Marc Andreessen’s pithy observation that "software is eating the world"
has been popular (and true) for more than half a decade now, but I’ve
come to find it only describes the development of the tech industry
partially. Even as apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Uber turn startups
into multibillion-dollar ventures, there’s still a hardware component
underlying all of them. As the battle for future mobile users shifts to
the realm of personal assistants and machine-learning automation,
there’s still a physical object that all of that software runs on.
As a technology reviewer, I’ve always cared more about
the physical device. How big are the bezels around the screen? Is the
USB port at the bottom smooth and polished or does it cut into my palm?
And does the thing have a headphone jack? Looking at the way tech fans
have responded to recent news, I’m inclined to think that I’m among the
majority on this issue. Software is absolutely of paramount importance,
and in most cases it’s the cause for why we fall in love with this or
that gadget, but ultimately it’s the hardware that we love.
The ghost incites feelings that we then associate with the shell.
Five years ago, Microsoft was the architect of the
world’s most popular and most profitable operating system and office
software, but it was loved only by tribalist fanboys. Its Xbox, on the
other hand, had more widespread appreciation, though it wasn’t until
Microsoft turned into a proper hardware manufacturer — producing the
Surface Pro, Surface Book, Surface Studio, and most recently the Surface
Laptop — that it became a universal darling. Microsoft is now one of
the most exciting companies in tech, in part because it’s morphed into
an underdog, but also because it’s pushing industrial design boundaries
with fresh and unique new hardware.
Samsung has undergone a similar transformation. It used
to be the cheap Apple copycat, but then it recognized the value of
appealing, high-quality design in attracting long-term user loyalty, and
now it too is among the world’s favorite tech companies. There are legitimate, unabashed Samsung fans now.
Sony and HTC are also helpful examples, insofar as
neither has been a leader among phone makers for years, but both still
command a passionate following based on their previous products. There’s
no denying that HTC once led the world when it came to refined
smartphone design, and Sony’s history as a hardware innovator hardly
needs recounting. It’s because they gave their fans a physical thing to
channel their love and affection into that both of these brands still
enjoy such lasting loyalty today.
Turn to pure software companies, on the other hand, and
you’ll see a distinctly different picture. Facebook is used daily by
something close to 1.3 billion people and recently crossed the
2-billion-user mark, but few would argue that they love it. Uber has
become an essential service in Silicon Valley,
but most of its riders use it while battling through a distinct sense
of ambivalence. Even Amazon, which has been indispensable to many
people’s lives for years, benefited greatly from its introduction of the
Kindle and, later, the Echo speaker as the home of its Alexa voice
assistant.
At Google I/O this past week, I got another affirmation
of this belief that hardware is the thing that pulls in eyeballs and
affection most readily. Google, basically, had none. Everything
happening in Mountain View these days is about blending artificial intelligence and machine learning into everyday tools and services,
and there wasn’t a new Google Home speaker like there was last year to
give a corporeal manifestation to these efforts. I’ve no doubt that the
work Google is doing now will prove fruitful down the line
and make future Android and Chrome OS devices that much more enticing —
but in the short term, people were left a little disappointed by the
absence of new Google gadgets to gawk at and consider.
Physical things anchor our gadget lust in the real world
and ultimately soak up whatever goodwill the software on those gadgets
engenders. Yes, people have their favorite apps, but the appreciation
for an app’s quality rarely translates into love for its maker. With
hardware, on the other hand, a great user experience is almost always
converted into brand loyalty. That’s part of Apple’s grand success, it’s
the catalyst for growing fan appreciation for Microsoft and Amazon, and
it was the thing that made Google I/O feel a bit boring.
The article was published on : theverge
