Don't laugh, but I'm a geek at heart, and I get excited by technological innovations in the marketplace. Though I'm not in the tech industry, it's always inspiring to see the innovation in this space. For example, MacBook Air - the world's thinnest notebook, something that can fit in a regular 8.5"X11" yellow envelope. Wow. Now, that's definitely a break-through.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=4TKlBei8Mr4&feature=related
There are a lot of negative online responses to the MacBook Air - its lack of DVD drive, and its price tag being the biggest issues. But I think the nay-sayers are not taking into consideration that Apple is trying to create a new category, not just an extension of laptops, but rather a new wireless device that can be carried everywhere. And yes, Steve Jobs wants you to rent DVDs wirelessly (and pay him for it), instead of storing a stack of DVDs at your own home. But what's so bad about that? The pricing will eventually come down (or copy cats will come along later and create similar systems), but the idea is - less DVDs = less clutter. DVDs will eventually be phased out just like 3.5" floppy disks were, and just like the big 5" disks were (remember the A drive?).
Now THAT is innovation. Not changing the way something is packaged, or adding a new gadget to an existing product, but creating a whole new category of a tool (just like the wii). That is what many companies strive to do, but unfortunately most fail due to red tape / group think.
Something of interest - Handshake business class
http://www.kontrastblog.com/2008/01/09/exchange-information-with-handshake/
Will talk about that at a later time...
