone today – although some are less than frivolous, a large majority are tremendous productivity drivers – Just look at the multitude of POS (Point of Sale), applications – and the number of applications that are “Vertical” in nature is astounding. Add these successes to a larger format, that appears to be ultimately portable, and you have not just a new platform – but an honest to goodness game changer!

So, that’s the real reason that iCan’t iWait for the iPad – after all, it’s the Enterprise Mobility Applications -stupid! (.. and of course The Advertising Revenues – but that’s another blog.)

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March 2, 2010

Windows Tablet – Cold: Windows 6 on a Warming Plate

Does Microsoft need one of these for 6?

STRIKE #3

As I expressed concern previously in this post, Microsoft’s (#MSFT) – NON-PLAN for Windows Mobile 6 is a major miss step – but with Balmer telling the world that Microsoft was hard at work on creating an “#iPad Killer” with Windows 7 – is well… hilarious – in a dark sad way!

As many have commented before – the genius of the iPad is the minimalist approach taken with the OS and the user interface – Simple is Simply – Brilliant.

The failure of Windows Mobile was primarily due to the fact that Microsoft tried to shoehorn a desktop OS into a phone – so now – shoehorning a desktop into a tablet seems like a great idea? Wow. Speechless.

Strike #2

Is #Microsoft’s Windows 6…well.. the end of the line for all current Microsoft #Mobile Devices as suggested in BGR – http://bit.ly/aPC6ef ?

While this a serious concern for consumer devices – it is a disaster for #enterprise customers.

Thousands of enterprise customers have built their mobility solutions and future IT strategies on Window Mobile – with the confidence that their choice of the Microsoft ecosystem assured a consistent, understandable, concise, upgrade path. At least they used too…

Once again, Microsoft seems to have ignored business users and the enterprise with the recent Windows Mobile 7 preview at the Mobile World Congress. Until the last week, Microsoft has made no attempt to placate and ease the concerns of the business community.

How ironic that the boys in Redmond are so eager to chase #Apples #iPod consumer success at the expense of their most lucrative-margin rich-business. (I am reminded of the dog with a bone looking into a pool of water and seeing his reflection – rather than being happy with the bone he has – he greedily makes a grab for the mirror image – only to lose his real prize into the pool…)

The decision of #Balmer & Company to again put the very global enterprises that have made Microsoft the global leader it is- in second place is appalling. The brass ring for Microsoft is not to be Apple like.. it’s to be Microsoft LIKE. MICROSOFT - YOU OWN THE ENTERPRISE BUSINESS- Wouldn’t you like to keep it? (Insert praise for #Google #Android here.)

So, in the meantime, we’ll just put WM 6.x on the toddler warming plate and wait for Microsoft to act like the mature business it’s supposed to be.

Strike #3

I wonder what Microsoft’s third strike will be? Maybe a proprietary small texting phone with no compelling features and a high monthly service provider fee… no wait they already did that – KIN!

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February 16, 2010

Microsoft Tells Us the Secret of WM 7

Secret

So #Microsoft has told the world about its little secret – #Windows Mobile 7. According to all previews, it appears that the giant has arisen. Some of the reported highlights from #PCWorld;

The Phone is not a PC
Nothing else really matters ( My personal interpretation)
#Balmer – No one really likes him. (Personal Interpretation)
#Gates – Kinda get’s it… now.

Until now, #MSFT and everyone else, has tried to make a phone a into a PC. Allow me this comparison; At best, the experience of the vast majority of smartphones is a bit like looking at beautiful scenery with a telescope – you see some amazing things… but you’re highly constrained in your view and your perspective.

With few exceptions, the mobile experience for a #smartphone has been to access a specific task or “view” of a larger more complex PC based application. While this can be a useful experience for the mobile user – it is never the less a highly controlled and scripted perspective of the information that you need to know – like the tiny one-eyed view offered by a telescope.

This approach had been tried before - at the beginning of the PC revolution. The first PC applications were screen emulators that mimicked and copied the venerable and massive mainframe computer monitors. If you are a geek of a certain age – recall how all early PC’s offered nothing more than green or yellow text – always at one quarter the screen size, of the best mainframe computer monitors of the day. In a nutshell;

The PC’s were not Mainframes. Familiar, eh?

But over time, PC applications and interfaces were developed specifically for PC’s – The personal computer found its niche not by trying to be a mainframe – but by trying NOT to be a mainframe. It became “personal”. I see this as a direct correlation to where we are today with all mobile devices that need to be better mobile devices, not just smaller better pieces of less #mobile #technology.

That said, I look forward to seeing #”Windows Mobile 7″ for myself – and more importantly to see where specific applications designed for #mobility will take us all.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/189387/windows_phone_7_spurs_microsofts_mobile_strategy.html

Deja Obstructed Vu

I Miss my Buttons

Palm: Go-To-Market Failure

iPhone4: The 15 Minute Stampede

iPad. iSaw- iBought – iHappy

Windows Tablet – Cold: Windows 6 on a Warming Plate

Microsoft Tells Us the Secret of WM 7

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