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Wow. I hadn't thought about that as much. True, developing for over two hundred different handsets is going to be tough - but I see it as the same as the old M

Wow. I hadn't thought about that as much. True, developing for over two hundred different handsets is going to be tough - but I see it as the same as the old Mac v. PC debate. The different software and hardware configurations of PC users is staggering. Truth to be told, it's something that will come up in any debate - depth and customization versus ease and simplicity. No way to move without making some trade-offs. I just find him dismissing the first option somewhat disingenuous.

MrFoof 16y ago
Well, the response from the TwitterDeck developer was essentially, "Steve, it wasn't that bad. Trust us." I don't think that extra effort/cost can be completely discounted -- or the two developers could've simply been phenomenal -- but it may not be so terrible just yet. However the depth and customization, overall, is of limited interest to most audiences. Actually, if you take any product, most people don't care about a lot of things. For instance, what might rub an enthusiast the wrong way about the changes to BMWs over the past 15 to 20 years (myself included), will attract a completely different set of customers. BMW sales are better than they've ever been, despite the enthusiasts moving to other manufacturers. Think computers -- people just want to buy a box and use a few applications with it... they don't care about the upgradability, they'll just buy a new one 5 years from now. iPhone simplicity is still... well, let's say it has a ways to go. I've seen the following situations in the past few months. * A friend confused on how to move her data from her iPhone 3G to her new iPhone 4. Problem? She hadn't ever synced her phone with her computer since she bought it. * Someone on the street, with an iPhone 3GS in his hand, asked me for directions. I instead taught the man to use the expensive device he bought to find directions himself. He was thankful in the end, but initially perturbed that I hadn't said "Oh, it's this way." Another thing of interest is the Apple Store was 2 blocks away. I'm sure he'll never set foot in there unless he wants to buy something. * I see people who hold the iPhone below their chin to talk into it, then move it back to their ear to listen to the other party. They repeat this for the entirety of the conversation. I simply find this behavior baffling. I can't even imagine what goes on with in-car entertainment and navigation systems, as some of those are horrible to begin with, and almost necessitate the use of a manual. Television carrier DVRs? Flashing "12:00" on VCRs? Fancy functionality with new televisions (i.e. widgets and such)? Trust me, much of it is for nought. A large portion of folks may boast that their X can do Y, but only the real enthusiasts use any real number of those features. Good design is hard, but its one of the most important things to get right, as long as your good design also includes the features people actually care about.

MrFoof 16y ago

Well, the response from the TwitterDeck developer was essentially, "Steve, it wasn't that bad. Trust us." I don't think that extra effort/cost can be completely discounted -- or the two developers could've simply been phenomenal -- but it may not be so terrible just yet. However the depth and customization, overall, is of limited interest to most audiences. Actually, if you take any product, most people don't care about a lot of things. For instance, what might rub an enthusiast the wrong way about the changes to BMWs over the past 15 to 20 years (myself included), will attract a completely different set of customers. BMW sales are better than they've ever been, despite the enthusiasts moving to other manufacturers. Think computers -- people just want to buy a box and use a few applications with it... they don't care about the upgradability, they'll just buy a new one 5 years from now. iPhone simplicity is still... well, let's say it has a ways to go. I've seen the following situations in the past few months. * A friend confused on how to move her data from her iPhone 3G to her new iPhone 4. Problem? She hadn't ever synced her phone with her computer since she bought it. * Someone on the street, with an iPhone 3GS in his hand, asked me for directions. I instead taught the man to use the expensive device he bought to find directions himself. He was thankful in the end, but initially perturbed that I hadn't said "Oh, it's this way." Another thing of interest is the Apple Store was 2 blocks away. I'm sure he'll never set foot in there unless he wants to buy something. * I see people who hold the iPhone below their chin to talk into it, then move it back to their ear to listen to the other party. They repeat this for the entirety of the conversation. I simply find this behavior baffling. I can't even imagine what goes on with in-car entertainment and navigation systems, as some of those are horrible to begin with, and almost necessitate the use of a manual. Television carrier DVRs? Flashing "12:00" on VCRs? Fancy functionality with new televisions (i.e. widgets and such)? Trust me, much of it is for nought. A large portion of folks may boast that their X can do Y, but only the real enthusiasts use any real number of those features. Good design is hard, but its one of the most important things to get right, as long as your good design also includes the features people actually care about.