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Interesting piece with a simple point by Marco. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
He shows how the smartphone market was transformed in 2007 by the introduction of the iPhone. He's right that the lack of a removable battery and slots did not hinder the adoption of the iPhone. But I don't recall people saying it would be a failure because of its lack of expandability in hardware. However I do remember criticism for its lack of expandability in software. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
Marco then extrapolates that the same is about to happen in netbooks. I agree with his conclusion, but I don't agree with the reason. And as with the iPhone, we're losing something important if the transition we agree is happening actually happens. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
The key difference: There was no bottleneck for software in the pre-iPad netbooks. It matters. I just read an article about the Republican party running sexist TV ads, on my iPad, but had to get up and look at the same page on my Mac so I could watch the video. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
I uploaded a video to Flickr from my iPhone 4, looks fine on my desktop but the video is postage-stamp size on the iPad. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
I wanted to set the location on the map but Yahoo's mapping software doesn't work on the iPad. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
We're entering an era of deliberate degradation of the user experience and throwing overboard of software that works, for corporate reasons. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
That said, I'd prefer to read a book like Computer Lib/Dream Machines on an iPad than on paper. But I don't want a corporation deciding what software I can and can't use, or what I can and can't read. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
What I want is the convenient form factor without the corporate filter. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
It's way too simplistic to believe that we'll get that, but we had it. That's what I don't like -- deliberate devolution. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
PS: Looping back to an earlier piece that mentioned in passing that Microsoft was once able to think and act big, look at how they blew the opening created by netbooks. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)
PPS: Why the iPad form is winning -- the netbook makers are abdicating. It's likely because Microsoft and Intel have exerted too much control, behind the scenes, and kept the market from growing. ![permalink](http://scripting.com/images/2001/09/20/sharpPermaLink3.gif)