Poll: iPad vs. Google Buzz – which is the bigger shortfall?
If you read my previous post from last week you might be aware that I am not a big fan of Google’s new release, Google Buzz. Honestly, I feel that the release of the iPad is equally ridiculous. They have both created products for non-existing markets. The market Google Buzz operates in is already saturated, and Apple is offering a product that sits in-between two product categories (mobile and laptop) without any of the benefits! Both Google Buzz and the iPad are considered to be the two giants’ major releases for Q1 2010, and have therefore generated a lot of discussion. However, they have also receive a lot of critique (not just from me) among all praise.
I want to see which one is considered to be the bigger failure? Or am I wrong? Are they both products that will revolutionise respective industry? Please answer the poll, and if you consider me to be wrong, please tell me why in the comments field!
(This post and poll represents my own opinions and thoughts, and not those of Jam)
I think you’re comparing apples with pears (ho ho). You’re conceptualising the iPad as a computing device which it is not. It’s a consumer/consumption device. I think it is aimed at being the new coffee table book, you will lie on the sofa using it whilst idly watching TV, you don’t need to be able to do any computing to do this and you don’t need to shell out the $$$$ you need for a macbook either.
People had the exact same reaction as you when the iPod came out. No-one saw the point, too restrictive, closed system etc etc and look what happened to that. At the price point and given the prettiness (Jo Bloggs naturally considers form as well as function) I wouldn’t bet against it taking off. Naturally we need to wait for the third or fourth iteration before we can see what it can really do – multi-apps and USB obvious ommissions.
Google Buzz far too early to tell. If it aggregates all your social feeds (I suspect the end goal) then it could be a game changer, but we will have to wait and see for that one.
Re Tom: You could very well be right, but I think the use you describe for the tablet is way too limited. All we can do is wait and see, but I can see no reason why people (except for people with very high disposable income) would like to pay that amount of money for the iPad. As the iPod is much more portable portable than the tablet I reckon the use for it is wider. Plus, it also supports using two applications at once, even back in the days, which the tablet doesn’t. I could have seen the tablet as a really cool media device, but the lack of storage space, and the fact that you can’t run two applications at once, destroys this. Maybe with future upgrades I will be more convinced.
As you say, if Google Buzz would aggregate all (ALL) your social feeds it would probably become a game changer. However, it doesn’t, and if it would continually be limited to Gmail users I can’t see it taking off to the same extent as Twitter or Facebook.
The vast majority of home computing these days must be online (no reference
) so a £200 window to the internet that you can carry around the house. I definitely see a market for that. Take it to the kitchen to cook a recipe, take it upstairs to watch a film in the bath, pop it in your bag to read the news/a book on the commute and maybe give a quick presentation or two. These are attractive qualities I think. Obviously it needs to get to the third iteration before it will be good – see the iPhone “Hey! Now you can copy and paste! Amazing!” that is how Apple work.
At the price point I’m increasingly convinced these will take off. If they were £400 then I would be with you, no way, but circa £200? Be interesting to see.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-video-demonstration/
Who wouldn’t want that!
Yes, but I still see that use a bit limited, the broad audience will need a portable music player, where iPod is the undisputed champion, they will need a laptop, Apple, same as with the iPod, and a phone, same again. However, I feel that the iPad is a luxury with quite few uses that most people can’t afford. Yes the most basic one is a bit over £200, but if you want a device that is a bit more powerful than an Amazon Kindle you will have to pay nearly double. Plus, you can’t even browse the web and use spotify at the same time, now be able to play videos on YouTube.
However, I possibly (probably?) might stand corrected. Time will tell.
Well, I think they’re both quite terrible, but they’ve both got potential to be useful. The iPad could be more interesting with eInk technology and a DVD player – if I could take it on the train to replace my DVD player and my books, I’d be a happy camper. And right now, Google Buzz is only showing me things that my friends have shared in Google Reader. Better integration with the feed reader and the capability of just pushing a button to share parts of my feed on Facebook would really make me happy.