Is H/W technology is the only technology?

A Watch That Sinks Under Its Features

But just throwing a bunch of trees into a pit doesn’t make it a log cabin. And Samsung, sooner or later, will learn that it can’t build a coherent device just by throwing features at it.

The Gear is a human-interface train wreck. All of it. The software design, user guide, English translations and design consistency. (“Be careful not to damage your fingernails when you release the buckle.”)

It’s true that David Pogue has been pro-Apple after Steve Jobs approached him.
However, before that time, he was not too pro-Apple.
Anyway those above two sentences are notable.

The article talks about “technology” which IT pundits or tech journalists in S.Korea miss.

In S.Korea, they usually regard H/W technology as “technology”. Therefore, they usually mention about how fast a CPU is, etc. We call it “spec-gil”
(In S.Korea, they also evaluate their students, i.e. their kids based on spec. specs for products, specs for students/kids. Don’t you see some common ground there? )

However, to make products useful, there are something more than spec. Although there should be some fundamental spec to achieve, just enlisting specs doesn’t make a product useful.

Moreover, nowadays even the slowest and cheapest H/W components tend to go over minimum specs for most use. If things are like this, “spec-gil” is not important.
What is important is for what purpose and why people are to use the products. Based on that they should determine proper specs and provide proper experience.

I think this is the BIG technology. S/W architecture and technology and H/W technology are not “the only technology”.

Apple-style or Jobs-style is about to contemplating for what purpose and how (and also why ) people will use a products on sturdy H/W and S/W technology.
Steve Jobs called that part as “Humanities”.

Of course, folks at Apple and Steve Jobs are also human beings. I mean, they are not perfect. ( and can’t be perfect. ) So, sometimes there are some functionality which feels awkward. However, what is important is, “they do contemplate.”

When you work for companies, if you “contemplate” on those, your manager will think, “Ah.. this guy is not capable enough. Because he doesn’t know how to implement it. so, he is thinking about it for long time.”

At Samsung Electronics and at Harris also.
However, at least at Harris, there was one man who saw that.

When Apple finally added “copy & paste” feature to iOS.
I remember that people made fun of Apple like this.
“MS introduced copy & past right into their OS. Apple took so long time to bring it. How stupid they are. They are not capable of making it.”

It’s not Apple folks who are stupid, but they are.

It’s not that Apple people didn’t know how to implement copy & paste.
Mobile devices are operated with fingers. Sometimes on one hand, people hold something. So, holding a device is not stable.
To make things worse, the part of screen you want to select are hindered by your own fingers. So, you can’t figure out from where to where you are selecting.

If you have used Palm or Windows CE devices, you will know what I mean. Especially for Palm, they used “pens” for interfacing. However, think about it. If they allow “fingers” it’s very difficult to make sure you choose correct or intended range of selection.
Although there are some devices which allowed “finger operation”, it was not easy to use because their interface for copy & paste was based on that of “pen based environment” or “mouse based environment.”

However, Apple people introduced a “magnifier” popped out near your finger. So, you can confirm if you are selecting range correctly. Also, they put a “controller” or a “handle” to make it easy to grab those handles to extend the selection.

Nowadays you will take it for granted. However, it’s not.
It’s like Columbus’s egg.

Technology realized really naturally is like that. After somebody shows it to you, it looks nothing special. You will think, “Even I can make this!”
Then try to bring your own “original idea”.
It’s very difficult.

If you have ever designed something, you will know what I mean.
Things others created look easy. However, if you decided to do it for yourself, then you will realize that it’s difficult.

If one is hard to think and hard to use, then it tends to be easy to implement.
However, one which is easy to use and feels intuitive is either easy to make or hard to make, but! when you tries to think of it at first, it’s strangely difficult most of the time.
But once you make it, it feels like even dogs and cows can make it.

We just need somebody to find the right balance of labor between the watch and its companion device — to figure out what a smartwatch should and shouldn’t be.

Those so-called early adopters and journalists who are paid by electronics/IT device, companies…. and fake experts, who just enlist specs and compare them…

Please open your eyes. And realize for yourselves.