Comments on: Predicting the Key Technologies for 2008, and their Guardians http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/ Podcaster, Blogger, Writer, New Media Junkie... Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:45:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ewan Spence http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-188116 Ewan Spence Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:54:02 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-188116 Huw, The problem with USP is you have to choose which USP you can do without. And I think that this is the big problem of 2008 - how do you choose, in many cases in advance, what you want. I'm not taking about the switched on2.0 people, but the more sedate but tech savvy user. Which leads me to... Heavylight, I think the big challenge, still, is to make these small, fiddly pocket computers usable to the masses. A good case in point is Dean Whitbread, who;s documented on Seesmic why the N95 just does not work for him, is not intuitive to a new user, and just does not deliver. It's no good providing flat-fee data if you can't actually make good use of it. And of course, once you're on flat fee, you'll pretty much demand flat fee wimax if it arrives. or IPTV downloads. Or Skype calls. And the investment required there is going to be the problem IMO. And I never said Fisked, Mike did. Huw,

The problem with USP is you have to choose which USP you can do without. And I think that this is the big problem of 2008 – how do you choose, in many cases in advance, what you want. I’m not taking about the switched on2.0 people, but the more sedate but tech savvy user. Which leads me to…

Heavylight,

I think the big challenge, still, is to make these small, fiddly pocket computers usable to the masses. A good case in point is Dean Whitbread, who;s documented on Seesmic why the N95 just does not work for him, is not intuitive to a new user, and just does not deliver. It’s no good providing flat-fee data if you can’t actually make good use of it. And of course, once you’re on flat fee, you’ll pretty much demand flat fee wimax if it arrives. or IPTV downloads. Or Skype calls. And the investment required there is going to be the problem IMO.

And I never said Fisked, Mike did.

]]> By: HeavyLight http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-188102 HeavyLight Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:45:19 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-188102 Maybe the economics of WiMax roll-out are different in the States but I'd agree that in the UK it stands little chance of any impact. Err, outside of Milton Keynes anyhow. But you're sceptical about mobile internet take-up? Perhaps I missed something but don't all those "great gatekeepers" (well okay, all bar Orange) now offer some form of flat-fee "unlimited" internet access? My experience is that even the normob masses are primed to swamp the airwaves. Fisked? Nah, barely a tickle! :-) Maybe the economics of WiMax roll-out are different in the States but I’d agree that in the UK it stands little chance of any impact. Err, outside of Milton Keynes anyhow.

But you’re sceptical about mobile internet take-up?

Perhaps I missed something but don’t all those “great gatekeepers” (well okay, all bar Orange) now offer some form of flat-fee “unlimited” internet access?

My experience is that even the normob masses are primed to swamp the airwaves.

Fisked? Nah, barely a tickle!
:-)

]]> By: Huw Leslie http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-188093 Huw Leslie Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:17:11 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-188093 From the mobile networks' point of view, as far as I can tell the big struggle is in reducing churn, and I suspect that that will provide an impetus for innovation, or at least an attitude that is open to innovation from others. They are all struggling for a unique selling point - vodafone has their unlimited music thingy, three has the skypephone, for example. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I think there is sufficient competitive pressure on networks to produce good results for consumers. From the mobile networks’ point of view, as far as I can tell the big struggle is in reducing churn, and I suspect that that will provide an impetus for innovation, or at least an attitude that is open to innovation from others. They are all struggling for a unique selling point – vodafone has their unlimited music thingy, three has the skypephone, for example. Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but I think there is sufficient competitive pressure on networks to produce good results for consumers.

]]> By: Ewan Spence http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-188028 Ewan Spence Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:48:23 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-188028 John, Indeed yes, you are true, and point taken. But when a lot of the focus is on short term quarterly profits sometimes I do wonder if fidicury responsibilities can act as an inhibitor in a few cases. John,

Indeed yes, you are true, and point taken. But when a lot of the focus is on short term quarterly profits sometimes I do wonder if fidicury responsibilities can act as an inhibitor in a few cases.

]]> By: John Connell http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-188003 John Connell Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:51:59 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-188003 "Wouldn’t they rather keep more profit than build more infrastructure?" I don't think these are mutually exclusive, Ewan. “Wouldn’t they rather keep more profit than build more infrastructure?”

I don’t think these are mutually exclusive, Ewan.

]]> By: TechCrunch UK » Blog Archive » Predictive text from the BBC http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/comment-page-1/#comment-187966 TechCrunch UK » Blog Archive » Predictive text from the BBC Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:53:53 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/01/02/predicting-the-key-technologies-for-2008-and-their-guardians/#comment-187966 [...] we just call them small laptops?) and IPTV coming of age. The list is royally and expertly fisked by mobile expert Ewan Spence who points out that all the talk of the rise mobile data is still predicated on the mobile networks [...] [...] we just call them small laptops?) and IPTV coming of age. The list is royally and expertly fisked by mobile expert Ewan Spence who points out that all the talk of the rise mobile data is still predicated on the mobile networks [...]

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