I browsed though Yodobashi camera today on my way home, because I am curious what the Japanese personal electronics market has to offer. I got to see a few nifty things that we do not have in the United States, but I noticed a few things.
Stuff is expensive here. It is suprisingly common to see a $2,500 laptop for sale. I dont think that Yodobashi is a deal store, however its certainly not a boutique. All of the cameras... were extremely pricy. The absolute cheapest camera, was flippin 150 bucks!
So what caught my eye?
American stuff. I am in Japan, in a HUGE electronics store, and you know who manages to catch my eye?
Stevie J. Thats right, Steve Jobs. I have issues with many of the things that apple does, I dont like the user interface of the OSX operating system, and I do not like the Ipone. The Iphone sucks to type on, I dont like it to dial on, I think its... just not a very good phone. You know what I love though?
The Ipod touch. Gimmie gimmie gimmie... I want one. The Iphone seems to have put media playing way ahead of what I want out of a phone. I want it to be quick, easy to use, easy to dial, comfortable to hold, with long battery life, and durrability. Its none of that. The touch though, is the single easiest to use, best sized, lightest, best screened, awesome media player.
My idea situation? A phone with a keyboard for emailing, phone calls, EVDO, and bluetooth. Then, an Ipod touch like device, with bluetooth, for media playing. When I want a communication device I can use the phone. When I want an entertainment device, I can take the Ipod touch like device along with me to do web browsing, music, movies, etc. With a bluetooth connection, you could theoretically tether the device with the phone, and use it for web browsing, which it is awesome at.
Why do I want it like that? Redundancy. I dont want my music or movie player to kill my phone's batteries. My phone is my lifeline should I get into a car crash, get robbed, or be stranded in an elevator. My phone should be plastic, and durrable. It shoudl allow me to communicate at all times, and never crash, EVER. My current pocket pc crashes, and that is inexcuseable. I find that phones that run complex operating systems like Iphones, PocketPCs, Treos, all crash. I get phone calls that ring, I hit answer, and it doenst answer. Happened on both of my treos, happens on my pocket pc, it makes me furious. Also, the fast processor required for these functions, eats battery life. Also, for a phone, I need instant ease of use. I want buttons. BUTTONS, you here my Steve? Tactile sensation! Its a phone, I have to be able to dial it in my sleep at all times, even if I am freaking out because I just got stabbed in the leg by a hungarian gangster. Phones need small to medium sized screens, and useable tactile keys. I want to be able to text, and e-mail. These are forms of data entry, that requires a keyboard, but not that large of a screen.
On the flipside of phones, if you want media, a phone does not cut it. You want SCREEN space. To browse the internet, to watch movies, to listen to msuic, you can use a total touch interface. It works, the Ipods have proven it, its awesome.
But what about convergence devices?
Eat me.
With a phone the size of a motorola Q, and with a media device the size of the Ipod Touch, there is PLENTY of room in my pockets for my wallet, keys, etc. I am certainly not afraid of things that small being bulky or heavy.
For hardware design, it seems that Apple is completely decimating its Japanese competitors for personal electronic design. The only company who comes close, is sony. However, many of their products seem like apple ripoffs these days.
Who would have thought that American electronics companies would outsmart, out design, and out engineer their Japanese competitors, and smoke them on their own turf? Also, if you told anyone a few years ago that it would have been Apple of all companies, people would have looked at you like you had been paid off by Woz in $2 bills.
Looks like where the Japanese stole American design in the 60s, and added reliability and value. Americans are stealing Japanese reliaiblity and value, and upping the design quotient.
Oh, and one tip. If you have an Iphone or Ipod touch, get yourself some sticky rubber grips for like e-grips. These devices have glass screens, and they are slippery and small. Do yourself a favor, and do everything you can to not drop it.
Sorry the post is not Japan related, but at the moment I am bored of writing about Japan :).
-Colleen
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