Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I've found myself using my PC for a lot of conversations lately, and I'm also considering recording a podcast to share with anyone who will listen. There are tons of USB headset / microphones out there, and I'm hoping someone has some solid recommendations based on experience. I'll consider both headsets and standalone mics, by the way, but I'd like to keep the bill under $100 if possible. Help!"
Seems like everything I read about phones talks about hardware and hardware features. AND everything that every user needs it the software; ease of use, integration between contacts and phone, to-do, calendar, syncing with computers of EVERYTHING, including notes, photos, etc.
Not even the [other] phone manufacturers get it yet. The rapid growth of the iPhone (iPod, iMac, etc.) is the software, the supporting software infrastructure, and the resultant functionality. I go to Sony, Nokia, Samsung, etc. and it is near impossible to see what the phone has for capabilities - beyond a set of hardware specs.
I think that the Apple software and supporting software infrastructure would have propelled even an inferior piece of phone hardware into a rapid growth, industry disruptive technology mode. Look at the iPod: the iPod is not the best music player, but DOES provide the best user experience in managing music.
Blackberry's email/calendar server is the thing that drives the massive corporate Blackberry market, not the clunky RIM hardware. The BB handhelds do what they do very well ( just not the prettiest ).....things like dial a number from a note (not even the contact list), and recognize that the number has an extension, so it waits, then dials the extension - all without user intervention. Software, not hardware.
With the pending rumors of massive capability upgrades to Apple's .Mac backend software infrastructure to support the next gen iPhone, all the hardware-centric manufacturers take another giant leap backwards. Push email, calendar syncing, appointment management across teams, etc., and the same with corporate integration with Exchange and Domino email platforms, and you have the makings of another major disruption to the mobile platform space.
If the mobile blog sites would only understand this, then maybe this would be apparent to the hardware manufacturers, and we'd get some competition. As it stands, everyone is playing catchup with the new kid, who blew right past them by understanding the mobile ecosystem, and not just the point solution.
u like using big words dont u
Great post, I agree with you 100%. The issue at hand is the software=hardware relationship, and which mostly lies in the hands of Microsoft and Apple developers. I believe Google will prevail this issue - they have the resources to pull it off, and so far from what Ive seen (I'm not a developer by any means) a decent interface, Android. I hope this is available soon.
Your post was very well-written and the content was dead on. Talking about the iPhone, since its release, every manufacter is trying to mimic the form factor. They do not provide it was fast enough processors nor do they tinker with the screen so it is as responsive. Their interfaces do not optimize on the form factor, either. You said it perfectly, "As it stands, everyone is playing catchup with the new kid, who blew right past them by understanding the mobile ecosystem, and not just the point solution."
But if we're making direct comparisons to the iPhone, you must concede that they went for form first, then they worked on the software front. For is initial release, it did have the usual Applesque great interface, but the updates are what made the capable device it currently is. To that end, it seems as though manufacturers are stuck at try to get the form right, e.g., haptic support, good touchscreen, etc...before it works on perfecting the software. Apple got the form correct for the go (although I guess hatpic would've been nice) allowing it to work on functionality.
...for some reason, I'm likening this to Maslow's hierarchy in my mind where we need to provide for the rudimentary needs first then improving from there. But yeah, it does just seem to a hardware-contest.