Author: Rev Mentor

I’ve been a big fan of inline calendars for date entry. I also like allowing the user to do in a couple keystrokes, too, but this one by 37signals in Basecamp is really nice.

It would not be difficult to do this in Revolution with the new graphic effects in your property inspector.

Dan Heath talks about simplicity as an antedote to decision paralysis. As you know, simplicity is as important in software development as it is in business.

You should click here to read about the Tao of programming. Pretty well done…and profoundly funny!

“The idea for Litl really came watching my family use computers around the house,” says CEO John Chuang, a serial entrepreneur best known for founding and selling Aquent (aka MacTemps). People aren’t after hardware; they’re after content, and that content lives on the web. The best home computer, therefore, is one that comes closest to completely disappearing. Based upon that insight, Chuang took almost three years to develop the Litl, which begins shipping this week for $699.

Your typical computer is performance oriented–when’s the last time you saw Dell or HP advertising a computer’s user interface (which is ruled by Microsoft anyhow), rather than the processor speed or screen inches? The Litl is designed around how people actually use their computers in the home. As such, it’s not really a laptop or a netbook or even a smart TV. It’s a hybrid unto itself.

The computer they produced has no hard-drive–the idea is that you don’t need one, since your average at-home computer user just needs web access for getting at their content. The OS, therefore, is dead simple, and utterly devoid of clutter–web pages each get a “card,” which you can click on to enlarge. The case, meanwhile, is suited to calling up content, and then sitting back to consume it: There’s a traditional laptop mode, and then it flips over to an “easel” mode, suited to passive viewing. If you need a bigger screen, the device has an HDMI jack, for connecting to your TV.

On paper, the Litl may not look like much–your typical netbook is similarly powered, works offline, has a hard drive, and is $200 cheaper. But Litl isn’t selling hardware specs; they’re selling a stone-cold brilliant design. And to appreciate it, you have to be able to play with the device.

But for now, Litl is only being sold online. And therein lies the problem. Without handling it, you’ll never appreciate the thoroughness of the design language–the scroll wheel on the laptop, echoed in the scroll wheel of the remote; the perfectly weighted hinge which doubles as a handle and hides the battery; the sturdiness of the case; the brightness of the screen; the way the packaging and branding looks domestic but not quite feminine; or even the fact that when the power pack is plugged in, a tiny, embedded LED illuminates the dot of the ‘”i” in “Litl”.

The computer really does disappear in easel mode–you can barely see the keyboard behind, because of the black and white color contrasts of the case. All while occupying a tiny footprint, meaning that you can set it down on a nightstand, a couch, or a kitchen counter.

It all amounts to a massive gamble: Sure, computers should be better suited to how we actually use them. Litl shows they can be. But will people really appreciate the problems it solves? Or are they content with making due? The venture is self-funded. Chuang hasn’t brought in venture capitalists. He wants the company to be able to tolerate risk in a way that investors would not.

As for sales, Chuang argues that if users finally get their hands on the Litl, they’ll appreciate what lies behind the premium price. Meanwhile, the company is also backing up the device with a two-year money-back guarantee, on the idea that seeing is believing. And if that still doesn’t convince people? James Gardner, Litl’s chief marketer, offers the hard sell: “How much is it worth to you, to never have to fix your mother-in-law’s computer?”

via fastcompany.com

Watching this video you realize how many vestigial elements persist on our hardware: caps lock, function keys…to name a couple. This little gem is an Intriguing concept, but not without its marketing challenges.

BTW, here is the web site for the litl: http://litl.com/

How someone can write a story like this and NOT include a URL to the product is astounding to me.

After looking at about 12 pages on the site, I came upon this page. It’s a very thought-provoking piece about the decisions that the developers of litl made regarding the OS, hardware and business—and why they made them. The best part of the site for would-be Rev developers, designers and entrepreneurs.

How Chipotle, Pinkberry, and others win big by doing just a few things well

Matt

Nov 11

47 comments Latest by Web & IT Security

The dirty little secret about simple: It’s actually hard to do. That’s why most people make complex stuff. Simple requires deep thought, discipline, and patience – things that many companies lack. That leaves room for you. Do something simpler than your competitors and you’ll win over a lot of people.

There are only three major items on Chipotle’s menu: burritos, tacos, and salads. In Chipotle’s Secret Salsa, Founder and CEO Steve Ells sums up its business model in a single sentence: “Focus on just a few things, and do them better than anybody else.”

One thing you won’t find at Chipotle is dessert. Restaurant analysts say a cookie or other dessert at the end of the food line could instantly boost sales by 10 percent or more there. Ells doesn’t care. “We’ve had 10 years of double-digit comps in a row, and we’ve done that without cookies,” he says. “So why start now? I see only the downside to adding cookies.”

The yogurt chain Pinkberry started off by selling only two flavors of yogurt: original and green tea. That meant fewer worries about inventory, machinery, recipes, and other complications that would have resulted from selling a variety of products. Instead the company focused on flavor. It’s now a chain with dozens of stores and devout fans who refer to the yogurt as “Crackberry.” (Ever think about how your product would sound with “crack” as a prefix?)

This isn’t just for restaurants either. Nintendo has won big by doing less than competitors. The Flip has won a big percentage of the camcorder market by doing less. Fixed-gear bikes have been growing in popularity due to their simple, low-maintenance design.

You can try to win a features arms race by offering everything under the sun. Or you can just focus on a couple of things and do ‘em really well and get people who really love those things to love your product. For little guys, that’s a smarter route.

When you choose that path, you get clarity. Everything is simpler. It’s simpler to explain your product. It’s simpler for people to understand. It’s simpler to change it. It’s simpler to maintain it. It’s simpler to start using it. The ingredients are simpler. The packaging is simpler. Supporting it is simpler. The manual is simpler. Figuring out your message is simpler. And most importantly, succeeding is simpler.

Our software product designs are not all that different than those in the food industry—or any other industry. We tend to have fewer crumbs, though.

This is definitely a great way many information and computer science concepts could be taught.

Segment on design is well put. Simple, simple, simple…yet evolving, and how to keep that balance. Amazing how small this company really is. And all four employees code.