Monday, November 5, 2012

Feeds and Speeds aren't the ONLY criteria !

Comparing hardware "Feeds and Speeds" (and cost) should NOT be the only criteria buyers use in choosing a device. Microsoft has priced their new 10" 16GB Surface tablet to be the same ($499) as an Apple iPad, or a 16GB Google Nexus 7 costs less ($249 versus $329) than an iPad Mini. Vendors compare hardware specs when that's all they have to compare.

After 35 years in technology, an early rule I learned was to "find the right SOFTWARE, then purchase whatever hardware that software runs on". Occasionally, you have to make choices and trade-offs. For example, Microsoft offers Office 2013 (Word/Excel/Powerpoint only) free with the purchase of their Surface RT tablet (and the Surface's keyboard is $100 more). The tradeoff? While a Surface with Windows RT looks like Windows 8, it won't run ANY older Windows XP/Vista/7 applications, and therefore can't be considered a PC/laptop replacement. If Word/Excel/Powerpoint 2013 is ALL you currently expect to do, then a $599 Surface RT with keyboard is fine.

The bottom line is that the value of Apple's app and content ecosystem is superior to that of its competitors selling less expensive or even comparably-priced devices with their own ecosystems. iPad mini is more than just the sum of its hardware.

http://www.zdnet.com/ipad-mini-is-more-than-just-the-sum-of-its-hardware-7000006354/

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