It seems to me that it's exactly 'experience' of a gadget that has become more and more important, now that non-geeks are using them en masse. And more and more companies are finally realizing that.
Before, the 'consumer' didn't care that his computer was a beige box that required cryptic text commands to work. Now, in large part because Apple (among others) has focused on the 'experience', my grandma is using computers (a tablet, for now).
Before, I had friends ask me how important feature x was when buying an 'mp3 player', and advertisements focused on megapixels and memory and whatnot. Now, people expect their music player to be designed for ease of use, ease of syncing, and pleasant to the senses. I don't remember the last time anyone asked me about megapixels.
The 'only bit' Apple did with the iPhone, I'd say, was to change the way you interact with the device. Most individual components in themselves were subpar compared to other devices on the market, and I'm not event sure if the touchscreen was particularly innovative. And yet, it not only made Apple a ton of money, it literally changed in a short time how people relate to 'computers'.
Honestly, if I take a step back, I'm still amazed at how a company that focuses mainly on 'experiences' has played a crucial role in transforming society's relation to technology in such a short time. I still recall a time, not long before the iPhone, where I was self-conscious about using a PDA with a calendar and whatnot, because that was such a nerdy thing to do.
Even if you don't care that much about 'experiences' (I myself don't, to a degree, what with using the command-line whenever I can), it's difficult to argue that it's not important.
Before, the 'consumer' didn't care that his computer was a beige box that required cryptic text commands to work. Now, in large part because Apple (among others) has focused on the 'experience', my grandma is using computers (a tablet, for now).
Before, I had friends ask me how important feature x was when buying an 'mp3 player', and advertisements focused on megapixels and memory and whatnot. Now, people expect their music player to be designed for ease of use, ease of syncing, and pleasant to the senses. I don't remember the last time anyone asked me about megapixels.
The 'only bit' Apple did with the iPhone, I'd say, was to change the way you interact with the device. Most individual components in themselves were subpar compared to other devices on the market, and I'm not event sure if the touchscreen was particularly innovative. And yet, it not only made Apple a ton of money, it literally changed in a short time how people relate to 'computers'.
Honestly, if I take a step back, I'm still amazed at how a company that focuses mainly on 'experiences' has played a crucial role in transforming society's relation to technology in such a short time. I still recall a time, not long before the iPhone, where I was self-conscious about using a PDA with a calendar and whatnot, because that was such a nerdy thing to do.
Even if you don't care that much about 'experiences' (I myself don't, to a degree, what with using the command-line whenever I can), it's difficult to argue that it's not important.