Time to Winning Experience
How many of you bought a first generation MP3 player? Not many. In fact, MP3 players from firms such as Creative only sold to young people and geeks who could figure out how to rip CD’s, steal music and load the player. It wasn’t that difficult but it definitely was Do It Yourself.
Then Apple comes along with the iPod. Elegant styling and cool features but what was really different was not the device but the service: iTunes. With iTunes, anyone could buy music legally as well as rip CD’s and load their player. As with all Apple products, the iPod isn’t a product but one element in an ecosystem that creates a complete experience.
As people wait for the new iPad, several competitors are making noises. Steve Ballmer showed a version of HP’s Slate at the introduction of Windows 7. Today, TechCrunch covered the WePad from Germany’s Neofonie and more are on the way. All the articles compare the specs to each other and to a very limited degree the content available.
These devices are meaningless without easy-to-use content. What Apple consistently does better than others is integrate hardware, software and content to provide a superior user experience. Stated differently, great engineering and UI’s are just the starting point.
Are you racing to create: a superior product or superior experience?
