E’ un sondaggio di Fortune. Sembra che lo Xoom sia bramato dall’1% degli intervistati (1% è anche la percentuale degli intervistati che prende lo stipendio da Motorola), mentre ben il 2% delle persone desideri ardentemente un PlayBook: RIM teme già di non riuscire a star dietro alla domanda. E io proprio non capisco perché RIM avesse intenzione di fermare la produzione del PlayBook.

Techinch spiega perché l’iPad può essere paragonato in qualche modo al microonde: in sintesi, non faceva nulla che non si potesse già fare con il forno e per questa ragione gli americani si domandavo se fosse il caso di acquistarlo o non si trattasse di un di più.

In 1967, American consumers were introduced to the new, must have item for their kitchens: the microwave oven. This device, manufactured mainly by defense contractors such as Raytheon due to their expertise with magnetron, the device that generates microwaves in a radar system or microwave oven, was now supposed to be a fixture in every home, restaurant, and more. It could heat food faster, use less energy, and be less likely to burn your house down than a traditional oven. And it cost just under $500. What more could you ask?
Actually, there was a lot customers could ask. First, why in the world do you need yet another way to heat food? Kitchens already have an oven and range, plus perhaps a toaster, waffle iron, or a grill on the back porch. And the coffee pot can keep coffee hot anyhow. Do you really need another oven? Plus, surely it won’t work quite like an oven, or quite like a stove. It’s like something in the middle. How could we need that? […] But, wonder of all wonders, people started buying microwaves and using them regularly. In the store, a microwave didn’t seem like a must-have item to many, but once you incorporated it into your daily life, it was irreplaceable.

John Swansburg di Slate odia il suo iPad: crede che non abbia portato con sé nessun beneficio significativo che ne giustifichi l’acquisto. A qualcosa è servito, come a navigare comodamente in rete stando sdraiati, ma questo qualcosa è troppo poco.

Quindi chiede, su Slate appunto, se ci sia qualcuno che riesca a convincerlo di non aver sprecato 600 dollari.

I admit that I bought my iPad for the wrong reasons. I got one because it seemed like everyone I knew had gotten one for Christmas and, well, I felt left out. I didn’t think about how it would fit in with the gadgets I already owned (laptop, Kindle, iPhone), and I didn’t borrow a friend’s and take it on a test drive. Now I just feel annoyed, having spent $600 on a device that hasn’t done anything to improve my life. A salad spinner would have been a better investment, and I don’t even eat that much salad. […] Typing on the thing is beastly, rendering the device useful only for consuming, not composing.