The Apple iPad vs the Amazon Kindle debate rages on in the media and the blogosphere - with no end in sight.   The iPad fans proclaim that the Kindle is dead : it is no match for the rich, interactive, tactile interface of the iPad  - a superior, almost magical experience some call it.     The Kindle fans counter this view with well reasoned, rational arguments that list all the positive attributes of the Kindle - lower price, e-Ink display,  longer battery life, etc.   - and say that it is the perfect e-reader and will beat the iPad. So which side is right ?  Neither side  is -  the fallacy in all these arguments is that only one type of device can rule the market.   That is akin to someone proclaiming in 1984 - when the Mac was introduced that it would kill the PC  market or that the latest  DVD player from Sony would kill Panasonic.   Why is an e-reader different from these other consumer electronics devices ?   Isn’t this basic  Marketing 101 ?  Markets and consumers are not homogeneous - they are fragmented into many different segments - each one composed of different needs, tastes,  preferences, economics and demographics.

The debate over the iPad and the Kindle however also highlights another  very interesting and subtle divide in tastes, preferences and attitudes - which I think influences  the way  companies design products and the way consumers react to products.   I call it the left vs right brain divide. Now I do realize that the left and right brained model - called brain laterlization - while popular is not as accurate as was once believed. Current research suggests that the brain is far more complex than such a simple  model  suggests.   It is however still a very useful  metaphor in conveying the differences in approach - so keep this in mind when you read what follows.  You may call it the Analytical vs the Designer approach if you prefer.

The first thing that grabs you about the iPad is its beautiful design - it is a perfect mix of form and function in an aesthetically appealing package.   The genius of  Steve Jobs is that he has perfected the art of conceiving and creating products that combine beauty and functionality in a seamless, holistic way. The iPad is visually appealing, intuitive,  fun,  invites play and  exploration and appeals to the artistic, creative side in all of us.  Those are the same attributes that characterize the right side of our brains.  As per the popular theory  -people who are “right brained” are said to be artistic, creative, dreamers, better at art  and visual communication than math and logic.   So if ever there was such as a thing a s a  ”right-brained”  company - Apple seems to fit that bill very well - with Steve Jobs being the ultimate right-brained CEO.   His whole approach to design is to iterate till  ”he falls in love with the device”.    And the iPad certainly is a device designed to appeal to the right-side of our brains - and it succeeds extremely well in doing that.

Kindle on the other hand  is a device that  seems to appeal to the the proverbial “left-side” of the brain.  In  a reasoned,  detailed comparison of individual features  of the Kindle vs the iPad - it comes out ahead as an e-reader.  It is the engineer’s design for an e-reader - an economical, minimalist, efficient design that gets the job done. It is the rational choice for an e-reader. This is not surprising when you look at Amazon and Jeff Bezos.  Amazon is  well  known for its highly analytical approach to problem solving - driven apparently by Bezos obsession for detail and measurement.   So a product like the Kindle seems to be the perfect device that emerges from such an approach - it is the perfect “Left-brained” e-reader.

If you take this analogy further, you  will find “left-brained” thinking is dominant among many technology companies -  with Google being the prime example. Again not surprising considering most technology companies hire engineers,  and programmers - highly “left-brained” tasks.   In fact, Google exemplifies the pinnacle of “left-brain” thinking. Everything is measured and analyzed and split-tested with very little room for subjective design choices.  A designer who quit Google wrote in his blog “Google couldn’t decide between two blues, so they’re testing 41 shades between each blue to see which one performs better” !

So what is the point of all this ?   The runaway success of the iPhone and the iPad - seem to indicate that maybe some “right-brained” thinking may not be such a bad idea in the “left-brain” dominated technology world  ?

In an earlier post earlier post I countered the view held by many  that the iPad will kill the Kindle. I believe these two devices target different and  overlapping market segments and can coexist.

However, I also believe that the iPad is  a solution looking for the right problem to solve.  If Apple  can find the right  problem to solve with the iPad,  it  could take off like a rocket.  And possibly even live up to all the pre-launch hype and the  expectation of  many  that Steve Jobs would yet again change the world.  Wikipedia defines a Killer Application as :

.. any computer program that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology….  A killer app can substantially increase sales of the platform on which it runs.

In short - you buy the  device just so you can run  the application on it.  One of the best examples of a killer application was  Lotus 1-2-3  - a  spreadsheet program  for the IBM PC in 1982.  Businesses scrambled to purchase IBM PCs just so they could run Lotus and PC sales skyrocketed.  Before Lotus came along - the IBM PC was a  solution looking for the right problem to solve.  The iPad is currently such a device - there is no compelling problem that comes to mind that it can solve better than other devices out there.  So is there such a killer application for the iPad ?  I believe there is.  Actually, it struck me rather suddenly what such an application may look like and searching on Google I found at  least one company that makes it.   And they call it a  Vook.

So what  is a Vook ?   Here is how it is described on Vook’s website :

A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story.

You can read your book, watch videos that enhance the story and connect with authors and your friends through social media all on one screen, without switching between platforms.

(Quick disclaimer - I have no relationship to Vook and they did not sponsor this post )

Books  have essentially not changed since they were invented  in the middle ages.  The Vook - (which probably comes from video + book ) is trying to reinvent the book for the 21st century.  It is  a new paradigm in reading that offers a rich  blend of  narrative, multimedia and interactivity using all the great technologies we have today.  And the  iPad seems to be the perfect device for the Vook.  Why ?  It  offers all the capabilities a Vook needs - a great display,  high quality video, internet connectivity plus the most important one that makes it the killer application for the iPad  - the ability to snuggle up with a good Vook  in  your favorite reading chair !  The already immersive, interactive experience of a Vook will only be enhanced further on an iPad because it is portable and  you can  hold it in your hands and read it like a book.  It certainly appears  that it would be much more enjoyable than   reading a Vook on  a computer,  a  laptop or an iPhone.   My earlier points about some of the iPad’s drawbacks when used as a simple book reader  compared to the Kindle still hold,   but when used  as a Vook they become less relevant.  The benefits of the  rich multimedia experience  outweigh any such drawbacks,  So while I am yet to try  the  Vook on an iPad  - I will go out on a limb and say that the iPad and the Vook will be perect together.

Apple should forget about replicating the experience of the Kindle and other ebook readers and instead  license and directly integrate the Vook application into the  iPad.   It appears that the Vook already has an iPhone application - so it should be ready to run on the iPad as well.   It also appears that the Vook has partnerships with several major book publishers including  Simon and Schuster and Harper Collins.

In any case,  Apple should create some brand new compelling content for it in partnership with Vook  - maybe convert some classics and best sellers into  multimedia narratives. Imagine reading  Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland,  Pride and Prejudice,  The Civil War or  2001 - A Space Odyssey   - just to name a few - in a multimedia  Vook format with all the rich color illustrations, imagery, sights and sounds of these classics coming alive.    Or what about a non-fiction Vook on World history or  even Cosmos by Sagan,  complete with narrative, videos and sound that flow seamlessly  ?

The possibilites for rich, engaging content for children and adults that can be consumed on a portable reading device seem endless.   Even if  the Vook is  only half as compelling as it promises  to be - ultimately every parent would want to  have one of these for their children.     In any market segment,  particularly one targeting children,  affordability and pricing are of course key challenges  - but it could start as a shared device in schools or libraries until drops in pricing make it more affordable for families.    And let us not forget about the market for interactive fiction or non-fiction for adults - which  is also huge.   The potential  for both  entertainment and education is unlimited and  besides the  market potential it is also easy to imagine a new generation of children growing up with it.  And that surely  would make the iPad a device that does  change the world !

The last time there was so much hype about a tablet, was possibly when Moses came down the mountain with one made of stone !   Steve Jobs - who has almost attained the same legendary status in the tech world  - officially announced  the much-anticipated Apple Tablet today and it is called … the iPad.

The pre-launch buzz around this event was so massive, that when Apple finally made the announcement today, it was actually a bit of a let-down. Although the die-hard fans may not admit it - you could sense the disappointment in the posts on blogs and on Twitter.   The device is certainly beautiful, sleek and impressive, as all Apple products are, but is it truly revolutionary as was promised ? A few years back maybe - but certainly not today.    The first impression of many was that it is  a giant iPhone/iPod combination.  It  has nothing that we have not seen before -  there is no single feature that is truly groundbreaking.    Of course, when expectations are so unreasonably high it is not surprising that they have not been fully met. [Read more →]