Comments for I, Cringely http://www.cringely.com Cringely on technology Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:41:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by pogo http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14196 pogo Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:41:41 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14196 Sounds like it being solved. Sounds like it being solved.

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by Geoff http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14195 Geoff Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:39:58 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14195 I tried the mobilemag link provided and yes, it works. But I can see a problem in the logic here. The user experience is not even as good as reading the paper version of the magazine. It has to be at least that good or better and here's why. Yes, it's an advantage that it's done in Java so it can run on low end cell phones. However, the person who still has a low end cell phone is also someone who is the LEAST likely to want to read a magazine on their cell phone! They are the laggers, not the innovators. They have to be dragged into the technological future kicking and screaming. So what about those that have a fancy smartphone? They are expecting the user experience to be as good or more likely far better than the printed magazine and a Java app designed to run on low end cell phones is not going to provide that. What Apple will do with iPad (and iPhone) for publishers is give them a platform to provide a far BETTER experience than reading a paper magazine which is what is going to help them move the innovators and then the early majority over to the digital version of their publications. By building this with Java and aiming for the low end, you are starting at the wrong end of the technology adoption curve. I tried the mobilemag link provided and yes, it works. But I can see a problem in the logic here. The user experience is not even as good as reading the paper version of the magazine. It has to be at least that good or better and here’s why. Yes, it’s an advantage that it’s done in Java so it can run on low end cell phones. However, the person who still has a low end cell phone is also someone who is the LEAST likely to want to read a magazine on their cell phone! They are the laggers, not the innovators. They have to be dragged into the technological future kicking and screaming. So what about those that have a fancy smartphone? They are expecting the user experience to be as good or more likely far better than the printed magazine and a Java app designed to run on low end cell phones is not going to provide that. What Apple will do with iPad (and iPhone) for publishers is give them a platform to provide a far BETTER experience than reading a paper magazine which is what is going to help them move the innovators and then the early majority over to the digital version of their publications.

By building this with Java and aiming for the low end, you are starting at the wrong end of the technology adoption curve.

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by Alexander Chalkidis http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14193 Alexander Chalkidis Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:25:56 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14193 As usual with us techies we get carried away with the wrong argument. The question isn't if magazines are fading or dying or whatever other headline grabs your attention. Of all the geeky features on my cell phone the past few years I have used the rss reader the most I think. It works reliably and I can get loads of interesting stuff on it easily. It syncs when I am somewhere with a connection so it is free. And of course when you are on the road you don't read a whole damn book, you read snippets and then think about them as the train bounces along or your flight is called to board. I have tried ebooks and loved them. Used them mainly to save paper, ie for all those interesting pdfs or journals I used to print to read later. Different discussion really to do with screens, devices, etc. My point is that as usual, we will consume content in loads of different ways. You can't even really count how many RSS feeds people are reading with any degree of accuracy yet. As usual with us techies we get carried away with the wrong argument. The question isn’t if magazines are fading or dying or whatever other headline grabs your attention.

Of all the geeky features on my cell phone the past few years I have used the rss reader the most I think. It works reliably and I can get loads of interesting stuff on it easily. It syncs when I am somewhere with a connection so it is free. And of course when you are on the road you don’t read a whole damn book, you read snippets and then think about them as the train bounces along or your flight is called to board.

I have tried ebooks and loved them. Used them mainly to save paper, ie for all those interesting pdfs or journals I used to print to read later. Different discussion really to do with screens, devices, etc.

My point is that as usual, we will consume content in loads of different ways. You can’t even really count how many RSS feeds people are reading with any degree of accuracy yet.

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14192 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:25 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14192 Malcolm! Wake up! Condenast shut down so many magazines this last year! AMICA Germany WENT BUST, and so many publishers are closing magazine and having them only online! Wake up! We must solve the paper problem!!!! Malcolm!

Wake up! Condenast shut down so many magazines this last year! AMICA Germany WENT BUST, and so many publishers are closing magazine and having them only online! Wake up! We must solve the paper problem!!!!

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14191 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:58:43 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14191 I would LOVE to come to Tokyo! I think the Japanese would LOVE me and I love Japan...they say that they would love my Anina Dress Up game too...www.aninadressup.com...and now you say they'll love the 360Fashion MobileMags! I would LOVE to come to Tokyo! I think the Japanese would LOVE me and I love Japan…they say that they would love my Anina Dress Up game too…www.aninadressup.com…and now you say they’ll love the 360Fashion MobileMags!

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14190 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:57:09 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14190 I DON'T HAVE A FUR COAT! I DON’T HAVE A FUR COAT!

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14189 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:28:27 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14189 ps our system now does ipad too! ps our system now does ipad too!

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14188 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:27:50 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14188 John, What if you were looking for an apartment on Craigs list? So you opted in to get a sms MobileMag when someone posted the type of aparment you were looking for online? BING BING and you see a photo of the room and a brief description? You like it, you click to email back, you dont like it but it's perfect for your friend, so you SMS it to her. You dont like it, you delete the content. Saves time and efforts of hunting online. John,

What if you were looking for an apartment on Craigs list? So you opted in to get a sms MobileMag when someone posted the type of aparment you were looking for online? BING BING and you see a photo of the room and a brief description? You like it, you click to email back, you dont like it but it’s perfect for your friend, so you SMS it to her. You dont like it, you delete the content. Saves time and efforts of hunting online.

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14187 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:25:27 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14187 Hi Jeremy, While I could potentially agree with you about your style, I have to tell you that there really are the MAJORITY of people out there (AFRICA/INDIA/CHINA) with low end cellphones. Or how about the classic 50,000 dollar cellphone VERTU that only makes calls, but even on the VERTU you could get a MobileMags flyer with an invitation to an opening of your favorite designer. The flyer can be very simple: the event overview, a map, click to call or RSVP by SMS. So many people I know dont have the newest shiny device. They have the trusty reliable long battery life s40 phones by Nokia. And why should they not have some value too? A little bling. A wee bit of content too with some links to call, or SHARE to a friend via SMS, or twitter the MobileMag to others? Hi Jeremy,
While I could potentially agree with you about your style, I have to tell you that there really are the MAJORITY of people out there (AFRICA/INDIA/CHINA) with low end cellphones. Or how about the classic 50,000 dollar cellphone VERTU that only makes calls, but even on the VERTU you could get a MobileMags flyer with an invitation to an opening of your favorite designer. The flyer can be very simple: the event overview, a map, click to call or RSVP by SMS.

So many people I know dont have the newest shiny device. They have the trusty reliable long battery life s40 phones by Nokia. And why should they not have some value too? A little bling. A wee bit of content too with some links to call, or SHARE to a friend via SMS, or twitter the MobileMag to others?

]]> Comment on The 94 Percent Solution by anina.net http://www.cringely.com/2010/03/the-94-percent-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-14186 anina.net Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:21:05 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=1514#comment-14186 Yeah, totally powerful, but also the iphone bypassing the itunes store is powerful with html5! Yeah, totally powerful, but also the iphone bypassing the itunes store is powerful with html5!

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