I’m sort of stunned by how quiet the noise has been from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) so far. With the world so wired together via blogs, Twitter, and Facebook my only conclusion is that people are quiet because there isn’t much to get excited about.
These are tough times for the tech and gadget world of course. Certainly the down economy is a big factor, but I’ve got another theory as well: We’re already satified with the tech we have.
For most of the last 20 years or so, shows like CES were driven primarily by innovations in cell phones, computers, and televisions. In that time most tech geeks have ended up with very satisfying user experiences from our purchases over the last five years or so.
Flat-screen TVs are now standard. Just try buying a tube TV today. We bought our first one about two years ago. Our viewing experience is now larger and clearer than ever before. We love it!
Now the industry wants us to move that TV into the den and upgrade again so we can put on special glasses and watch soccer in 3D. Expensive new HDTVs that come with a need for expensive premium content channels from our satellite providers no doubt.
The problem for the industry is that we aren’t done being thrilled with our first HDTV yet. The experience is so much improved from our old tube SDTV that it still feels “new” every time I turn it on.
Computers too aren’t turning over as fast as they once did. Our computers have been more than fast enough to bring us the Internet for years now. It’s become the only reason many people even own a computer. But, for various reasons, including the explosion in mobile usage, the Internet doesn’t tax computer hardware very much anymore.
Basic $399 Dell PCs and even some $199 netbooks will deliver all of the video, music, and social media noise you could ever need. I wouldn’t try playing the latest game on it but it gets you your Email, your Tweets, access to iTunes, and plays back Hulu video just fine. In fact, If you bought your computer within the last three to five years, I’m guessing you’re still pretty happy with it. (Unless it’s running Vista)
In fact, when you look at it, mainstream computers aren’t getting faster. They’re actually getting slower so that they can also be smaller and cheaper.
That tells me they’re out of big ideas.
And while there is movement in the smartphone space most of it is simply other manufacturers trying to catch up three years after Apple changed the space completely when they announced the original iPhone. The iPhone has become such a standard, and was so far ahead of it’s time, that announcements from Motorola, RIM, and Google end up looking like “me too” moments bringing little new or exciting features to the table.
We’re still enjoying our iPhones just fine. Yes, the newer phone’s camera is better and yes the newer phone’s screen is richer, but, I’m into this phone. It does everything I need it to do. With such small steps forward in these other phones, the costs to switch just don’t seem worth it. Evidence that the well reviewed and capable Droid phones are already being discounted and the early word on the new Google Nexus One is basically that it’s a solid alternative to the iPhone.
Yawn.
And there’s the problem. Recent tech history has spoiled us.
The huge leap in the user experience we’ve just gone through in the last five years with our latest computer, HDTV, and smartphone buys have left us expecting to be blown away just as much again to justify spending thousands of dollars to upgrade.
At least at CES, it isn’t sounding like the industry has figured out how to do that just yet.
If you’ve waited to upgrade, if you’re unhappy because your tech is still from the 20th Century, well, you win!
Assuming you have any money to spend on such things…
