Better Is Underrated

Kyle Baxter writes about the development of his cooking app, Basil:

In other words, I see an opportunity to use the iPad to make something a lot of people do better and more enjoyable for them. It’s not going to change the world, but we can make it better for a lot of people. That’s awesome.

There is one thing I hear all the time when my friends ask me about the iPad:

I’m not sure I need one.

To which, partly because “it’s my job”, and because I genuinely enjoy reasoning with people about certain facets of a subject they may be unaware of, I always reply:

It’s like a computer, only easier to use and better. You’ll do the same things, but in a few weeks you’ll be hooked and unable to go back.

And in two years, the people I did manage to “convince” to give this whole new setup idea a fair chance did benefit from the liberating feeling of not having to think in old schemes and habits. I don’t receive any direct or indirect advantage from this; these people don’t even read my site. Heck, I’m pretty sure they think I’m just a nerd who likes to talk about this stuff. I just want to show them that a different perspective exists.

With PCs, better is still largely underrated by several users. After all, when something works, why the need for a change? New doesn’t necessarily mean “better” – in reality, people tend to be scared by the new and unknown. And with the iPad, asking to replace decades of regular computing with “a slab of glass that has apps” is a lot to process.

Like Kyle, I don’t think this “Post-PC movement” will change the world. But with a device that effortlessly changes from a scanner to a speedometer, from a desktop-class photo manager to video editing software, perhaps it really can yield better, more satisfying results.

It’s not easy. Asking people to ditch PCs entirely because there might be an opportunity ahead requires money, willingness to learn something new, and the right amount of healthy curiosity and excitement.

I think this way of seeing things works for just about anything. As with many other aspects of life, the “just a little better” hiding behind the corner often leads to unbeaten paths and new milestones.

I always make an effort to peek through the veil of options. And after that it’s just a balance between the potentially positive impact of better and the fear of leaping that’s holding you back.