Comments on: The medium is the question http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/ Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:15:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.15 By: Kim Batchelor http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-19441 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:26:55 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/#comment-19441 Without conducting a qualitative research study with iPad owners, for me, this article poses more questions than it answer. I could use myself as a case study. Technical problems may be one explanation; I'm having trouble downloading issues from one magazine I take because the instructions for existing subscribers have been so inadequate. I don't know how many people have or will expand what publications they acquire. I did buy the first New Yorker for iPad, a magazine I don't take because it comes so frequently. I'd be happy to subscribe to the magazine if I could choose which issues to download. (I'd recommend buying as much storage capacity as you can afford as it fills up quickly.)

Another issue regarding mobility is 3G or not 3G. I may have missed where the researchers stratified those with 3G and those without, which makes a big difference. I didn't buy the 3G version and access to WiFi at work has been an obstacle that I've only recently resolved, which caused me to stop taking the iPad to work since my access to WiFi was limited to a short trip on a train.

]]> By: Christi Goddard http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-19439 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:39:34 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/#comment-19439 There are plenty of technical people out there, but many of the people I know are searching for simplicity. So many other things in life are just too complicated, and the more complicated a thing becomes, the less likely they are to be attracted to it. It's easier to pick up a book and open it at the bookmark than it is to turn on a device, scroll through menus, adjust for glare, etc.

Then again, I'm old school. I just got a cell phone this weekend. I didn't WANT one. It was foisted on me. I have a desktop with two monitors. I don't like laptops, no matter how many of my friends have turned in their PCs for a portable one. I doubt I will break down and get a gadget to read my books until a day comes where it's not possible to buy it from a shelf. So -basically- my opinion is pretty darn biased. :-)

]]> By: jseliger http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-19437 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:19:32 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/#comment-19437 First, hearing that the device is not a mobile device for most people changes how developers and content providers should be thinking about their material.

This doesn't actually surprise me that much: based on observing myself and others, I think that most people using laptops don't actually take them out that much. Most people, I suspect, mostly use them at home or at work. This is one reason I find laptops somewhat overrated relative to desktops.

The second reason I suspect the device is not a really mobile one for most people is that, at $500, the iPad is still too expensive to be casually mobile: if I had and lost one, it would really hurt. Compare that to a standard book, which costs $5 – $20 or so: I don't want to lose it, obviously, but it wouldn't be catastrophic if I did.

]]> By: SWK http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-19436 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:16:17 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/10/the-medium-is-the-question/#comment-19436 This is a very interesting point and well explained. Thanks, Michael! – Stasia

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