Why the Digital Revolution is Missing the Big Picture

[Hellmark]

You crazy coffee addicts!

By the way, I'm a he, or at least that is what the stuff hanging between my legs suggests.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Sure....but they're not as tech savvy was my point. My parents are retired and only in their late 50's to early 60's and while they're into music, movies, reading etc., they're not into mp3 players, online stuff etc.

Some in that age group--and even older--certainly are. But you can't make any argument that older generations are a huge chunk of any tech market.

I agree with the logic behind dedicated devices sticking around for awhile. But your assuming that tech-savviness goes along with (and drops off because of) age is a wrong assumption. Assuming older people can't and don't want to mess with new tech is the equivalent of saying "white men can't jump."

(Your idea of the "tech market" and mine might be different things, of course. My idea includes consumer electronics like TVs, stereos, DVD players, answering machines, GPS devices, etc... all of which have a healthy penetration into the senior market already, even as all of them become more complicated every day. But as they do, interfaces and controls become more simplified, thanks to better design, making these devices easy to use even by novices.)

Older people traditionally do not tend to be "bleeding edge first responders," but they are still interested in technology. And people at any age can learn to use whatever they want to learn to use. My parents, both past seventy, regularly spend time on their PCs, where they transact business and use entertainment media, including reading my novels on Acrobat. They carry cellphones and use them regularly, in my father's case to the extent that I can almost never get him on his landline anymore! They used computers daily in business, and they aren't afraid of them. And they don't need to call up their kids or grandkids to ask about "how e-mail attachments work," or how to "write an Acrobat paper." They learned on their own, and they know what they're doing.

Oh, yeah: My dad can whip my a$$ in Wii bowling, tennis, and golf. Standing or sitting in his easy chair.

You're also assuming that tablets will be and will remain so uber-complicated that only a die-hard geek would want to use them, while dedicated readers will be drool-cup simple to use. Based on the development of technology, this isn't likely to be the case. Sure, there will be complicated apps and set-ups for many devices and computers. But we are also seeing devices like netbooks that are pretty-much all set out-of-the-box, requiring no effort to figure out, and no need to fiddle with. As time goes by, we are much more likely to see more devices like this than of more complicated computers.

We are also more likely to see the dedicated devices take on more features, to attract more consumers, and become less "dedicated." I know this sounds counter to their intent, but this is what we tend to see in consumer electronics development, and I see no reason to expect dedicated devices to be any different. Those features will mostly be book-related at first (better organizing, searching, referencing, clipping and saving, etc), but more will come later. Even a Kindle isn't fully a "dedicated" device, as it also plays MP3s... there you go.

Older penetration into dedicated devices hasn't happened yet... but then again, penetration into the overall consumer market hasn't happened yet either. This isn't an age issue, this is a marketing issue, and until the device sellers begin to market to that segment, you can't say that they can't or won't use a device that they're not really aware of yet (Oprah notwithstanding).

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Juliette

For me, it's the opposite- I like that, with a Reader/liseuse, I can read books without having people peeping at me because I'm reading something with an "outrageous" cover (for their tastes!) or of a genre they despise. It's not the ultimate private experience with reading, but almost.

I agree wholeheartedly. Quite frankly, I was starting to get a fed up of people commenting my reading material all the time, and my reader certainly helps with that. I was just commenting the same thing to my husband last night. As a grad student, I get a LOT of snooty comments from my peers when they see me reading children's books, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Manga, basically anything that isn't a "classic", written in latin/greek/german, or related to my field of study. Not that I let other people influence my reading habits, mind you, but it is nice to be able to read something in peace without people staring at the cover of my book and commenting on it.

On another note, as an ex-pat my reader has been a life-saver. Where I live, imported books cost 2-3 times the amount they would cost otherwise, and I really don't have many books to choose from as it is. My reader offers me the freedom to read what I want without having to pay shipping costs and having to wait several weeks for my book orders to arrive. Also, I find reading books off of a reader much more pleasant than say reading a paperback novel, especially mass market paperbacks. I still would consider reading a hardback novel more pleasant than reading a book on my reader - that is, if I were reading at home. If I had to stick that hardback novel in my purse and carry it around all day I would probably curse myself for not getting the e-book version. So, although pbooks have their charm, I find ebooks much more practical for me. I do, however, at times have trouble finding books in foreign languages, and would like to see the market expand more in that direction.

Sorry for the long post, I guess I got a little carried away!

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I notice the original article, which was taken down for being "too early," and reportedly coming back on Monday... isn't back yet.

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Sorry for the long post, I guess I got a little carried away!

Long post?

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Quite frankly, I was starting to get a fed up of people commenting my reading material all the time, and my reader certainly helps with that.

It has been conjectured that this is the reason why erotic fiction is the most popular genre on Smashwords. Ebook devices have finally made it possible to consume socially unacceptable material in public. Yay!

[zerospinboson]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

It has been conjectured that this is the reason why erotic fiction is the most popular genre on Smashwords. Ebook devices have finally made it possible to consume socially unacceptable material in public. Yay!

BooksonBoard hardly advertises anything else these days in their emails.. Frankly, it sort of annoys me that they assume everyone will want to read it just because 'lots of people do'. That they tried to force-feed me TLS is bad enough, but it seems it's just part of a trend.

[kennyc]

TLS ??

agree about the Romance/erotic...not my cup of tea.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Long post?

Actually, it took me a while to type it and I felt like I was really rambling on, it was only after I actually posted it that I realised that it really wasn't that long at all.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

(Your idea of the "tech market" and mine might be different things, of course. My idea includes consumer electronics like TVs, stereos, DVD players, answering machines, GPS devices, etc... all of which have a healthy penetration into the senior market already, even as all of them become more complicated every day. But as they do, interfaces and controls become more simplified, thanks to better design, making these devices easy to use even by novices.)

Yep, those would fall in line of simple to use devices like the Kindle etc.

Again--I'm talking tablets like the Microsoft Courier concept video etc. Those are really aimed at the younger, business/professional crowd. Those devices aren't going to catch on among the older, retired crowd as they just don't need all those work related functions.

Maybe a simpler to use multi-media tablet that's just focused solely on video, books/magazines/newspapers, and light web browsing would take off in that crowd.

But not some full featured tablet with note taking abilities, PDA functions and all that other business stuff.

That's what I was getting at with my posts. Those type of tablets aren't going to supplant dedicated readers. Maybe some simpler, multi-media tablet can though.

And again, I never said that older people CAN'T be very tech savvy. Just that a smaller proportion of them are vs. younger generations. You're in a losing battle here trying to argue demographics with a social scientist.

There's a reason iPod adds feature younger people. Companies know that while the older crowd does buy and use their gadgets, the younger sets are their bread and butter--and that increases with the more complex a gadget gets.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

And again, I never said that older people CAN'T be very tech savvy. Just that a smaller proportion of them are vs. younger generations. You're in a losing battle here trying to argue demographics with a social scientist.

There's a reason iPod adds feature younger people. Companies know that while the older crowd does buy and use their gadgets, the younger sets are their bread and butter--and that increases with the more complex a gadget gets.

Oh yeah? I saw this iPod add with a guy jinking along in his walker...

oh, wait. That might have been something else...

Okay, sure, younger people buy more tech. Younger people buy more everything (except maybe preparation H). Is that really an age issue... or a marketing issue? After all, no one is marketing iPods to the older crowd, despite their ease of use by anyone. Selling to young people isn't because they are more savvy anything, it's because they are more likely to respond to meaningless ads promising sex and hipness, and buy junk. Being more susceptible... that's what makes them marketers' bread-and-butter.

[dmaul1114]

That's a fair point.....I guess.

But I'm sure marketing research has shown companies that it's just not worth spending the money to go after the geriatric crowd. Especially with more complex tech gadgets as they just aren't as enmeshed in technology on AVERAGE than younger generations who have been playing video games, using computers etc. pretty much their whole lives.

In a generation or two, it will be a moot point as even the oldest set of the population will have grown up that way.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

That's a fair point.....I guess.

But I'm sure marketing research has shown companies that it's just not worth spending the money to go after the geriatric crowd. Especially with more complex tech gadgets as they just aren't as enmeshed in technology on AVERAGE than younger generations who have been playing video games, using computers etc. pretty much their whole lives.

In a generation or two, it will be a moot point as even the oldest set of the population will have grown up that way.

I've seen a number of surveys that say the "older crowd" is online more than most. They have more time to do it and and use the internet to keep up with their kids, grandkids, etc.

I think you are bit biased in your position/thinking here.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

But I'm sure marketing research has shown companies that it's just not worth spending the money to go after the geriatric crowd.

Exactly right: It's about money, not age or ability. And as they've established that the young are more susceptible to their selling tactics, why waste money on any other group? (Hint: You don't see them marketing iPods to commuting dads or soccer moms, either.)

Singling out groups for the wrong reasons is part of the misinterpretation of the big picture. We shouldn't fall prey to it, because it will only slow the development of e-books in a misunderstood market.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I've seen a number of surveys that say the "older crowd" is online more than most. They have more time to do it and and use the internet to keep up with their kids, grandkids, etc.

I think you are bit biased in your position/thinking here.

Sure, the internet has caught on across all demographics. As have Kindles, GPS etc. That's a far cry from something like a complex Tablet build mainly for business use.

And I could find plenty of surveys showing older crowds to be less interested in mp3 players and other tech gadgets than younger crowds.

People are over reading my statements. Older people are LESS likely to use or be interested in complex gadgets. Some will use even the most complex, and use goes up with simpler/more prevalent things like DVD players, surfing the net etc. vs things like MP3 players, PDAs, smartphones etc. that are more complex and don't fit the needs/interests of the older set as much as the younger--with some exceptions.

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Exactly right: It's about money, not age or ability. And as they've established that the young are more susceptible to their selling tactics, why waste money on any other group? (Hint: You don't see them marketing iPods to commuting dads or soccer moms, either.)

Singling out groups for the wrong reasons is part of the misinterpretation of the big picture. We shouldn't fall prey to it, because it will only slow the development of e-books in a misunderstood market.

I don't think it's marketing. Are you saying MP3 players suck and young people are just stupid and fall for the marketing.

It's just they're a device that the older crowd has less interest in, thus they aren't wasting their time marketing to them when not many are going to buy it in that demographic vs. younger crowds.

They aren't avoiding targeting ads at the older set because they are wise and don't fall for hype. They're avoiding it as research has shown them that it's not worth the money as there's not enough interest in the device at that age group.

The same would be true for a Tablet device. If you don't need it for the work related functions--PDA, reading and marking up PDFs, textbooks, technical manuals etc.--then it's really something that should have no appeal to you. Thus not much need for a retiree to have one vs. a Laptop and a Kindle.


Other gadgets like the Kindle, GPS devices, DVD players etc. have broader appeal and ads don't focus just on the younger crowd but are more general as they have broad appeal across all ages (beyond children).

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Sure, the internet has caught on across all demographics. As have Kindles, GPS etc. That's a far cry from something like a complex Tablet build mainly for business use.

And I could find plenty of surveys showing older crowds to be less interested in mp3 players and other tech gadgets than younger crowds.

People are over reading my statements. Older people are LESS likely to use or be interested in complex gadgets. ......

I don't think it's marketing. Are you saying MP3 players suck and young people are just stupid and fall for the marketing.

It's just they're a device that the older crowd has less interest in, thus they aren't wasting their time marketing to them when not many are going to buy it in that demographic vs. younger crowds.

They aren't avoiding targeting ads at the older set because they are wise and don't fall for hype. They're avoiding it as research has shown them that it's not worth the money as there's not enough interest in the device at that age group.

The same would be true for a Tablet device. If you don't need it for the work related functions--PDA, reading and marking up PDFs, textbooks, technical manuals etc.--then it's really something that should have no appeal to you. Thus not much need for a retiree to have one vs. a Laptop and a Kindle.


Other gadgets like the Kindle, GPS devices, DVD players etc. have broader appeal and ads don't focus just on the younger crowd but are more general as they have broad appeal across all ages (beyond children).

I still don't agree with your reasoning and simply don't think it's true.

If you have the surveys and the marketing research that support your claims, then please, let's see it.