Manage Subscriptions · Subscribe Now · F.A.Q.'s
HOME · Friday, May 16, 2008
Interviews & Profiles
Interview: The Future Of Computer Hardware
Riffware's Rob Witman discusses strengths of mobile devices, and future operating systems
By: Practical eCommerce Staff
Comments: 0
What sort of computers will consumers use to purchase products from ecommerce firms? We asked this to Rob Witman, the CEO and founder of Riffware, a provider of mobile software applications and other professional applications. Prior to founding Riffware, Witman was a Sr. Robotics Engineer at Evolution Robotics.
PeC: Practical eCommerce recently viewed an ecommerce site through an iPhone. We could hardly see the products on the webpage. As such, how can consumers use mobile devices to purchase products online?
WITMAN: The interface has always been the challenge on phones and I believe it will continue to be a challenge. The size of the screen is fundamentally at odds with the user's desire to have a small device that fits in their pocket. Zooming and panning definitely help, but it isn't the same as having sufficient screen real estate, as with a desktop.
The key with mobile has always been to recognize its limitations and advantages, and customize the experience accordingly. You mentioned that you looked at an ecommerce site. While the browser is pretty slick on the iPhone, it was still a challenge based on the size and layout. If you want a good user experience you need to create a phone specific version of your webpage at the very least. The best results come from custom client applications that are focused on that one particular task. It's a bigger investment, but we have seen time and time again that large brands are not pleased with the user experience via the web on mobile phones and choose to take the next step and actually develop a stand alone application that runs on the phone.
Another way of handling this issue is with familiarity. I don't really need to see the actual box art clearly to purchase Halo 3. I know what I am getting, and I just need to see that it's available and for what price.
PeC: What issues should ecommerce businesses consider when they attempt to appeal to users of mobile devices?
WITMAN: Focus on what you can do in the mobile environment and do it really well. You aren't going to be playing Second Life from your phone next week, but you certainly could be outfitting your avatar [in Second Life], dropping messages to other players, or reading notices of real estate for sale.
The first iteration of the eBay mobile client was a great example. The focus wasn't on searching or buying; it was on monitoring your current transactions. This plays to the strength of the phone, mobile access to information, while minimizing the weaknesses, visualization and user entry.
PeC: Five years from now, what percentage of total PC users will use an
operating system from Microsoft? Why is that difficult to project?
WITMAN: That's a pretty tough question, but I can say that it will be less than it is currently. The problem with being at the top is that there is only one place to go, down. It is inevitable that with the resurgence of Apple and the growth of open source projects, Microsoft's market share will continue to decline. However, even with the relatively cool reception to their latest operating system [Vista], Microsoft will continue to hold a significant majority of the total installed base. It takes a lot of activation energy for large companies to switch something as core as its installed operating systems.
From a consumer perspective, people are much more likely to have a PC (IBM-clone) in their home than a Mac, so you run into the same issue. Do I really want to throw out all my old data and games and start over (be it Mac or Linux or whatever) or do I just want to upgrade to the latest? That's an easy question to answer for most day-to-day users.
PeC: What new hardware devices do you foresee in the future?
WITMAN: Honestly, the last thing I want is another device sitting around my house. What I would like to see is further progress in device convergence and integration. What I want is a home computer that doubles as my media server and digital video recorder and is accessible from my phone, along with the rest of the home appliances. I don't need it to stream video to my phone (although that is coming) but I would like to check if the stove is on, or setup a show to be recorded. The phone should also be capable of syncing up with the home media center while on its dock. I don't want all of my home pictures and music on my phone; I just want a couple songs for the day/week.
Blinklist | Del.icio.us | Furl | Ma.gnolia | Newsvine | Spurl | Reddit | Technorati
Published on Monday, October 22, 2007
Comments:
Ecommerce Articles
- Browse All Articles
- Browse our complete archive of ecommerce articles.
- Accounting, Management & Legal
- Ecommerce articles related to managing a small business including ecommerce accounting, business strategy and legal considerations.
- Conversion & Usability
- Online business articles about converting web site visitors into customers and how to gauge and improve your business website's usability.
- Development & Programming
- Articles to help designers, developers and programmers create successful, search engine friendly ecommerce websites and improve existing ones.
- Hosting, Infrastructure & Software
- Articles for ecommerce businesses about ecommerce web hosting, business infrastructure, business strategy and helpful ecommerce & small business software.
- Interviews & Profiles
- Interviews with prominent ecommerce business personalities and profiles of successful online businesses.
- Inventory & Shipping
- Ecommerce articles about inventory management, ecommerce order fulfillment and product shipping considerations.
- Marketing & Revenue Growth
- Articles relating to online marketing, email marketing and using the Internet to growing your business.
- Search Engine Optimization
- Search engine optimization articles for ecommerce business owners, strategists, marketers and developers.
- Shopping Carts & Online Payments
- Articles covering ecommerce shopping cart platforms and options for choosing an online payment gateway.
- Training & Education
- Tutorials and articles providing training and education for ecommerce business owners and developers of ecommerce websites.
Search Articles
Ecommerce Community
- Ecommerce Blogs
- Read our blogs about ecommerce topics written by industry professionals.
- Community Forum
- Connect with other ecommerce professionals to trade advice and answers in our community forum.
- Podcasts
- Check out our ecommerce podcasts covering topics ranging from interviews to tutorials.
- RSS Content Feeds
- Subscribe to our RSS feeds and have fresh ecommerce content delivered to you.
Ecommerce Resources
- Free Email Newsletter
- Sign up for Ecommerce Notes, our free email newsletter for ecommerce business owners and developers.
- Ecommerce Directory
- Browse our directory of ecommerce products and services, or submit your own listing in our directory.
- Ecommerce Glossary
- Familiarize yourself with terminology or submit terms to help others with our Ecommerce Glossary.
- Events Calendar
- Find out about upcoming ecommerce events or invite other ecommerce professionals by posting your own event.
- Press Releases
- Browse ecommerce related press releases and post your own press release for distribution.
- Ecommerce Store & Back Issues
- Pick up back issues of Practical eCommerce magazine along with other merchandise from Practical Ecommerce
About Practical eCommerce
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Look at frequently asked questions regarded using our website, subscribing to our magazine and more.
- Advertising Information
- Information about advertising in Practical eCommerce magazine, on our website, or in our email newsletters.
- Editorial Sharing
- Learn about options for sharing our content with your visitors, customers or employees.
- About Us
- Learn more about Practical Ecommerce magazine and meet our staff.
- Contact Us
- Contact Practical Ecommerce at any time for more information. We'd love to hear from you.
Copyright 2007 Confluence Distribution, Inc. and Practical eCommerce.
All Rights Reserved.
There are no comments posted for this article.