Before I begin talking about Palm’s future, I need to talk about it’s past and my personal history with Palm. As someone who used to have a blog about the Treo, Palm holds a very special piece of my technical life and in many ways was my first gadgets that substitutes computer-like activities. But like Scobleizer, I too have been doing a lot of thinking about why Palm didn’t get my money.

I was a huge fan of the original Palm OS, I admit that today the operating system seems rather dated but for the most part it was the operating system that started the mobile SmartPhone devices that we use today. Back in the early days, Palm could do no wrong and was an unstoppable force, it dominated the PDA space against some pretty impressive alternatives such as the Apple Newton.  They were also the first to open up there portable platform for third party development which lead to an incredible amount of apps for Palm OS.

Now I liked my original Palm III but it wasn’t until Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan (the original founders) left Palm due to 3Com politics to for Handspring. When the Visor was originally released, it truly was the best invention that I had ever seen mostly due to the concept of the SpringBoard module. I owned several flavors of the Visor family almost every SpringBoard module that was released (a GPS, OminiRemote, TotalRecall – Voice Recorder, MP3 Player, Bar Code Scanner, 802.11b, etc) including the one that changed it all: The VisorPhone! Looking back at it now, I must have looked like the biggest geek on the Street holding my Visor Prism to my ear plus a dozen other modules but I knew all of this on a portable device was the future. Handspring of course enhanced this concept into the Treo line (which built in most of the SpringBoard modules) as I moved onto the 270 and then the 600.

The Merger Occurs and Things Begin To Blur as a Third element enters “The Treo”

When HandSpring merged back with Palm to form PalmOne in 2003 while the OS division separated to form PalmSource, I had some concerns as Palm never really grew in those years but I still continued to use their products. I moved onto the Treo 650 and then the unthinkable happened, PalmOne gave me the option to buy a Treo with Windows Mobile on it when it released the 700w. This was an interesting point in time that was either going to transform Palm into more of a hardware company as it wasn’t only focused on it’s own Operating System.

I bought the Treo 700W, it took a while to get use to the new OS but I started to like it over time. In the meantime,  PalmSource was sold to a company named ACCESS Systems and never really did anything with PalmOS. PalmOne in fact bought full rights to the Palm name and eventually the Palm OS source code again. In that span of two years, the damage was already done as Palm already gave me and many others “the Bridge” to Windows Mobile. When the Centro was released, there was only a Palm OS option with rumors of a Windows Mobile flavor that never materialized and no other hardware roadmap in sight. This allowed many of us to explore other Hardware Providers of Windows Mobile such as HTC and Motorola. I moved onto a UT Starcom XV6700 and never bought another Palm device again BECAUSE THEY LET ME! (NOTE: I use Android today, I’ll get to that later).

Palm Tries To Reinvent Themselves (Again) but forgets it’s “Pre”quel

When the Palm Pre was released, it obviously caught my attention as I was very loyal to Handspring/Palm once but times had changed and so did Palm. Although Palm allowed me to shift to Windows Mobile and eventually to other hardware providers, there was a part of me that wanted Palm to win me back but they didn’t. Why? Mostly because this wasn’t Palm anymore, this might as well had been called a different company. There was no trace of the company’s past, no familiar form-factor and no backward capability to it’s old OS. Leaving all these great PalmOS Apps behind with no replacements nor a great Development Program at release is just STUPID!

On top of that, as a former (HAND/PALM) shareholder, I knew very well that their financial situation already was betting the House on this device (and the Pixi). Did I want to give my trust to a company that wasn’t the company I knew, pretended the past didn’t exist and was in financial trouble? Not really. On top of that, it was released on Sprint which admittedly I’ve never used but it wasn’t my (or work’s) preferred carrier. They had nothing that really gave me a reason to come back.

Also, everyone is making awesome mobile operating systems these days, so what makes Palm devices special compared to iPhones, Androids, and Windows Mobile? The only major revolutionary thing I saw with the Palm Pre was the Touchstone but that wasn’t a make or break feature decision for me, in fact I believe they spent too much R&D focus on this aspect of the product. The Hardward design for the Pre is indeed somewhat different, Robert Scoble believes that the small screen size was it’s major flaw, some others say it’s the slide-out keyboard. As someone who has used a mixture of form-factors, I never felt the small screen size was a major issue personally and would have no issue going back to one (before I went to my Motorola Droid, I owned a Samsung Saga which has a Treo-like design and enjoyed it very much). I did own a Samsung SCH-i730 for a soft time that had a Slide-Down keyboard absolutely hated that design though which also most likely weighed heavily in my decision to not with the Palm Pre as well.  Why I think Palm alienated it’s original customers, allowed us to move and didn’t give us enough reason to come back.

Does the Pre have a Post?

I hope so. I think it would be in Palm’s best interest to port it’s WebOS to a Treo and even Centro form factor immediately while considering a large screen format as well. My personal observation has been that the Pre is used more by Females that I know which certainly was Centro’s demographic. Removing the slide down hassle is a huge win. The Palm Pixi is somewhat similar to the Treo but I believe the 5-way rocker was a strength missing in the current design. A full screen format fills that last void whether it’s designed with (like the Droid) or without a keyboard.

It’s lack of 3rd party software and core secondary platforms is really a huge deal for Palm. This has been the Strategic difference for Android, Microsoft and Apple as they all are much more than a mobile company while having rather strong 3rd development support. I have always felt that both Palm and RIM would eventually be in trouble if they were not bought by a company that can tightly integrate these to other platforms. Android has quickly found it’s niche I believe due to all of the Google products, Microsoft’s Enterprise Apps (Exchange, Office, IM, Sharepoint, etc) have been a key to Windows Mobile and Apple used it’s iPod/iTunes as it’s roots.

I believe Palm’s future will be in someone else’s hands as in it will be acquired. Many will question who the buyer would be but I’m going to go out on a limb that Cisco will buy either Palm or RIM. Why? Cisco has a unique opportunity, they are both in the home with Linksys and in the Office with routers, vpns and desk phones. Buying one of these two companies could really bring Cisco Unity and telepresence to a whole new level for both home and professional consumers.

Can Microsoft Learn from this “Pre”quel?

I see so much of the same story between Palm’s time-line and what is going on with Windows Mobile it’s almost deja vu, the only major difference is that it has staying within Redmond’s walls the whole time. The reason’s why I chose to move to Android is not much different than those of why I left Palm. Microsoft has stalled with it’s mobile platform and it’s internal reorgs have been very much like the Handspring/Palm issues. In the meantime, I had the option of staying with my WinMo 6.0 Samsung Saga, upgrade to something Windows 6.5 or look at alternatives. When I saw the Motorola Droid and it’s push, I knew it was time to experiment. Windows Mobile 6.5 was not much of a jump so I decided to give Android a chance and maybe move back to Windows Mobile when 7.0 was released. Basically, Microsoft gave me a chance to move.

In the meantime, I see that Windows Phone 7 is not going to support it’s past apps and move to be more Zune-like. I have nothing against the Zune, I own one but it’s not Windows Mobile and it’s navigation UI is not very flexible. On top of that, they choose to not support past apps, which once again I believe was a huge mistake for Palm. So like Palm, they have chosen to start over and play catchup on 3rd Party apps when they didn’t really have to. You’ve alienated your past developers while hurting their customer-base which is your customer-base. In the meantime, you’ve positioned your new OS to “wow” the home consumer and downplay your Enterprise strengths. Microsoft, it’s not too late to correct some of your decisions, just look at Palm and see how it has worked for them…

Web 1.0 was the Web in its infancy, its first developmental stage. “Web 2.0” was coined by O’Reilly Media in 2004. You can think of it as the Web in its adolescence, full of energy and ambition with real meaning and purpose to its life but this month we have seen the formation when adolescence reaches puberty. A lot of changes happen as you grow up, especially as you reach puberty, the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change. I believe we are witnessing that time in Web 2.0. This is certainly not quite the stage, maturation, or evolution of the Web to be called 3.0 yet.

But it’s important to make a (somewhat artificial) distinction between Puberty and Adolescence. Most of us think of puberty as the development of adult sexual characteristics. These are certainly the most visible signs of impending adulthood, but kids who are showing physical changes (between the ages of 8 and 14 or so) can also be going through a bunch of changes that aren’t readily seen from the outside.  Web 2.0 is a slightly early bloomer compared to humans but these are the changes of adolescence.

Joking aside of the names in the title, the birth of the Apple iPad and Google Buzz are both very significant changes to the Internet. These tools both are built on the early foundation of where Web 2.0 began, social networks and the iPhone, but are intended to transform these concepts into new disruptive change. They are Strategic Moves for both companies even if they both have a rocky starts as we are seeing with the initial backlash. But I have faith that they will both grow up to be major new players in a year’s time.

The iPad may very well change the way we do things from a Hardware perspective. We may soon be using these on the Couch, in the Classroom and in Meetings. Many people struggle with their need today but I’m sure we won’t question the use of a Tablet 5 years from now.

Google Buzz may have seemed a bit underwhelming today as well but it too is extremely significant, it could be the first major Social Media Platform from an established company that does much more than Social Networking. Google Wave was an attempt to experiment with a Proof of Concept but putting Buzz inside of GMail means that Google is serious now. Yes, Yahoo has attempted to do this inside of Yahoo Mail but I believe that Google’s design has a better chance of being used. I admit that I am primarily a Yahoo Email user based on the fact that I have owned the account for so long but, in general, GMail users tend to be early adopters. Then there is the Android users, this is a utility that allows Google to excel where Yahoo couldn’t: Native Mobile Apps.

Unlocking the “Douchbag” Badge

Yes, just as in adolescence, there is still room to mature. The Foursquare “Douchbag” Badge says it all, Google and Apple would never have used those words as a reward and that’s a good thing! These companies will help add maturity and be sensitive to those who don’t get the joke that many may find offensive. The problem here is a fundamental one: Web 2.0 companies need to grow up if they want to play in the lucrative marketplace of business and corporate America. Insulting people isn’t the way to grow your business or fan base, whether it’s supposed to be light-hearted or not. Apple and Google understand this and won’t risk being too edgy! I usually am against Apple’s iPhone App Approval Process but it’s an example of maturity. Up until now, there wasn’t enough grown-ups with the kids.

What’s A Parent To Do? When HR & IT are your Mom & Dad

Keeping with the theme, I’m going to switch gears to focus on the view between Company and Employer as it’s equally important for these tools to grow. Many kids announce the onset of adolescence with a dramatic change in behavior around their parents. They’re starting to separate from Mom and Dad and to become more independent. Kids often start “trying on” different looks and identities which can result in episodes of distress and conflict with parents. I think many companies try to treat their employees like their children.

No surprise, there will be resistance to disruptive technology inside large companies. They still are struggling with change, they know they want to monetize from these tools but they are also afraid of letting their employees from using them. As we have seen this week with Forrester’s stance on controlling blogs and the news around the need to remove a LinkedIn Profile, companies just are afraid of insiders using these tools both for information leaks but also the threat of strong Personal Brands.

What Companies don’t realize is that grounding your children for no reason will not solve a problem. Employees will likely act unhappy with the tight boundaries that their parents place on them, especially when it something that they do after-hours such as Blogging or building a Personal Brand. Unnecessary strict parenting may cause them to run away from home. However, give them some room and they usually understand and need to know that their Employees care enough about them to expect certain things such as acceptable behavior and adherence to the rules of the house. If parents have appropriate expectations, teens will likely try to meet them.

Companies really need to look closely at how much room you give your employees to be an individual and ask yourself questions such as: “Am I a controlling parent?”  or “Do I allow my child’s opinions and tastes to differ from my own?”.

Respecting your Kid’s Privacy and Embracing Their Tools of Choice

Companies, understandably, have a very hard time with this one. They may feel that anything their kids do or use is their business. Using tools that weren’t issued within the walls of the corporation is a tough thing for HR and IT units to embrace. As a Chief Architect, I see and understand this struggle but I also see how long it takes organizations to get their internal tools up to date sometimes due to budget constraints and many other factors. Many companies will resist the use of iPads and other Tablets because every PC and SmartPhone is issued through them. Many companies still resist the use of Personal Email Accounts within their firewalls, let alone Facebook or Twitter. But if you allowed them to track your employees every move through access logs and GPS tracking devices, they’d be all for it.

My personal view, treat your employees like Adults. Let them use these tools to get their job done. Let them Blog with the understanding of what they can\can’t represent or talk about by creating reasonable Social Media Policies. If you notice warning signs of trouble, then you can invade your employee’s privacy until you get to the heart of the problem. But otherwise, it’s a good idea to back off and just treat them like adults.

We’ve heard the story many times now that FriendFeed is DEAD by our friend Robert Scoble and others. No surprise, the Scobleizer is saying it again today after Google’s announcement of their new product called Google Buzz. This new social tool marries the Gmail Web interface with status updates, geo check-ins and content-sharing technology in an attempt to convince the social media addicts to spend more time on Google’s sites than on competitors. They attempted to do this twice already with Wave and adding the Social Features in Google Reader but Google is attempting force this one to succeed by embedding this into the Gmail interface, one of its more popular products.

The Buzz Users, will be able to see all the content of other friends they follow while also seeing other content that their friends have “liked” or commented on. You can choose messages to be public or private including to separate groups that one defines manually. If this sounds very FriendFeedish, it is up to this point…

If you would like to hide certain types of Content, you can click on the “Not interested” button and it will attempt to hide similar content based on an algorithm (very different from FriendFeed). No surprise, Google is also a location-aware service into the mix as Google Latitude hasn’t took off as a stand-alone product. This allows users to “check in” by updating their Buzz status with a Google Maps link to their location, many say that this will kill the independent services and younger startups such as Foursquare and Gowalla. And soon inside of Google Maps for Mobile, you’ll soon see what’s Buzzing nearby from other people that have posted public content recently about that area. This is intended to provide relevant information such as restaurant reviews, traffic conditions, local events, etc. Like Google Latitude, sharing your location is an opt-in service and not on by default.

Here’s the problem:

Google has this too closely tied to Gmail

Unlike Google Wave, Google has chosen to embed this deeply into the fabric of it’s email service. Granted there are millions of Gmail users but not everyone uses Gmail nor do they want to. This immediately fragments the user base as it is doubtful that all your friends on Twitter/Facebook use Gmail today. There are many people use do not trust Google or simply have email accounts that they have had for years and have no desire for another account. This is almost a mirror-reflected project that Facebook will have trying to add with a full email service but a similar issue. This is proof that email is far from Dead as both battle for that Inbox, some will move or add another account but many consumers hate the fragmentation issues associated multiple email addresses.

No native integration of pre-existing services

Though Google has released an API set for Buzz already, they have decided for whatever reason not to import you feeds from Twitter, Facebook and other Social Sites nor have an easy way to locate your friends from those services. In other words, Google wants you to start fresh with only your Gmail Address Book and pretend the Google World is the only World in Buzzland.  That’s a very tough sell for many who has established solid bases in other sites. I’m sure that Google or an outside developer will create ways to blend these services into Buzz but it will cause Google Buzz to have a slightly slower adoption rate.

The Anti-Friendfeed

Google Buzz is quite the opposite of Friendfeed where I can link virtually ever site I’d like to my profile and feed. Google Buzz is officially a Walled Garden today. Yes it has the APIs but the average user just wants everything to be linked in a very easy manner on their profile, like FriendFeed. You can’t kill something that you are not, therefore Long Live Friendfeed and it’s Mob.

Where’s the Public Groups?

A Killer Feature for both FriendFeed and Facebook is the ability to locate Groups of People that have a similar interest in a topic to collaborate together without needing to be Friends. It may come later but I saw nothing that indicated that a Google Groups service was added to Wave. Creating both public and private Google Groups could have been a killer feature. For example, why couldn’t I create a Private Group for my Family that we could have a closed but mutual forum to simply keep family-related material private but have everyone in the loop? The same could be said for workgroups. On the flip side, I should be able to join a public group for fans of Android.

Lists and Suggestions

Twitter Lists have helped many not only organize people but help discover new people. Facebook also has a Suggestion Engine that helps discover Friends by who they already connect with. I didn’t see any of this within the Google Buzz demo.

What about Games and Apps?

I’m personally not a big user of these but I know many are inside of Facebook. To many, Farmville and Mafia Wars keeps them hooked into going to Facebook every day and is equally if not more important as sharing Messages, Pictures and Links. With 11 million daily players and counting, Farmville alone is a virtual force to be reckoned with. These ‘very addicted’ users will not migrate to Google Buzz any time soon and I think everyone has at least one family member or friend in this situation. Fragmented Friending is a major issue today, adding another social network just makes that issue worse.

Bees vs. Honey

I think Google Buzz has a lot of potential but for now it’s just added Noise to a Fragmented Social Internet. Personally,  I can’t stand Bees but I do like honey. The Content is the Honey! If Google Buzz can truly cut through the Noise and give me the best quality shared content then I’m there. If this become just another Social Network filled with more Buzzing Noise that I already can get elsewhere, I’ll just stand-by on my screened-in porch for now waiting for Google to improve the service.

Now that the dust has cleared, I wanted to address something that I’m surprised nobody is blogging (that I’ve seen) around the iPad because I think it’s rather obvious. I’ve seen many of people disappointed with that fact that a Camera on the iPad is not mentioned as a feature and yet that there is rather strong evidence that one almost made it into the device. Why would Apple do this? I’m betting that this was 100% strategic!

Is this an iPad Killer?

No, the lack of a Camera was disappointing to many consumers but I believe that the iPad will sell very well regardless of whether a Camera was present or not. Yes, this limits the potential applications and uses for the iPad but hardly is this a make or break of the success of the device’s core purpose.

So what is this Core Purpose?

That’s been a question that many have been debating in their articles but I believe that the ultimate answer is that the iPad needs to cover many types of needs. It needs to be a possible eBook Reader, a Casual Web Browser/Social Media Tool, a Casual Gaming System, a Video Player AND also be a productivity tool that can be used for Work and School-related activities. It essentially needs to be something that fills the need of a Work/Life Balance not much different than many view their Cell Phones.

OK, So Why is There No Camera?

I believe that the lack of a camera is so the iPad has a solid chance of becoming a universal productivity tool. Believe it or not, there are still many places that do not allow or highly discourage Cameras on Cell Phones. The ability to violate security — whether it is of individual, company, or classroom — is likely to have impact on where cellular phones and camera phones are allowed.

Many jobs within Government Services do not allow cameras due to breach of security clearance concerns, especially if you’re doing work for the Department of Defense. If you get caught with a Camera in these locations it is treated as a Federal Offense, not only do you lose your job, you lose your clearance and a lot of bad things can happen. The Government can impound all of your Computer Hardware at home because there is no way of telling if you took photos and then brought them home, then collect external hard drives, just about everything, not to mention you could go to prison.

Cameras aren’t allowed in courtrooms in many locations. So, in an age of heightened security and terrorism alerts, when officers are busy screening courthouse visitors for guns, knives and other potential weapons, they’re adding camera phones to their list of items to watch out for. Procedures for dealing with camera phones vary from courthouse to courthouse.

Many Schools have strong issues and policy concerns with Camera Phones. Cameras could be used to take photos of exams, take pictures of students changing clothes in gym locker areas, and so on.

I believe that Apple really would like to see the iPad be used in all of the above scenarios because the iPad certainly can be a valuable tool for all of them. The iWork demo solidifies that Apple really would like to have this viewed as a productivity tool and not just a cool gadget. Apple is willing to disappoint the Fanboys for the chance of selling millions of these devices to the Government or to businesses that have these security concerns. This is an untapped market that Apple may have a legitimate shot at capturing.

Newsflash: There is no such thing as the perfect device and it’s not all about the consumer

The nirvana of a perfect device is impossible. It’s not that Apple doesn’t care about its consumers, it’s that a device like this is not designed for one specific niche need. Note that I said consumers, not customers because there is a big difference there. A customer could be the US Government while a consumer is one single person (or sale). Because of that, sometimes you need to “dumb it down” to reach the wider audience. Has Apple served an open invitation to competition to fill the gap with their own product? Well yes but those devices will still be compared to the iPad now. Call it arrogance, call it Apple’s magic, but Apple once again set a bar that everyone else will be trying to reach. Will someone reach that bar? Most likely yes but Apple will simply move it again. You see, the iPad is not magical but the power of influence that Apple always seems to create is.

From this point on, Technology can only move forward and the iPad is a step in the right direction. You can’t have everything at once being a consumer even though we believe we deserve it. They held back on copy and paste in the iPhone for two years but it didn’t seem to stop sales. When the iPhone 3G released, they released it with a 2MP camera so the 3GS would look better when it came out a year later (the technology for a 3.2MP was definitely there at the time of the 3G release).

So what about the Future?

Well by not selling a version with a camera upfront, they obviously have left a place to grow the product line. BUT what it also does is cause potential double sales. The disappointed Fanboys are still most likely going to buy the first release of the iPad. Let’s be honest, they didn’t get what they exactly wanted but it’s still shows enough good stuff to make them drool. So next year Apple can easily release a new version with a camera and create a new sale with that same exact customer.

Steve Jobs is not a fool, he knew what he was doing by omitting a camera from the initial product line. The lack of camera doesn’t seem to be hurting the iPod touch sales by much. Based on that, I believe that there is so more upside to selling “cameraless iPad” units than by satisfying the consumer on day one.

It’s all marketing strategy that someone such as Apple has the luxury to do versus a startup. Plus, for the time being, it keeps the cost of the iPad down a little. Is it disappointing the individual Fanboys, of course but I believe the overhype was going to do that regardless of what feature was missing. If Apple ever decides to include one, that’s up to Apple and the camera rumors will continue to fly until that day.

So the rumors are over and now the chatter begins.  Apple officially announced their next major hardware release today and it’s called the iPad. What Is It? People are calling it a hybrid between an iPhone and a full laptop but in reality it’s much closer to the iPod Touch.

The new Apple iPad is an ultra-thin device that is a half an inch wide and weighs 1.5 pounds. It has crisp resolution, battery life of about 10 hours and lets users see Web pages in full screen mode and use virtually any app you would expect an iPod Touch to do (as it has no camera) plus GPS functions (in 3G version). There is a few 3G plans that appear to be exclusive to AT&T despite speculation that Verizon could have been a carrier.  It costs $15 for 250MB of data per month and $30 for unlimited datawith no contracts,  something Steve Jobs called a “real breakthrough” in pricing. The Wi-Fi-only iPads will start shipping worldwide in 60 days, with the 3G models coming in April.

Is there an App for That Device?

Every app that is currently on the App Store that works on an iPod Touch should work on the iPad. Apps designed for use on the iPod Touch and do not upgrade the code for the larger screen will only take up a small portion of the screen, or they can be blown up to full size with some visual degradation. There will also be iPad-exclusive apps, many were demoed and several will be preinstalled. I’m guessing that apps that work on the iPhone but not on the iPod Touch will not work due to the omitted hardware.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

So the good news is that the rumors can finally go away. Apple released a solid “new product” that I’m sure will sell very well. I doubt it blew many people’s minds but anything with that amount rumored hyped will ever satisfy the imagination. Whether this is a “killer” of any technology is yet to be scene but I’m pretty sure that you will see the iPad in many locations as a replacement for other devices people carry.

The problem is that this device is still rather limiting. Yes it can replace an eReader but eInk is nicer on the eyes. Yes it can replace an iPod Touch but which is easier to carry everywhere. Yes it can replace a SmartPhone’s Data Services, but it can’t replace a phone. Yes it can replace a GPS if it has 3G Service but is that realistic to mount in a car? Yes it can replace a laptop, assuming you can do all your work without full powered applications and don’t expect to multitask on it. Is the non-removable storage enough? Are you comfortable with App Store Lock -In and repurchasing apps?  So that leads to, what can I compromise from another device in order to justify needing another device. Or do I simply just carry another device?

But I’m afraid it gets worse! AT&T and Apple, the exclusive relationship that everyone expected to go away, DIDN’T! What’s this mean for the iPhone’s potential expansion is not clear but one thing is for sure, this wasn’t a good sign of that relationship changing. The move makes sense in some ways as AT&T’s GSM technology is in use world-wide but boy did we want to hear something different.

I give Apple credit, this device looks very nice and I can’t wait to play with one. But playing with one is a lot different that buying one and changing your habits to work around it’s limitations over devices you use today. So the question becomes, will you and millions of other people stand in line and say “iPaid”

Fake Steve Jobs today wrote a humorous piece that made me laugh but one phrase of the article caught my eye: “let the dark energy flow away”. It made me think, does questioning why we need something make us the bad guy? Is it wrong to be a critic to something that hasn’t been touched, seen or used by anyone outside of Apple’s walls? Should we all just be Mr. Optimistic? This is Apple after all which has a history of making successes in device types that others have failed.

Seriously, I’m not even an Apple user, but I wouldn’t go discouraging people not to buy something that I haven’t even seen but I will tell them not just buy on impulse. I believe Apple makes great “closed” products largely because they have gained the trust and satisfaction with almost every product that individual person has owned from Apple. I’m not a huge fan of the “closed culture” but it’s not fair for me to complain about something that I have not even seen yet. From what I here from macrumors.com and gizmodo.com this Tablet will be pretty awesome and will make many people want it immediately.

Will I buy an Apple Tablet, most likely not but I’ll never say never. I have a PC, a laptop, a Media Center and an Android SmartPhone already. Call me a dinosaur but my life is just fine with these few items as more gadgets can sometimes defeat the ultimate purpose of making life easier.. Do I see a need for something like a Tablet, sure I can think of several places that this form-factor would work but unless it fills a significant void that I can’t do with me other devices, can I really justify the price? Plus, we know there will be cheaper alternatives, there already are. We have become a culture of “want it and want it now”…even if it really doesn’t make life a whole lot better. For the most part I see the Apple Tablet being initially a success due to it becoming a Status Symbol. There will without a doubt be lines the night before at every Apple Store. For some, the will skip the mortgage payment in order to have a handheld device that you can manipulate with the simple touch of a finger.

If you want one because you have examined your needs, your budget and you can afford one or two, go ahead, because any ways it’s what you think that matters, isn’t it? But my advice is always wait and see, let Apple’s device speak for itself and then let other consumers wait in line and read their feedback.

Welcome to the beginning of TechYell. I am your host Mark Nielsen aka manielse on the Internets. It wasn’t planned to have a generic look at launch but I’ve spent way too much time trying to decided Logos, WordPress Design, etc that it was simply delaying the import stuff of a blog: the Content. You see, sometimes we are told that we need to do things in a specific order and that a launch should have an amazing splash but doing things in a serial order can lead to bottlenecks. Which leads me to my first topic:

What forces slow things down?

Upthrust - When you are trying to create something special, many of us have grand ideas and shoot for the moon or even farther. We see a big picture but the details are blurry as there are many choices that one could make. This is where many ideas are created because the project is pretty much just a thought, maybe a few wireframes and everything seems so easy like the idea weighs less than water. The problem with upthrust is that it can keep you moving in a direction that doesn’t move your project forward, it can create too many choices that causes information overload. You’re motivated to move things in the right direction but a force keeps you from grounding new ideas. I think many people have this issue, they have great concepts but never can put them to reality due to the desire to make something absolutely perfect on day one.

Friction - Another obstacle that happens often is friction which keeps you from moving fluidly. Friction wastes energy. Uptrust can cause Friction but this obstacle can come in many other forms. Everything in your environment can potentially slow down your productivity, the trick is to figure out how you can smooth your environment out or do whatever it takes to push harder. Friction starts with how you wake up each morning, how you plan your day and how you you handle tasks needing to be done. Poor planning and procrastination, wasted time and energy are given off instead. This is not say that you shouldn’t give yourself some rest and personal time, burnout is a pretty intense symptom of friction.

The most common other form of friction in projects is when two or more people disagree. I’ve seen this situation all too often where nothing moves forward because of disagreement. There comes a time where you need to draw a line in the sand and make a decision. The most difficult things sometimes is knowing that a consensus is not going to happen but a decision needs to be made. Don’t worry too much on this, most decisions are more insignificant than we make them out to be versus not moving at all.

Gravity - The fact is something will always be trying to holding you down. This could be a person, money, fear, ambition, other work, life and of course you can hold yourself back. The fatal law of gravity; when you are down, everything falls down on you. Whatever the cause is, you need to identify and determine ways to work against things pulling you or the project down. Man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders but he is not bolted to the earth. If you want a successful project, one must at all costs overcome the Earth’s gravity.

BANG!
So I’m jumping some of the bottlenecks for now, I’ll revisit them later and simply move forward. Despite the name, this blog is not just another outlet for me to rant and simply give my perspective of what is right, wrong and irrelevant. Surely I will give a fair share of my perspectives of the current and future state of technology but more importantly the goal is foster thought provoking improvements and great discussions. We all want to be Signal and not Noise, this isn’t my first blog but it is the first I’ve done in a while so bear with me. To be honest, I feel a bit rusty but the cobwebs needed to come off at some point, I decided to do that today even though I didn’t even have a clue what my fingers were going to type for a first post. But I knew I wanted to get this site started before the rumored Apple Tablet officially surfaces, so “Hello World!” for now.