A good friend, Allan MacKinnon, has been going crazy for the last week about a new device that’s not targeted at him at all; the Peek, a mobile device which looks like a smart phone but is strictly dedicated to serving up e-mail. Check out this post for a quick summary about how the Peek “is targeted strictly at non-techies that don’t have e-mail on their phones and don’t care to figure it out, either. It even says ‘not for hardcore techies’ right on the box.”
Though Allan’s a hardcore techie, he has a history of seeing things before others do so I decided to check this thing out.
When he mentioned the Peek, my first reaction: Why do I need a second device? My “Upon Further Reflection” reaction: There is something to be said for……”purpose built” devices that don’t try to be all things to all people, like the Kindle (with it’s cool screen from Eink) for reading books.
Though Allan has a smartphone which is constantly announcing, “You’ve got mail!” (albeit with a tone and not the AOL voice), I like NOT having my email on my phone. I want a phone that is (a) tiny but also (b) lasts for days on one charge. And I don’t want people to think I can send / receive emails 7 X 24. If I (or they) need immediate access I (or they) can (a) place a voice call (a novel idea in this digital age!) or (b) text. The forced brevity of a text is perfect for the environment when someone is on the go (as I noted in this earlier post.)
But what about if I really want / need email when my laptop is off-line, like to see an important inquiry from a prospect? This “Peek” would be just the ticket! And the fact that the company has distribution lined up with Target, a retailer that is aligned with the target (no pun intended) market is brilliant; so many great products die because distribution was not available or not properly aligned with the targeted audience.
Hmmmm, it’s Labor Day, perfect time to get that Christmas wish-list started!
27 August 2008 at 3:59 pm
Peek has a blog that has some hilarious SNL clips of the tech types who are, again, NOT in their target market. Check it out at http://blog.getpeek.com/ Des
28 August 2008 at 10:09 am
Here’s another positive review of this device. I’ll be in line at Target on the 15th. http://xrl.us/PeekReviewFromGadling Des
2 September 2008 at 5:03 pm
If you have access to Frost & Sullivan reports, Gerry Purdy published a report today after a few day hands on trial of the Peek. He likes it! (He then goes on and suggests a bunch of things to be added over time. I sent him an email telling him, “This’ll just turn it into a Blackberry.” I’m not sure why people can’t accept (or reject!) single-purpose devices for what they are.
3 September 2008 at 8:40 am
Here’s the second half of the review from Gadling. http://tinyurl.com/SecondGadlingReviewOnPeek Three interesting comments: “…the hardware impressed me a lot. The device feels great, it looks fantastic and they clearly put a lot of thought into the design.” And, “The same thought that went into the outside, has clearly also been applied to the inside. The interface is clean, bright and easy to navigate.” Finally, “…even as a hardcore geek, I think Peek is cute. It does one thing, and it does it really well, in a well presented manner, without trying to seem too smart.”