I believe that there is indeed a superior solution, the development of information appliances, but that if this solution is to become prevalent, it has to be done with full understanding of the difficulties that await. Information appliances have great hope and promise, but the path toward adoption is treacherous, filled with minefields, with fierce competitors. The existing technology, the personal computer, exerts a deadly gravity well that prevents the unwary from escaping its pull. All technologies have a life cycle, and as they progress from birth, through troubled adolescence and on to maturity, their characteristics change. During this life cycle, the customer segment varies, starting with those technology enthusiasts who nurture the fledging early products and help them gain power and acceptability.
Technology rules the day, guided by feature-driven marketing.
When technologies mature, the story changes dramatically. Now the technology can be taken for granted. The vast majority of customers wait for technologies to prove themselves, for the time when they can get value for their money, value without hassle. These are the late adopters who wait until the technology is mature. Now the product has to be driven by customer needs.