Wow this is a bit naive and egotistical. I HATE the new google reader but to think that it takes ONE man outside of Google to fix their product is downright silly. The redesign was made in the context of Google's near-future plans to ignore that is ridiculous. A more constructive move is to provide a short checklist of things to re-consider or build/recommend a competing product. Its not like Google cant improve it more soon to find a good middle-ground.
>So in that POV, the playbook was for the people who already had email and bbm.
>I don't know a single person that uses a tablet that doesn't use it for email.
Didn't say it CANNOT do email. webmail and email apps were welcome, and i didn't say that it wasnt a mistake (it was) but i think RIM went for an MVP (BB style email must've had a big time-to-market cost) to get to market faster.
>I think the high developer friction (poor tools, poor stores, etc.) and the wrong direction were among the bigger problems.
>You're looking at it from a technical perspective, and the Playbook's failure was a complete lack of demand from consumers. When the people that actually buy tablets react to your marketing strategy with "that's stupid" and in turn refuse to buy your device, it doesn't matter if you have the best developer tools in the world; you've still set yourself up for failure.
We are on the same page (hence the "direction") part. Playbook was a misguided attempt, instead of zagging. it wen t and battled with iPad squarely without the 10x improvement or any unfair advantage.
In summation, i think the rank of problem of RIM's tablet strategy are: 1st: Wrong angle of attack, 2nd: platform friction , (close)3rd: key features weren't in the MVP.
From RIM's marketing and positioning, Playbook was a companion device for the Blackberry and aimed squarely at the iPad. So in that POV, the playbook was for the people who already had email and bbm.
I think the high developer friction (poor tools, poor stores, etc.) and the wrong direction were among the bigger problems.
I remembered how the Courier appealed to me more than the iPad when i saw that video. The moleskin form factor is also a big plus over iPad since it was less fragile and more compact (perfect for traveling).
I don't understand why they couldn't pursue both, similar to the iPad & Macbook-pro dynamic.
What we have here is a full blown disruption from the iOS platform, Android smartphones and Facebook games. Nintendo's customers gained with Wii and DS didn't stick around.
Sony should be next to fall with their Vita platform which learned nothing from the current disruptors.
Microsoft has sidestepped this disruption with Kinect + foregoing a mobile gaming device and just turn WP7 into a gaming platform (in 2012)
just spent 2 weeks developing an MVP app for a photo sharing startup. passed to the store last night. :) Dev tools are smooth but the biggest issue is the lack of mature open source libraries (Oauth was buggy and i cant find a Tumblr, Blogger cross posting lib)
I am more familiar with Singapore and from all signs it seems they do not have the brain drain problem so they are capturing more value from the output of their great education system than Finland.
A great education system is a means to an end. The end being the host country gains a great economic engine and generally happy citizens. Does Finland have this? Singapore? South Korea?
I am not sure if the comparison holds but this FEELS like how bankers created derivatives. Its warping something from the inside out just to get some greed fuel.