mip's scan

Testing Done for the Torch and the Focus

I've been testing both the Blackberry Torch and the Samsung Focus over the past number of weeks.  I've nearly completed blog posts for each of them, but thought I'd put a short post out to set the context for these two devices; a high level introduction to what I've done. 

Being a long time iPhone user, I wanted to see how each of these devices worked for me.  On some days I carried just the Blackberry.  Other days I carried just the Windows Phone 7 Focus.  At other times, I carried all three on my belt (yes, I looked like Batman with his utility belt).  I really enjoyed going through the process of stress testing each of these phones through my normal working day and in my personal time.  I think that this is really the only way to get a sense of what works and what doesn't.  I tried hard to structure my thoughts in two categories:  1) how did the device fair on its own (no comparison to the iPhone or the other device) and 2) how did the device fair in comparison to other smartphone choices. 

The experience was an interesting one and I look forward to sharing them with you.  I will post my thoughts on the Focus early next week, then I will post my thoughts on the Torch in the latter half of next week.  Finally, I'll have a short video blog come out to talk about them both and show a little of the pros and cons to you.  If there are specifics you'd like to see, don't hesitate to drop me an email or post a comment.

Build an Ecosystem

When you look at nature and the environment, why is it so important to save an area of wetland?  Why is it important to save a type of wildlife?  The reason is balance.  An ecosystem is a delicately balanced environment.  If you are missing an animal, then other elements of the ecosystem suffer as well.  When there are gaps in the ecosystem, in short, it stops working.

This concept applies to business as well.  Why has Apple been successful?  Is it because the build top-notch quality products?  In part yes, but not entirely.  Is it because they deliver products that met the users’ needs better than any other product?  In part yes, but not entirely.  No, the real reason that Apple has been so successful is that their products and services are part of an ecosystem that they’ve developed.  Tied together beautifully, that ecosystem just works.  It is that element, that it just works, that really has been the reason Apple has been so successful.  It’s also the reason why other competing companies have failed to develop any type of Apple-product-killer.  As a competing company you can’t build a product that will kill anything!  You might build a product that is better than any single competing product from Apple, but without the ecosystem to tie it all together, to balance everything, to make sure that it all just works – without the balance, competitive products are fighting an uphill battle.

Does Size Matter?

Ah, I thought my title might provoke some raised eyebrows.  It’s an important question don’t you think?  Does size matter?  Or perhaps more aptly put Is Bigger Better?  Now before I go too much further and this blog leads you astray in thinking that I’m talking about something more risqué than tech, let me put my question into context.  I’m talking about tablets (and shame on you for thinking otherwise).

The iPad, with it’s 9.7” screen is currently the market leader in a space that truly is in its infancy.  I think that 2011 will see many new entrants coming into the space, including RIM with their Playbook.  In attempt to not go head-to-head with the iPad, these vendors are trumpeting differentiating features, one of them being size.   The Playbook will come in with a 7” screen and everyone is wondering whether the smaller screen will hamper the device.  Is the larger screen really better suited for a tablet.

Well, as always on mip’s scan, I like to experience things first hand.  I decided to take the Galaxy Tab for a spin and assess it from a size perspective only.  I didn’t want to do a comparison of apps and the overall ecosystem, mainly because Apple has such a lead in this area that it wouldn’t be a fair comparison.  I wanted to see how the device's smaller form factor faired against the larger form factor of the iPad.

With that in mind I carried the device around with the intent of seeing how usable several things would be on a smaller screen: web browsing, ebook reading, newspaper reading and email.   Keep reading to see what I found.