Steve Rubel wants to know what’s up with all they hype about the rumored Apple Tablet computer.
He speculates that We’re Bored and Out of Shiny Objects:
For the last several months there’s been a ton of interest in the mythical Apple tablet. Just how much? Since July Google searches for the words Apple and tablet are up 400% percent and news reference volume is up 150%.
But there’s a bigger story here: we, the early adopters, are officially bored.
Twitter is out of beta and nothing arguably as innovative is seeming to replace it – although growth maybe peaking. Facebook and smartphones have become mainstream. Everything else – even some significant innovations in the mobile computing space that I am sure we will see at CES – is being (incorrectly) considered iterative. And so we’re left to debate the merits and need for the Apple tablet, a fantastic imaginary device addressing arguably a need and market that does not exist currently, except perhaps in our imagination.
Rubel’s point that first adopters are bored with the current generation of shiny objects is a valid point.
But there’s a reason why we’re bored. The current crop of shiny object isn’t that shiny.
Especially in the world of new media and social media, there are a lot of problems that aren’t being solved. There are a lot of needs that aren’t being met. And there are a lot of opportunities that aren’t being jumped on.
Look at devices like the Kindle and the Zune HD. They don’t solve today’s problems. They aren’t giant leaps forward. They are nicely designed devices that fail to wow.
Take a look at Apple TV. Instead of delivering a complete solution for publishing and watching Internet TV, Apple’s given us a device that lets you do a subset of the things that you can do on your computer. It lets you watch YouTube videos on your TV. It lets you listen to Internet radio.
Look at just about any area of new media and Internet media, and you’ll see people struggling to filter through information, create content efficiently, understand what’s happening, capture new media professionally and organize and edit their lives.
So, yeah – one reason for the iTablet hype is that first adopters are bored with the current crop of shiny objects.
But that doesn’t mean that the current crop isn’t a bit boring.
Image: Wally G