">...working hard to make their devices easier to use--fewer steps, brighter and less cluttered screens..."
"...a trio of researchers watched through one-way glass and overhead cameras as a volunteer navigated her way through a prototype program...(they) monitored how many steps it took...to make the program work, how easily she made mistakes and how quickly she could get herself out of trouble. The results could be used to further tweak the program..."
Sounds like we're looking at Palm practicing its Zen during the development of a new product, doesn't it? Well, its actually taking place at Sprint/Nextel, and they aren't the only ones doing it. As an excellent article in CNET shows, American consumers are pushing back against the complexity of accessing the functionality of 'feature-phones' and 'smartphones.' In fact, a lot who went that route, are now going back to 'plain' cellphones, because they won't use anything that doesn't require the fewest possible steps, and isn't intuitive.
This is not philosophical to the Wireless Carriers...its a matter of dollars and cents (or pounds sterling and shillings):
"...the wireless industry needs (Consumers) to be comfortable with advanced features and actively use them. As the universe of people who want a cell phone and don't already have one gets smaller, wireless carriers are counting on advanced services to generate the bulk of new revenue in coming years. Consumers last year paid $8.6 billion for so-called data applications on their phones, up 86 percent from the year before, according to wireless trade group CTIA.
But they've also shown a growing frustration with how confusing those added features can be. A J.D. Power & Associates survey last year found consumer satisfaction with their mobile devices has declined since 2003, with some of the largest drops linked to user interface for Internet and e-mail services."
Funny, but these are specifically the areas that Treonauts and PDAddicts find most appealing about their wee darlins.
Yes, Garnet is old, the LifeDrive has some bugs and the Treo still has no WiFi. What they do have is the Zen of Palm...that lovely conceit that the coolness of a device is in how easy it is for the least experienced person to pick it up and make use of it. There is still no one who can touch Palm at that; and, I believe it will continue to be a competitive advantage for them in the coming years.
I know, the Q is sexy and skinny (has no WiFi, though..does it?), and HP is throwing out devices that have everything...BT, WiFi, GPS...even the kitchen sink. Its the same old story...their focus is on cramming every technical possibilty into their devices...not on the complete user experience with the device. None of them provides the simplicity and ease-of-use that Palm's devices do, and that is a fact being recognized by Microsoft, Verizon and (for a long time, now) Sprint. Does that mean that Palm is perfect? Hell, no! There are still some decisions that leave this Addict scratching his rapidly thinning scalp...wondering if its the water in California that is responsible for it all.
However, as this community of Addicts consistantly proves, it is devoted, demanding and LOUD. We will continue to cheer the folks at Palm, Inc. when they succeed (but still ask why they didn't do more), chastise when they flop (and tell them that it wouldn't have happened if they listened to us in the first-place) and generally push them towards being the best that it can be. After all, isn't that the definition of a modern marriage? Ahhhhhh, l'amour!