The SONY Reader

21st February 2012

     Today I should like to write about my SONY Reader and the response I get from people.
The Reader!! What can I say!? It is such an aesthetic and svelte product that I wish I knew a few more adjectives related to beauty to truly describe how classy it looks! :)

Classy, isn't it? ;)

     However, the first reaction I get from most of the people is what makes this article an irony.
This is the first statement they utter, without understanding how it works or what actually it is:
"Dude, you would've gotten a Reliance Tab by chipping in 5 grand more.", "Why didn't you go in for the Galaxy Tab??"
And I am left speechless. Believe you me, I've got such replies 'n' number of times now and I don't even feel like justifying anymore.
I guess the saying is but true, 

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." 

     Okay, considering how highly I regard the opinions of these people, I have made an effort to be a bit more humble and polite (and definitely much more subtle :D ) through the remainder of this article. In fact, I have tried to understand their perspective and the reason they want to see a "Galaxy Tab" in my hands!

To elucidate this matter, I have coined this term:

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC UTILITY

I know everyone would be able to understand what these 3 words mean, but lets take an example to make it crystal clear:
      A couple of years ago when I wanted to buy a new phone, I had even considered the fact that the particular model had a front camera attached- thus enabling video calls. Today if I go to think about it, it was a foolish decision to even think about the front camera. Because, even if you need video calls for a meeting or an interview, you have a laptop and Skype! Also nowhere in the near future video calls were gonna become any cheaper than normal calls. So, basically the extra functionality of the front camera - though a minor factor- contributed towards my decision.

What I'm trying to convey by this example is that you can broadly classify consumers into two kinds:

• People who are very particular about the main feature of the product (the reason they want the product) They do not compromise on the most important - the basic - functionality of the product.
  
• The other kind of people want as many ADD-ONS that they can get with their money's worth. It is the 'EXTRA' features of the product that draws their attention. They do not mind compromising a bit on the basic feature, as long as they get the additional features.

Please note that I'm not criticizing either of the consumers. In my opinion, it depends on the product more than anything else. For instance in today's date one does not buy a phone ONLY for calling purposes.

     Now, let us talk about the Reader. The flagship feature which sets it apart is E-ink technology, which makes the text appear as if you're reading from a real book! Also the device is not back-lit --- the thing which makes the tablets in the world run --- thus avoiding the glare and the strain on one's eyes, which would not have been he case with the Galaxy Tab! Ultimately my main reason for buying it was to have a good READING experience and believe you me, the Reader is the only product which comes as close to an actual book as you can imagine!

    Finally I must take this opportunity to thank the person because of which I proudly hold the Reader in my hand. Thank you Maitri Ramaiya!

Karmali platform, Goa

              
Pervades these lands is a silence, eerie and stark;
The continuous hymn of the cicadas being the only thing I can hark.

And then, from out of nowhere, hits us the gong of the rail engine;
Spreading through the lands akin to a forest fire.

Without the slightest realization the glorious train moves on,
Symbolic of the sheer ignorance and indifference of our kind- as we continue our advance march, little do we pay attention to how we  transmute the natural order of things.....

Gracias, Leo Messi.

            “Messi! Messi! Messsiiiiii! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!!!!!”
   Yes folks, that’s what the commentators have gotten accustomed to shouting these days and we all know the reason why! Lionel Andrés Messi has been that exceptional phenomenon, the likes of which the football fraternity has never witnessed before. The elegance with which he controls the ball; the agility with which he moves; the surreal flair with which he dribbles; the impeccable finesse in his finishes; makes him a spectacle to marvel at! Josep Guardiola quotes: “Messi is the only player in the world who runs faster with the ball than without it!”

   But did you know that his father, Jorge Messi, was a factory steel worker and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. And of course you must know about the hormonal deficiency that he had in his childhood. No? You don’t? Well, I’m not surprised. Here’s a short narrative of the legend’s childhood…

   At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge. He then moved on to  Newell's Old Boys, which became part of a local youth powerhouse that lost only one match in the next four years and came to be locally known as "The Machine of '87." The boy did wonders with the ball. However, after a brief period of time, his parents realised that he wasn't growing as much as his peers around him. And at the tender age of 11 Messi was diagnosed with growth hormonal deficiency. Apparently the hormones which are responsible for growth were asleep in his body. There was a cure; although very painful and highly expensive. It wasn’t long before the family ran out of funds—they had gone to Spain for the treatment and were being battered by the exorbitant cost of the treatment. However, destiny had transpired something else for the little boy…

   The scouts of FC Barcelona had received rumours about a genius footballer from Argentina. They got in touch with Messi’s father and arranged a two-week selection session for the boy. But you know what happened? In a matter of seconds of watching him play, Charly Rexach, the club's sporting director, made up his mind and wanted to sign him! And there you have the story of the famous paper napkin on which they signed a contract!

However, this popular story isn’t the thing I’m getting at—it’s his journey that has inspired me. For 8 years the boy had to take injections as part of his treatment. He used to thrust the injections into his thighs day in and day out along with his rigorous training at the club. The pain he experienced was excruciating; yet he persevered with the solidity of a diamond. Imagine putting a needle into your legs and then running for miles and miles on end, day in-day out! And doing this for 8 years of your life?! Such is the unrelenting passion and love for the game that drives this wonder boy.

  The sheer magnitude of what he has overcome to become what he is today is in itself awe-inspiring. Once this momentous realization begins to dawn, you can only genuflect at the altar of The Greatest Footballer Of All Time and say, “Gracias, Leo Messi."