4 ms·

1-minute demo / tablet pdf presentation Huh? Do people really do this? The last thing I want to do is demo anything about myself to a bunch of people hunchin

by edw519 16y ago

1-minute demo / tablet pdf presentation Huh? Do people really do this? The last thing I want to do is demo anything about myself to a bunch of people hunching over a tiny screen in a crowded room. Even Hacker News would look like shit, no matter how well you tried to pull it off. The next-to-last-thing I want to do is watch your demo, hunching with a bunch of other people over your tiny screen. I have enough technology back at the office. I came here to meet people and get get to know them. So just shake my hand, share some cool stuff with me, and meet me for a drink later. I'll remember you much better that way. [EDIT: Replaced "the Mona Lisa" with "Hacker News". Thanks, JshWright.]

JshWright 16y ago
The Mona Lisa might not be the best example... it _is_ a tiny picture in an (often) crowded room.
NickPollard 16y ago
I assumed he was referring to casual one-on-one demos later whilst meeting for a drink, rather than many people crowded in a tiny room. My experience of conferences is limited, but normally there's times when you're hanging around sharing drinks with people. It's one thing to say 'hey, I've built some really nice online calendar syncing software', it's another to pull out a tablet, load up your account in the calendar and quickly show him creating a couple of events and inviting people and get him seeing just how usable and fast it is. In fact, I think this, more than anything, is the 'killer app' for tablets - as Tim Bray said, they're a 'shareable' computer, and being able to quickly demo stuff live is invaluable.
swombat 16y ago
Actually, I'd argue that almost anything on an iPad looks pretty gorgeous. I do believe Kevin means demoing one-on-one. Novoda builds Android apps, so I guess he keeps screenshots and demos of those apps handy to show prospective clients.
- chomchom 16y ago
  Thats exactly what I do. Mind you, not usually within a crowded tiny room. Sometimes talk is just not enough to earn trust, people want to see evidence. A phone with the apps and shortcuts pre-installed is live demo hazard ridden but generally a tablet is a nice backdrop to conversation.
marshray 16y ago
Huh? Do people really do this? At some point in some conversation, somebody is going to ask "so, what are you working on?". You're going to end up trying to explain it one way or another. For some things, a quick demo is worth a thousand words. So it's not a question of 'if', but how much time are you going to waste futzing with your computer in the middle of a social conversation.

by edw519 16y ago

JshWright 16y ago

The Mona Lisa might not be the best example... it _is_ a tiny picture in an (often) crowded room.

NickPollard 16y ago

I assumed he was referring to casual one-on-one demos later whilst meeting for a drink, rather than many people crowded in a tiny room. My experience of conferences is limited, but normally there's times when you're hanging around sharing drinks with people. It's one thing to say 'hey, I've built some really nice online calendar syncing software', it's another to pull out a tablet, load up your account in the calendar and quickly show him creating a couple of events and inviting people and get him seeing just how usable and fast it is. In fact, I think this, more than anything, is the 'killer app' for tablets - as Tim Bray said, they're a 'shareable' computer, and being able to quickly demo stuff live is invaluable.

swombat 16y ago

Actually, I'd argue that almost anything on an iPad looks pretty gorgeous. I do believe Kevin means demoing one-on-one. Novoda builds Android apps, so I guess he keeps screenshots and demos of those apps handy to show prospective clients.

chomchom 16y ago
Thats exactly what I do. Mind you, not usually within a crowded tiny room. Sometimes talk is just not enough to earn trust, people want to see evidence. A phone with the apps and shortcuts pre-installed is live demo hazard ridden but generally a tablet is a nice backdrop to conversation.

marshray 16y ago

Huh? Do people really do this? At some point in some conversation, somebody is going to ask "so, what are you working on?". You're going to end up trying to explain it one way or another. For some things, a quick demo is worth a thousand words. So it's not a question of 'if', but how much time are you going to waste futzing with your computer in the middle of a social conversation.