The launch in the US the other day of the iPad was another nail in the coffin towards the extinction of our little wired tail hand held buddy. In fact its what our right has been doing since the rise and rise of the desktop PC. Ok, if we talk sematics the 2 fingered twiddling on the laptop touch pad – (or 1 fingered in the case of the case of the ThinkPad’s nub) has become second nature almost as much as that other textual tool (what was it called again- oh yes a pen)
I can remember back in 1988 first coming across the mouse for the first time and marvelling at the ingenuiuty and subtlety in terminology, and how we have so readily adapted to the apparent eye to hand juxtaposition tween desktop and screen (without realising it you’re doing it now aren’t you?). I remember trying to master freehand drawing for the first time as my precise mouse movements ended up like a scrawl from a crayon which had been clenched between the rear facing parts of my anatomy.
Market leaders and Market followers
Its a case of ergonomics I suppose – I remember watching a programme (15 years ago) on the evolution of the mobile phone and why they could never get any smaller than house brick size- simply because of the distance from mouthpiece to ear had to align with the relevant human audio and sound appendages. We all laugh now at the housebrick mobile but will we look back at out mouse antics one day and snigger?
Seriously there has been an underlying argument to reinvigorate the tactile on screen experience. Sony TRV camcorders I think were ahead of the game on this one some years back. they ditched the multi-multi-multi function button in place for OSD touch screen buttons -and …problem solved! Its all about making life easier and not just quicker, and if toucing the screen instead of the table does it for you its a big step forward in human-digital interaction.
Yes, I know the screen will get covered in butter and marmalade from time to time, but should this hold technology back? Not according to Apple who boldly reinvented where no other dared to reinvent. Enter the iPhone – tara! This little smartphone (there – I got that keyword in) has seen unrivalled success and has been unaparalled in breaking our love affair with ‘proxy button’ gadgetry. Now every other phone is clamouring to keep up in its wake.
Where is this all going?
I know I have been rambling a bit here but there is a serious point to all of this. There are two key drivers - as always is the consumer demand for a quicker and easier to use product, but secondly and more importantly perhaps, the ability to unshackle us from the workstation and do more and more from a mobile device – hence the reason and thinking behind the new iPad.
BUT guess what – the iPad doesn’t multi task and doesn’t come with 3G (wireless only) or Flash suppport (or..or..or)- what a huge DOH moment for Apple! You have to remember Apple has a reputation for doing 99% brilliantly and 1% a bit dopey when it comes to including the obvious (they would substitute the term dopey for protecting its market share)
Now if consumers are likely to access via mobile devices more and more – … you can guess where I am going with this perhaps… our associated thinking in terms of how we frame our offerings visually in the web landscape may also have to adapt .
Consider how an eCommerce site looks on a smartphone? More importantly the liklihood that shopping could be increasingly carried out through smartphone devices and IF (how big is that if) the iPad format takes off and spawns a whole generation of SmartPads. Early days yet, but in our relentless mission to seek out new life (went off topic there for a mo) and anticipate new consumer trends we will have to mark this one in our calendar… or in our iPHone App… or on our iPad…. or whatever screen you are currently touching at the moment.
Also see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/2010/04/apples_ipad.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8484395.stm
