(This is a snapshot of my old weblog. New posts and selected republished essays can be found at raganwald.com.)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
There's no shame in being a gear head
When you stop laughing (or frowning), take these words to heart. They apply to bloggers, programmers, even product managers thumbing emails into their crack berries. What you think is cool doesn’t count unless your market is composed strictly of people just like you. And those people just like you? They are outnumbered 1,000 to one by people unlike you.
That is an idea I can savor.
You guys are TECHNOLOGY JOURNALISTS. You are GEAR HEADS. There is no shame in this, but, come on, recognize that what you think is cool is NOT what my mom thinks is cool, or what an executive thinks is cool, or what a lawyer who just wants to write a deposition on her laptop thinks is cool.
—Wil Shipley, MacBook Air Haters: Suck My Dick
When you stop laughing (or frowning), take these words to heart. They apply to bloggers, programmers, even product managers thumbing emails into their crack berries. What you think is cool doesn’t count unless your market is composed strictly of people just like you. And those people just like you? They are outnumbered 1,000 to one by people unlike you.
All software developers should be hailing the advent of the computer-as-appliance, because it means we'll be reaching into markets that are afraid of self-service machines.
That is an idea I can savor.
Comments on “There's no shame in being a gear head”:
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I've heard "You are not the target audience!!!" regarding the Air more times than I can count. Apparently the target audience consists solely of Steve Jobs.
Considering that I am the target audience and so is Wil Shipley, I have trouble with the statement that Steve Jobs is the sole member of the target audience.
Call me crazy, but my numbering system goes zero, one, many. I think the market for this one is "many." How many many? I don't know. But I think Wil may be onto something when he says the Air is more like an iPod than like a MacBook.
Call me crazy, but my numbering system goes zero, one, many. I think the market for this one is "many." How many many? I don't know. But I think Wil may be onto something when he says the Air is more like an iPod than like a MacBook.
and what makes the macbook air better than, say, the d430?
They're nearly the same size (the dell is slightly thicker (by 6mm), but the MBA is wider by an inch and the dell is slightly lighter. The mba has a slightly faster clockspeed (1.6 vs 1.2), yet the d430 comes with a dvd drive and is 33% cheaper.
Plus the d430 is better suited for the traveler. For $150 you can add built-in EVDO or HSDPA. There's no possible way to add mobile broadband to the MBA.
I just don't see what the fuss is if a 7 month old Dell is comparable.
They're nearly the same size (the dell is slightly thicker (by 6mm), but the MBA is wider by an inch and the dell is slightly lighter. The mba has a slightly faster clockspeed (1.6 vs 1.2), yet the d430 comes with a dvd drive and is 33% cheaper.
Plus the d430 is better suited for the traveler. For $150 you can add built-in EVDO or HSDPA. There's no possible way to add mobile broadband to the MBA.
I just don't see what the fuss is if a 7 month old Dell is comparable.
what makes the macbook air better than, say, the d430?
You're joking, right? How about we start with the fact that it's a Mac. It runs OS X.
What's that? You don't care? You prefer Windows? Or you plan to run something like Linux?
Well, don't let me get in your way, I have no intention of trying to convince someone who wants a Dell that they need a Macintosh.
That argument has about as much fascination for me as explaining the difference between Ruby and Java.
You're joking, right? How about we start with the fact that it's a Mac. It runs OS X.
What's that? You don't care? You prefer Windows? Or you plan to run something like Linux?
Well, don't let me get in your way, I have no intention of trying to convince someone who wants a Dell that they need a Macintosh.
That argument has about as much fascination for me as explaining the difference between Ruby and Java.
I'm certainly not in either market.. neither device appeals to me. I've never thought "my laptop is just too thick". Too heavy? yes. Footprint too large? yes... but thickness has never been an issue for me.
Why is thinner more important than a smaller footprint?
What market is this aimed at that a 12" macbook would've missed? A 12" macbook to replace our aging 12" powerbooks and ibooks would've been a market I'm in.
Especially sad considering the 12" ibook was less than $800 when they killed it. Now that market is completely ignored by Apple.
Why is thinner more important than a smaller footprint?
What market is this aimed at that a 12" macbook would've missed? A 12" macbook to replace our aging 12" powerbooks and ibooks would've been a market I'm in.
Especially sad considering the 12" ibook was less than $800 when they killed it. Now that market is completely ignored by Apple.
Target audience here. And I actually think OS/X is a downside, I much prefer running Linux or any other variant of unmolested UNIX.
But it does beat my sub-4lb 13" Vaio in almost every category, including price. Having no DVD drive to break is a bonus.
Computer-as-appliance has a downside that affects non-technical consumers as well.
I'm on my fourth battery right now (same computer), cost for replacement as follows:
1. Replace cells at betteryrefill.com, about $75.
2. eBay auction, around $110 (w/delivery).
3. Large retailer (J&R, Amazon), around $120-150, depending on season.
4. Sony, a whopping $180.
Sony also prices memory upgrade at over 2x eBay costs, and harddisks they will gladly ship to you within a week's notice, should yours crash.
The problem is not the inability to self-service your machine, which few people care for, but the lack of secondary sources.
Computer-as-appliance is all that we learned to love about cell phone carriers and music labels.
But it does beat my sub-4lb 13" Vaio in almost every category, including price. Having no DVD drive to break is a bonus.
Computer-as-appliance has a downside that affects non-technical consumers as well.
I'm on my fourth battery right now (same computer), cost for replacement as follows:
1. Replace cells at betteryrefill.com, about $75.
2. eBay auction, around $110 (w/delivery).
3. Large retailer (J&R, Amazon), around $120-150, depending on season.
4. Sony, a whopping $180.
Sony also prices memory upgrade at over 2x eBay costs, and harddisks they will gladly ship to you within a week's notice, should yours crash.
The problem is not the inability to self-service your machine, which few people care for, but the lack of secondary sources.
Computer-as-appliance is all that we learned to love about cell phone carriers and music labels.
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