The Great iPad fever. Early diagnosis.

Yes. The new Apple device is announced and gadget freaks are smashing their heads against the wall. “No multitasking, no cameras, no flash, no this, no that” – these are the main symptoms on the Internet blogs right now. Some, though, are quite immune to the illness and draw sober conclusions about why iPad is cool.

So, why on Earth Apple would make such useless device (according to geeks) which costs at least half a grand? What is the audience for it? As always, Apple thinks different. And with iPad, they are probably thinking of your mom, dad, kids and maybe even your grandma and grandpa.

When it comes to user experience, seems like iPad is the best thing ever created, to get people with no knowledge about computers to the digital world. Browsing web, watching movies, emails, photos – all common tasks are executed in this device with ease and elegance. Your mom is likely to appreciate the slick and showy look of it. Using fingers to manipulate certainly adds to the appeal, as it significantly improves user experience. It is almost like in a Sci-Fi movie, i.e. cool as hell.

These people don’t need multitasking. They don’t need to read The New York Times and watch Youtube simultaneously, while looking through photos. They want just casually do one thing at a time, like reading a newspaper in the kitchen, or watching movie while on a train. And all that is without the complications of PCs.

Let’s leave aside comparison to Kindle – reading books is just one of the functions that iPad have, and it is not the main one. Though Apple is exploring the new market with iBooks, it is likely to succeed with it. iPad have this aesthetic appeal, as all the products that Apple designs. Ignoring technical characteristics, imagine, what your girlfriend would like more as a present, a bland Kindle or a trendy piece of glass with a lovely apple on the backside? And still, if she doesn’t want to read books she can enjoy other functions, which Kindle doesn’t have. And the price is not that different – but iPad is not only a book reader.

As always, Apple fans will be buying it, just because it is Apple. It may also be the first introduction to Mac OS for Windows users. They may finally follow the hype, as 499$ is not that much. And many people will buy it as addition to their home PCs and notebooks.

There is also this niche, people new to computers, which can be quite considerable. Creating services for them, one should follow the prime example – the iPad itself. Simplicity. The NY Times demonstrated the new app for reading their web site at the iPad presentation that perfectly represents this philosophy. Even inexperienced users can learn how to use it in two minutes. Easy and useful web sites and apps are likely to have big success with this market.

Bashing every new Apple device seems like a nice tradition. We, however, think that Stevie will again make loads of cash, and very much deserved, as iPad is truly an innovative gadget. Just wait and see.

Is Mobile Phone Making You Sick?

A short list of health-damaging conditions related to mobile phones.

1. “Texting tenosynovitis” or “text thumb disease”.

Symptoms of tenosynovitis include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the particular joint where the inflammation occurs. Read more.

Risk group: teenagers sending hundreds of SMS per day.
Occurrence: several cases in the worlds. Read more

Watch It with Mobile!

London’s Brick Lane has recently covered lampposts in cushions to protect clumsy texters. See video, it explains it all.

Living Streets conducted an unscientific survey of 1,000 texting Brits and found that 1 in 10 — or, potentially, 6.5 million people in the UK — had suffered injuries while texting and walking. Read more.

The other danger is a small (the chance of being hit by lightning is about one in three million) but quite real (reports from London, China, Korea and Malaysia, all but one dead) chance to be hit by lightening.

Driving and talking on mobile was a reported cause of 13 deaths and 400 injuries in the UK in 2005.

Mobile vs. Internet Operators

I just can’t stop thinking about the past and the future: Internet vs. Mobile. Can we learn something?

There is much discussion about mobile operators being THAT monopoly taking the position between mobile users and content. Content and technology providers work through operators who are not capable of adequately servicing ideas coming from marketers. What is the future of this situation? Read more

Russian Mobile Market in 2007

Source: http://world.procontent.ru/node/152

Highlights:

Mobile internet use increased 25% to 20,5 mln. users 

Mobile internet paralleled mobile services in revenue

Mobile VAS contributed 13,5% of overall cellular market revenue in Russia