Saturday 24 November 2012

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!

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