While mobile has glimmered my mind for years, it never really had my focal attention. I guess since the dynamics were less attractive to me; mostly because of the Telecom-attitude: we know what is good for you. Lately I’m more and more convinced about mobile as having a future.
Not only is mobile interesting from a business perspective: people are still making loads of money in the mobile business. But also from an UX (user experience) point of view I believe good things are happening. I base this mostly on the iPhone-model: a closed but carefully crafted digital ecosystem. This is a device I want to give to my dad, and which empowers him. Instead of making him feel stupid. Say goodbye to multi-tasking (doing all with half-attention). The iPhone is one of the first computers which doesn’t feel like a computer, like a book or a pencil for that matter.
Picture by Elsie esq.
What would the late Mark Weiser — who coined calm technology — have thought about the iPhone? I guess we will never know. But with the iPhone, iPad and their positive collateral effects in place I have good hopes. And it just might be at the cost of the PC. 30 years of effort has brought us Ubuntu, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard. But sadly we still need to install programs, type everything thrice ourselves, and for many folks it still incorporates a whole room!
Read More
