In my quest for additional information, I decided to head down to the local bar and see what the regular non-techy folk think about things these days. I was pretty sure I knew what I was in for, but I like to get a non-jaded experience of what the general public knows or at least thinks about certain technologies. I sat next to a gentleman that appeared to be in his late 40's or early 50's. Struck up a conversation with him and thought I would see what he thought of or knew about cloud computing. Just as I suspected, he responded with "you mean the iCloud?".
Apple for as much as I despise what you do in so many ways, you are so brilliant in so many other ways! Apple is by far the latest of the major players to start migrating to the cloud and yet somehow they have convinced people they own the technology!
So I decide at this point, I was going to need another beer to get through this conversation. BARTENDER!
We proceeded to talk about his job and things he does. He asked about my company and what I do. After about 15 minutes, Jerry is no longer flying blind when it comes to cloud computing. We talked about the big players Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, etc. I explained to him how it is similar to what he does at work now, but through a browser and why that was important. Access anywhere for all the things you need...his eyes kind of lit up not realizing that was possible!
Then he asked me something I wasn't expecting..."So tell me what you think the future looks like". I said I would do my best to predict a 2yr window, but outside of that it is difficult to see. We talked about things I thought would impact him like how the television experience is going to change just about like the phone experience changed. How, we are going to have a whole other generation of people saying "I just want my regular TV back" just like the "I just want my flip phone" generation we created! Things like Google TV, PS3, XBOX and just plain smart TV's are going to be huge. We are still trying to figure out the right formula for that, but I am expecting a similar revolution like we had in phones. I used my classic example of how it is a good change..."If I never have to see another advertisement for tampons I will be quite ok with that". Targeted ad's on TV will be a great thing for a lot of people.
As the next beer started going down, we moved onto the topic of mobile phones. He was no surprise an iPhone user and again to no surprise thought the best thing was email on the phone. He was much more willing to accept the changes to the phone and while mobile is so critical....that whole "knowing who and where you are" while concerning made sense to him. However for a guy that really wasn't too up to date with technology his immediate phrase was "well what about the privacy". I told him as long as you use services that allow you the control what they share or know about you, then you have complete control over your destiny. To me the helpful nature of allowing technology access to that information has a better upside than downside to me (with responsible use).
We concluded with some casual sports talk and exchanged business cards then went our separate ways. Though I originally set out to talk to more people, this was a classic example of what I am coming to believe is common perspective on today's technology. Please stay tuned if you would like to learn more. We will share with you new concepts/technologies and the beautiful simplicity of it all. Thought this would be a good way to get the ball rolling...
Cheers!
After several long conversations on Google+ regarding cloud technologies and the various approaches that are available today, a friend of mine recommended we start this blog as a way to help educate today's consumers. We will use simple terminology and real world examples to help people understand what is really going on...not just what Apple makes you think you need.
Ok...so it isn't that bad. Apple does make some good products and services, however despite what they might lead you to believe, they don't cure cancer and will not solve all your problems just by owning a iAnything.
That being said, I would like to introduce you to my good friend Neil Murray. He will be posting on this site with regularity as he has a unique view on technology. No, he is not an IT professional, which is the exactly the point. Today's technology is easier than it used to be. It has become much more about what works for you the best and less about what can it do. He is REALLY good at explaining the pro's and con's of various products and services in an entertaining manner that just makes sense!
Anyways, please check in with us as we discuss the broad and often confusing topic of technology. If you are closely related to Steve Jobs, don't like people that drink and type, or sarcasm and other forms of witty banter aren't your thing, you might be looking for a different blog! Proper grammar is also not likely...but the message will be clear as day and hopefully at the end of the day help you make a more informed decision on what works best for you!
We encourage questions, topic recommendations and of course new beers we haven't yet tried.
Cheers!
