Change affects everyone. Change in technology is always a scary thing. The more it changes the more we must change. I think that the biggest factor to a fear of technology is not only becoming obsolete, but a change in comfort level.
First let's talk about being obsolete. This is a factor for going with the changes. Everyone fears never being needed anymore. Jobs change as technology changes. People feel like they must change with the job so that they don't become obsolete because they do not know the knew technology.
The new technology is always replaced by the newest trends. New becomes old really fast. It is only when we change that we ourselves do not become obsolete.
However, this change always brings a fear of a change in comfort level. For instance, I heard someone once say that as a loyal Blackberry user, he or she was not fond of the idea (at first) of switching to an iPhone because of the changes that he or she would have to undertake. It takes more time, learning, skill and patience.
People resist change because the technology does not fit within their comfort level.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Could Android Eventually Take a Bite Out of Apple?
Android smartphone' OS has blown by Windows to take over the third spot in phone operating systems behind RIM and Apple respectively.
Click Here for the article.
I was recently sitting with some friends the other day. At a table of about 6 people, I had the only Android phone. It was new too, only about 48 hours old. The other 5 people were dedicated iPhone users. Some had the old 3G version while one or two had the new iPhone 4.
Like any new toy, they started passing my phone around talking about the pros and cons and how much better some things were than Apple's iPhone. My phone has its shortcomings, but I was surprised to hear it being compared so highly next to the iPhone.
I began to ask questions and the response that I got was that Apple has small details that they are refusing to fix which annoy users. There are certain functions that come standard on Android OS systems that you would have to jailbreak an iPhone to get. What I was told is that people like their iPhones, but that Apple isn't doing enough to compete with the changing market. When they were producing the only smartphone of its kind, the kinks in the system were okay.
Now that RIM and Android are all competing with Apple for the latest and greatest technology, different systems are pushing Apple to need to become faster in creating fixes for problems in their OS.
In fact, as the article suggests, Nielsen numbers show that Android devices outsold the iPhone for the first time ever last quarter?
Apple is steadily starting to lose market share in this changing economy. Will they rise to the challenge of creating a smartphone to compete with Android, or will they fade away as Google takes the Number 2 spot, and sets its eyes on RIM's marketshare.
Click Here for the article.
I was recently sitting with some friends the other day. At a table of about 6 people, I had the only Android phone. It was new too, only about 48 hours old. The other 5 people were dedicated iPhone users. Some had the old 3G version while one or two had the new iPhone 4.
Like any new toy, they started passing my phone around talking about the pros and cons and how much better some things were than Apple's iPhone. My phone has its shortcomings, but I was surprised to hear it being compared so highly next to the iPhone.
I began to ask questions and the response that I got was that Apple has small details that they are refusing to fix which annoy users. There are certain functions that come standard on Android OS systems that you would have to jailbreak an iPhone to get. What I was told is that people like their iPhones, but that Apple isn't doing enough to compete with the changing market. When they were producing the only smartphone of its kind, the kinks in the system were okay.
Now that RIM and Android are all competing with Apple for the latest and greatest technology, different systems are pushing Apple to need to become faster in creating fixes for problems in their OS.
In fact, as the article suggests, Nielsen numbers show that Android devices outsold the iPhone for the first time ever last quarter?
Apple is steadily starting to lose market share in this changing economy. Will they rise to the challenge of creating a smartphone to compete with Android, or will they fade away as Google takes the Number 2 spot, and sets its eyes on RIM's marketshare.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Instant Gratification vs. The Cheaper Price
Society is getting faster! We want things on our own timetables. Usually at the click of a mouse. No longer do we shop based on what is on the store shelves, we can customize our shopping desires to meet our individual needs...and we can usually get them quick. But what happens when online and instant grat don't mix.
Sure, we understand what it's like to stream a video or purchase a song on iTunes, but what about those tangible items that have to be shipped when purchased. School books that take a week or two to get in. Concert tickets being mailed from Ticketmaster...or my favorite, a new cell phone. Forgive me for ranting, but this hits close to home.
I recently purchased a cell phone from my carrier's online store. I did this because there are built-in cost benefits to buying online. Rebates are usually automatically added instead of mail-in, as with a store. The problem was not with my price however. The price was exceptional. The problem was when my phone will actually ship to me. I purchased the phone on September 4, 2010. According to my carrier's web site, my phone (due to high volume) will not ship until September 17. I could drive down the street, walk in to the store (where they are in stock) and pay full price for my phone and fight the mail-in rebate. Instant Grat!
Instead, for choosing to purchase my phone online and save the money, and probably some overhead costs including the commission of the sales rep, the cost of operating the store that i was in, and the time spent shopping, I must now wait because an overwhelming volume of orders has delayed my order by two weeks.
Point: I am a byproduct of this fast-paced culture. You probably guessed it. My new phone is a smartphone. Just adding to the stereotype aren't I? We have become so permeated with the idea of instant grat that we just forget about waiting even one moment for something that we desire. Even now, I still check my email in the chance that they might send it early. How has this desire for instant grat affected us as a culture, and can we expect it to only get worse as technology progresses?
Sure, we understand what it's like to stream a video or purchase a song on iTunes, but what about those tangible items that have to be shipped when purchased. School books that take a week or two to get in. Concert tickets being mailed from Ticketmaster...or my favorite, a new cell phone. Forgive me for ranting, but this hits close to home.
I recently purchased a cell phone from my carrier's online store. I did this because there are built-in cost benefits to buying online. Rebates are usually automatically added instead of mail-in, as with a store. The problem was not with my price however. The price was exceptional. The problem was when my phone will actually ship to me. I purchased the phone on September 4, 2010. According to my carrier's web site, my phone (due to high volume) will not ship until September 17. I could drive down the street, walk in to the store (where they are in stock) and pay full price for my phone and fight the mail-in rebate. Instant Grat!
Instead, for choosing to purchase my phone online and save the money, and probably some overhead costs including the commission of the sales rep, the cost of operating the store that i was in, and the time spent shopping, I must now wait because an overwhelming volume of orders has delayed my order by two weeks.
Point: I am a byproduct of this fast-paced culture. You probably guessed it. My new phone is a smartphone. Just adding to the stereotype aren't I? We have become so permeated with the idea of instant grat that we just forget about waiting even one moment for something that we desire. Even now, I still check my email in the chance that they might send it early. How has this desire for instant grat affected us as a culture, and can we expect it to only get worse as technology progresses?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Facebook on iTunes?
Social networking has struck again...this time as part of Apple's iTunes program. iTunes 10 will include a new function called Ping, which will allow users to follow artists, and in turn be followed by other users.
http://www.cio.com/article/608772/Apple_Announces_ITunes_10?source=rss_news
Apparently, you can "create a "circle of friends," view what your friends are buying and listening to or watching, post your thoughts and opinions on artist and album pages, keep track of more than 17,000 concert listings, and mark which ones you're going to."
Because obviously EVERYONE needs to know that you bought an entire edition of Sesame Street Live for your kid...or was it for you?
The Point: Haven't we gotten so immersed in this transparent culture where we have to know where everyone is and what everyone does, that we have nothing better to do than follow the music purchases of others on iTunes? Sure, it might be another way for artists to connect with their fans, but I'm thinking that if you have lots of fans,the connection is going to be limited anyway. And really, who needs to know about 17,000 concerts?
Just another way that we can let our entire network of "friends" know every detail of our lives.
http://www.cio.com/article/608772/Apple_Announces_ITunes_10?source=rss_news
Apparently, you can "create a "circle of friends," view what your friends are buying and listening to or watching, post your thoughts and opinions on artist and album pages, keep track of more than 17,000 concert listings, and mark which ones you're going to."
Because obviously EVERYONE needs to know that you bought an entire edition of Sesame Street Live for your kid...or was it for you?
The Point: Haven't we gotten so immersed in this transparent culture where we have to know where everyone is and what everyone does, that we have nothing better to do than follow the music purchases of others on iTunes? Sure, it might be another way for artists to connect with their fans, but I'm thinking that if you have lots of fans,the connection is going to be limited anyway. And really, who needs to know about 17,000 concerts?
Just another way that we can let our entire network of "friends" know every detail of our lives.
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