The other day I popped into the Best Buy. It was the first one to open in the UK, and while its been open a couple of months now, its the first oppertunity I’ve had to go there.
I read tons of reports on the net when it first opened and while I’m sure most of it was just hype to advertise its opening, I was kinda expecting something different. But it was just a regular electronic shop. The layout reminded me of PC world, which is just round the corner up at lakeside, but with lots more variety in items. I guess its more like a Currys as it have kitchen appliances and vacuum cleaners and even electric bikes.
It was also my first chance to use an iPad.
I had to queue up with my sister for about 10 mins before one came free to have a play with. But when I did get a chance, I didn’t really know what to do.
I mean sure, there were games and other apps installed to try out, but thats about all you can do with a iPad in store. I’m not going to check my emails or anything in a shop. I’m not going to sit on a sofa and watch a movie, like in the adverts. I dont have any personal photos on it to view. The google maps or whatever isnt much use to me when I’m stood still in a shop, nor is the calendar or contact book. I’m hardly going to type up a documents or knock up a powerpoint presentation. And I’m certainty not going to download one of the who-knows-how-many apps or anything for the iBook store.
So after waiting for ages to give it a try, I realized that after 30 seconds or so, thats was all I really could do with an in store demo, so i walked off.
This reminded me of a conversation I had back at uni with Jamie. You really need to be able to take this kind of technology home to try it out for a week or so before you commit to spending £430 +. If its life altering and revolutionary like so many of the ads say, then after a week of trying it out, I’m going to buy it.
But with no way to know how useful its going to be, how can I justify such a huge cost? Am I really going to play game on it while I’m on the train. Or read a book on it before I go to sleep. Or watch a movie or check my email while I eat my lunch. I guess in reality I can do all that on a laptop that cots a lot less and does a lot more, but lets not there there right now.
So yeah, I really think these kind of devices need to be trailed at home first.
Of course, a system like that is going to be totally open to abuse. People would take them for a trial and not bring them back. Or it could take a tumble down the stairs, or stolen or something. So you would have to leave a deposit, properly a rather large deposit. Some people would proberly go form one store to another taking lots of free trials and never actually buy it. Another problem would be what happens to the triled iPads. I guess you would have a batch of iPads that are never soled and just used for trial purposes.
Ok, there a lot of floors that that solution. But how am I really going to know how much use I get out of such an expensive device from doing some very limited things in store. When you play a demo of a game instore, you get a rough idea of how the game plays. You try out a iPad (or iWhatever for that matter), and you dont really get a full experience.
