IPod Nation?

One of the side benefits of the Olympics here in Vancouver is I got a lot of time to take public transit.   More than anything that gave me a chance to watch our younger generations interact with their mobile technologies.

I had recently asked my senior IT team for advice on what we should be doing in terms of mobile platform development and replacement for our aging fleet of Blackberry devices.  As someone who typically carries an IPhone and Blackberry myself, I had assumed that there would be a resounding “IPhone or die” response and they didn’t disappoint.   However a few hours watching people on the Skytrain and various buses left me a bit more confused.

It seems that young Canadians as a rule have a much more varied view of the mobile computing world than we give them credit for.  While the IPod touch and IPhones were omnipresent, it seemed that our younger generation is more varied in their mobile tech that the TV ads seem to indicate.  For every IPhone there was a Blackberry or similar smart phone.  What really impressed me was the number of people who were sporting multiple devices.

On one bus I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer and sought their expert opinion.  While most loved the IPod/IPhone for music and apps (i.e. games), the touch screen interface just wasn’t good enough for typing and data entry.  For this particular group they actually were toting IPod touches, the latest Blackberrys and netbooks/Macbooks with USB cellular dongles.  That seemed like a lot of tech to haul around, but each individual had a valid reason for the diversity.

The IPod’s were acknowledged as the masters for music, something that everyone who has used one can understand (I personally have 5 IPods spread around with music playing at all times).  The IPhone was felt to be too expensive by most due to the high cost of data plans and the low “value” in comparison to the IPod touch.  With pervasive WiFi at most schools and coffee shops, the students felt that the high data plan/device costs were not justifiable unless you jailbroke the phones and could tether your laptop.  They all cited battery life as a problem as well.  Seems Apple hasn’t cracked the “all-day” nature of using the IPhone that most of these power users want.

That led to the Blackberries.  With a number of Blackberry curves, bolds and flip phones in evidence it was visible that when it comes to e-mail, Blackberry still does what it always has, deliver.  Almost everyone was in agreement that for basic phone and e-mail the IPhone just wasn’t a match.  Some of the savvier students acknowledged that they even used the Blackberries to type their notes in class because their teachers wouldn’t let them use their laptops due to the sound of the keys, something they felt wasn’t possible on the Apple products.  They all loved the Blackberry Twitter, Facebook, GoogleTalk and BB Messenger interfaces something that surprised me.  And while their IPods could do most/all of this, the interfaces didn’t seem as important as the continuous Blackberry Buzz to let them know something had changed in the world.

As for the laptops.  All agreed that battery life and weight ultimately trumped all.  While a few years back most would have went for a desktop replacement/gaming laptop, the modern kid is now more focused on weight, battery life and cost.  Most got by with basic WiFi but a number had dumped their home internet connections in favor of an omnipresent cellular modem that allowed them to access high-speed from everywhere.

Where does that leave us as IT managers?  Well, the answer is the same spot we always have been.  If you need reliable message delivery, the ability to type effectively, long battery life and a decent phone, choose the Blackberry.  Some of the staff may “prefer” the IPhone due to the cool factor, but what they really want are some of the apps and the ability to play music.

As for laptops, don’t underestimate the power of a netbook.  Laptops have their place, but if your users are truly mobile (and to be honest no one in business will ever be as mobile as a grad student), then take a good hard look at equipping your staff with a modern netbook and a cellular modem.  You’ll save money and make them happier in the long run.