Well, I am not sure if I should even be posting this on my blog since I’m breaking away from posting helpful tools and insights about innovation, lean manufacturing, and idea management, but I thought that since it’s Apple’s (APPL) latest attempt to ‘innovate’, why not? My thought is, what process did APPL follow to come up with this idea? Did they openly innovate with customers? Suppliers? The public? Did they frame the challenge correctly when brainstorming this product? Well, in my humble opinion I think the answer is none of the above, and instead it is the pet project of someone in the R&D lab, leveraging their already available tech.
I hadn’t been paying much attention to this until several media outlets caught my eye. Yes, with all the things that this new larger iPhone can do. Yes, iPhone!
I heard Cramer on CNBC sound the “buy buy buy” trumpets in favor of this stock litteraly saying that iPad would change the world and allow APPL to enter the once forbidden corporate arena dominated by Microsoft and Blackberry. Well, after giving some thought, I decided to look into wht was so great about the iPad… and I could not find a single thing right with it nor innovative… in that I mean, there is no barrier to entry here. Nothing about iPad’s technology is new… except the SIZE! Yes it’s a super-sized iPhone.
WiFi: Blackberry has had WiFi on their ‘personal computers’ (smartphones) for some time now. Yes, my BB Storm 2 is the bomb!
TouchScreen: Well, look at how long touchscreen technology has been around. Windows 7 is touchscreen ready (care to guess what that means?)
Size? Well, what were they thinking of? Everyone must be thinking “Where am I going to find pants with pockets that big?” Not much advantage over a laptop, and the iPad will also have to be carried in a tote bag of sorts.
Applications? Well, I haven’t heard much about that, except that it’s great for surfing the web.
So with all that said, I ran into this article about choosing an iPad and, well, here’s a list of things it doesn’t, and won’t have for some time:
Camera
USB port
Oh well, I can see HP, Dell and all the other PC makers launching their own touchscreen pads with greater features and functionality at lower prices while benefitting from Apple’s multi-million dollar publicity campaign. If there is a lesson to be learned about innovation, is that there is no value in innovation if it is not done right. Innovation is not only about coming up with something new (the iPad is), but also ensuring the barriers to entry are high in order to prevent others from easily entering the market. The iPad offers nothing spectacular that will keep customers, especially those waiting for iPad V2.0, from jumping to the very likely HP and Dell (and everyone else’s) iPad killers… which will probably be equivalent to iPad V3.0 (likely due in 2012)!
(Full Disclosure: I am writing this “negative” blogpost since my financing requests to several banks were rejected! None of them liked my business plan to launch a clothing line featuring 10-12 inch iPockets)
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Well, and as I finished writing that I found this. Dell tablet with the android platform.
ReplyDeleteDell Mini
Well, there had been cell phones before APPL launched the iphone, and, reading the technical specifications, you could not have tols that the product was in any way innovative. Multitouch what for ? It's just touch with more fingers (same way you mention ipad is just a BIG iphone). Judging an innovation cannot be done before it has reached users, and users have widely accepted the object/service/method. So let's wait for the commercial launch.
ReplyDeleteBut as I read how the edition actors prepare for the new e-magazine store, my opinion is that there will be something to observe.
I do agree that Apple, and specially Steve Jobs, has the ability to market products the public really wants, however they do it with technology that is not unique. This is why Apple has never had the ability to surpass the IBMs, Microsofts or Intels and usually lags far behind. The features and options of most of their toys do not provide them with strong barriers to entry, thus allowing competitors to enter the market after Apple has tested the waters.
ReplyDeleteWhat is particular about the iPAD is that I have in the past been able to relate to the success of apple products from the stand point that they bring new functions and features to market that other companies have not thought of, however the iPAD doesn't really bring anything new except for the larger screen. Its software leaves too many closed doors that are already open by Android and Windows 7, which are the two platforms the competitors will likely choose.