With the recent spate of Verizon ads that have been attacking AT&T’s 3G network, and by extension the iPhone, I began wondering what life for iPhone users would be like on Verizon. Even among the iPhone faithful, there is a fairly decent amount of disdain for AT&T. Among the digerati, many of whom live in the San Francisco area & New York City, it is even greater. But such is the love for the iPhone, they put up with the sketchy service (Most of which is due to the dense concentration of iPhone users in these areas).
As of Q1 of ‘09, Verizon had about 86.5 million subscribers leaping ahead of AT&T’s 78.2 million as of the same period (Let it be noted that Verizon achieved this with the acquisition of Alltel which brought with it 13.2 million subscribers). Also as of Q1 of ‘09, AT&T had activated about 8 million iPhones since 2007 (I haven’t found a hard number on how many iPhones are currently in use).
What is for certain is that no one uses wireless bandwidth like iPhone users. In creating mobile Safari, Apple made a mobile browser people actually want to use, not to mention the apps. My theory is that even with a wider 3G coverage map, iPhone users on Verizon’s network would face the congestion problems seen on AT&T. Like it or not, going with AT&T was the right thing for Apple to do. It allowed them to make one phone with a GSM radio that could be widely used around the world and therefore gain greater adoption. Now that they have a strong foothold, they can branch out to other carriers (once exclusivity ends). I’m just not so sure I’d abandon ship so fast.
In social media circles and particularly stories written about social media, one of the favorite topics is customer service. There are some good examples of companies that exercise great customer service. There are many more who do not. The fact we will more quickly share a bad experience over a good one should make that no surprise.
Probably the most recent, bad example of note is that of musician Dave Carroll and the experience he had with United Airlines after his guitar was damaged by baggage handlers (YouTube video here). The YouTube video helped turn his bad experience into a better one. I could go on with more examples but the tone of indifference he and others experience in their customer service experiences seem to be the rule rather than the exception.
In the way of positive customer service, there is Frank Eliason who is @comcastcares on Twitter. Frank basically took it upon himself to use Twitter as a tool to reach out and help customers who were having problems or negative service experiences. Particularly those that were voicing their problems on Twitter. It is now his primary duty along with a growing team of people helping with the load.
While there are more stories like these on both sides, the point is sites like Twitter or Facebook are being used as tools/weapons to get results. In one sense I’m glad that consumers have a recourse to combat service problems. On the other hand, it’s sad that we have to resort to threats to achieve a positive outcome. Customer service is a war and social media has become the battlefield. Victories are won when companies are shamed into doing what they should have done in the first place.
The other piece to all of this is the praise that is heaped upon companies who “get it.” I love it that companies are out there using social media to communicate with their customers. However, I’m not so sure we should be throwing parades in their honor just because somebody had the common sense to see Twitter as an effective communication tool. For the big boys especially it’s simple, talk to your customers and you’ll likely keep them as customers.
Wow, what a day in technology. Apple launches a slew of new items and the rumored eBook reader from Barnes & Noble is now a reality. The nook (note the “cool” use of all lowercase letters) is a $259 one-of-a-kind E Ink® based reader that also incorporates a touch sensitive color display strip along the bottom of the device. Like my other posts regarding the Kindle, I won’t regurgitate specs here but instead offer a bit of comparison.
I already like the nook better than the Kindle. Granted I haven’t held one, (I have now tried both models of the Kindle) but unlike the Kindle, I’ll be able to go into a Barnes & Noble store to have a hands on test. This is potentially a HUGE benefit for the nook.
Among its other superlatives, it’s less expensive and includes wi-fi which the Kindle does not. It will use the less regarded AT&T network for its 3G connection for the ability to buy books almost anywhere. Frankly I don’t care which network it runs on, it’ll be good enough. I say make it even less expensive and cut out the subsidized wireless service and just leave the wi-fi. Finding wi-fi is easy lest you find yourself out and in need of making a book purchase.
The color touch panel along the bottom serves as the navigation for moving around the menus of the nook. It’s also where you view your library and make purchases. Another nice feature is the option to lend books to your friends, again something the Kindle doesn’t do.
All-in-all, it seems like B&N has at least one upped Amazon with the nook. Like the Kindle, the nook has shortcomings that I have addressed before. Although I don’t know for certain, there are still likely the same design limitations inherent in the format and therefore not a substitute for good graphic design. For voracious readers, it’s a good investment. For those still unsure, this could very well lead you to take the plunge. The nook certainly has me a step closer to justifying buying an eBook reader.
I’m trying out AudioBoo for the first time and I think it’s pretty cool. Think of it as the Twitter of audio. You get three minutes worth of audio to record whatever and post it to their website. From there you can post it to your own site and there is also a handy WordPress widget that will form a playlist of your latest Boos. There are also numerous ways to share such as Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to check it out.
Apple fans are a funny bunch. No sooner does a new toy show up and they start asking questions and prognosticating about the next one. I suppose that’s a testament to Apple’s ability make drool-worthy devices and their supernatural powers of persuasion.
For years, it was dreams of a PDA that filled our heads, nevermind a phone. In 2007, the iPhone was released and those dreams were realized and then some. Ever since, it has been talk of a tablet that would do who knows what. A couple of posts ago, I outlined the rumors before WWDC about this possibility and what might be wrong with it.
However, there has been something else that bothers me about an addition to the lineup. Whether it was another iPhone that might be smaller or a tablet, (I don’t think Apple will make a netbook) the thing that didn’t add up was which OS would it use. A smaller iPhone just couldn’t use the same OS as the current phone OS. The Human Interface Guidelines of the iPhone OS are such as to maximize the screen real estate of the phone. For instance, buttons are to be a certain size so your finger can accurately select it. A physically smaller phone would have to account for a smaller screen therefore limiting what can be on screen at one time. I suppose it could happen but it would be quite limited and would not run the crop of applications in the App Store.
Alternatively, a tablet would allow for precise touch input but you still have a problem with the difference in size. So if not the Touch OS then the current desktop OS or the upcoming Snow Leopard OS? It might make sense if it were to use a mouse and keyboard for input but that seems like an awkward setup for a tablet. Finger input might work but it doesn’t seem like the sweet spot and depending on the resolution could be a nightmare. The most likely and yet somewhat un-Apple like solution would be a third OS optimized for touch input on a device sized somewhere between an iPhone and the MacBook. Un-Apple-like because it flies in the face of their philosophy of simplicity.
There are many possibilities as to what this new toy can be and if it comes to fruition, will be innovative. As before, the rumor may linger long enough to become reality.
News began buzzing over the weekend about Apple being in talks with Verizon about carrying the iPhone in the 2010-2011 time frame. A MacRumors story speaks of an “iPhone Lite” and the fabled “other device” that may or may not be a tablet. Specifically it’s referred to as a “Media Pad” that is overall smaller than a Kindle but with a larger screen.
The first question that comes to my mind is, “Why would Apple need to talk to Verizon about a tablet/media pad?” The answer is to have a device with a constant data connection for surfing the web and maybe downloading music and apps like the iPhone. That’s great, but who is going to have another device for which they have to pay a monthly fee especially when the iPhone does such an admirable job at doing the previously listed tasks. If Apple were to make such a device, they would of course want to sell them to iPhone owners. The answer to that may be an arrangement like the Kindle, where the access to the wireless network is subsidized in the purchase price of the device. There are problems with that scenario too, but it’s difficult to see another solution unless access was at a greatly reduced rate. Am I wrong here? Would you as an iPhone owner want a device like this, essentially an overgrown iPhone and then pay another monthly wireless fee? While I would like the device no doubt, I can’t see the justification in paying a monthly fee for wireless service.
One thing’s for sure. This is still just a rumor. If this device even exists, the possibilities are many. It may be just that, a media pad that only has wi-fi and controls other devices like your Apple TV or an extension of your computer screen. Maybe more like an overgrown iPod Touch than an iPhone.
The other thing we know… Apple is the best at making a device you’ve got to have and never knew you needed.
Buy the above illustration from the Defy Creative Store for $0.99.
Over a year ago I wrote my thoughts on the first Kindle and now Amazon has its successor. From all the reviews it sounds as though it’s an improvement, although slight, over the original. My first “review” was pretty critical and admittedly made without ever actually having held a Kindle. Not much has changed in that regard especially since you can’t jump in your car and head over to Best Buy to check one out and I don’t personally know anyone who owns one.
I REALLY want to like the Kindle. However, my criticisms remain. On the other hand the Kindle does a lot of things right. I won’t rehash the specs here but instead I want to focus on what I think this means for books in general.
What’s Next
I said in my original article that the Kindle 1 wouldn’t be a runaway hit or even a modest success. So far, I think I’m right on the first and maybe not so much on the second. Amazon doesn’t release figures on Kindle sales but estimates put the number around half a million for the first model. This number seems high to me but even if it’s relatively close, I suppose you could call it a success. When you read the tech press as I do it’s hard to know when something has penetrated the tech echo chamber. I believe e-book readers will become more and more popular as time goes by, but they have a tough road ahead.
Perhaps selfishly, as a graphic designer I want to see more control over what’s possible in terms of design. The reason for not having that control comes down to smaller file sizes no doubt. It’s virtual portability is one of it’s greatest strengths and perhaps among it’s greatest weaknesses when it comes to graphics. It’s absolutely convenient but potentially closes a segment of the book market where designers are needed.
The Revolution
For publishers, the Kindle and even other e-book readers are an opportunity to stay current in the ever-changing digital landscape. Where the Kindle bests others lies in the Amazon infrastructure. They made an Apple-like move in creating the hardware and developing the format of the content. It’s not a win for open standards but the best solution doesn’t always rest there. For now, they have the best solution out there.
As I write this, Amazon has released Kindle for iPhone. This is an interesting move (a move they mentioned was coming when the Kindle 2 was announced) and one that I’m going to have to think on. I have downloaded and tested it and my gut reaction is that it doesn’t increase the chances of me buying a Kindle for the time being. Perhaps the device itself isn’t the revolution they’re after.
I’ve added a new feature to the site and it is the Disqus commenting system. Disqus, pronounced “discuss”, is a replacement commenting system for websites using content management systems like Wordpress. When installed, Disqus takes over the comments area of your site giving it some added functionality. One of the coolest things about it is when you sign up for a Disqus account your comments posted on any site that uses the system will show up on your profile page on the Disqus site. It gives you an identity across sites and in itself becomes a platform for your ideas.
Not too long ago, Facebook Connect was instituted to allow commenters to use the sytem with their Facebook credentials. Now it’s not required for you to sign up on the Disqus site accumulating yet another user name and password for a site. When you leave a comment, your Facebook profile picture is used and you’re done. Other sites are using Facebook Connect in their own commenting systems which is both smart and convenient.
Ultimately, one of Disqus’s best features is to allow you to export your comments back out of the system in the event you don’t want to use the service any longer. Since comments on posts can be some of the best content on ones site, this is a welcome thing indeed. Find out more about Disqus at www.disqus.com.
Here’s a Newsweek article on the huge success of certain iPhone developers.
There are some examples of individuals who have turned this into a full time job or existing software developers who have managed to parlay desktop success to the iPhone platform. I think this iPhone thing might around a while.
In January of this year I wrote a diatribe (not really) about social networks. In retrospect, the title of the post was a misnomer. Instead it was more of an explanation of why I don’t use them much. I stand by those reasons, the biggest of which was the amount of time I feel would be necessary to devote to a Facebook page for instance. My own site needs more attention than I give it sometimes.
Since then, I have begun using Twitter and LinkedIn a bit more. I use Twitterrific (very awesome) on my iPhone to see what those that I follow are up to. I like the brief nature of Twitter and being able to access it on my phone.
I totally understand the value of social networks and have begun to adopt them more and more. Who knows, you may see me on Facebook one day.
Just a Theory "With the recent spate of Verizon ads that have been attacking AT&T’s 3G network, and by extension the iPhone, I began wondering what life for ..." Read More
Getting It "In social media circles and particularly stories written about social media, one of the favorite topics is customer service. There are some good examples of ..." Read More
News began buzzing over the weekend about Apple being in talks with Verizon about carrying the iPhone in the 2010-2011 time frame. A 
I’ve added a new feature to the site and it is the Disqus commenting system. Disqus, pronounced “discuss”, is a replacement commenting system for websites using content management systems like Wordpress. When installed, Disqus takes over the comments area of your site giving it some added functionality. One of the coolest things about it is when you sign up for a Disqus account your comments posted on any site that uses the system will show up on your profile page on the Disqus site. It gives you an identity across sites and in itself becomes a platform for your ideas.