Based on materials from androidcentral.com
Performance is a very subjective thing, and it is sold as if it is a thing to hold in your hands … Russell Holly talks on the pages of androidcentral.com about performance and what this criterion means for companies and what – for real users.
“Tech companies love the word productivity. It warms the souls of different decision makers who believe that productivity can be measured, which means more profit – either through faster transfer of something, or due to fewer man-hours spent creating and transferring it. '. As a result, many tech companies are trying to sell performance like a chip. And over the past couple of years, no one has 'excelled' in selling this speculative advantage as mobile device manufacturers.
Actually, performance is not something special to highlight and sell. This is a versatile property that you get using a specific device or application.
I am writing this text on my Blackberry Priv on a boring Sunday morning outside with a grill company. I also have Google's new Pixel C within reach, which I love because the magnets and Bluetooth keyboard make it quite productive. Don't take my word for it, ask Google. So, I sit and poke at the keyboard with only my thumbs, which is much less effective than with the almost laptop-sized Pixel C keyboard. If it occurred to me to arrange something like a typing speed test, I'm sure the Pixel C would win as the fastest thing that allows you to type at any time. Of course, typing speed is not equal to performance, at least for me. For others, of course, it may be so. In reality, you can hardly find any comments or forum posts on the Pixel C where the owner of one of these great tablets would tell you how great it is to use it instead of a bulky laptop or phone with its screen. For some, the Pixel C can easily be a performance-enhancing thing, but it's not enough to make a similar experience sellable to anyone as a token. At the end of the day, I'm still sitting here, all productive, with my Priv, and the Pixel C sits side by side on the left, showing the 'Martian' from Google Play Movies.
There are a bunch of different ways I could use to write the words you are reading now. I could speak them into the microphone using a voice-over program and Bluetooth a headset. I could have typed on my MacBook while sitting at a multi-monitor system and switching between tasks on the CODE keyboard, or I could even just use swipes to type words with SwiftKey, and I would rather try it all than put the Priv down, grab the Pixel C and use his keyboard to type something. It doesn't depend on the quality of the keyboard, it depends solely on the specifics of my personal workflow. Pixel C is no more convenient from this point of view than any of the alternatives, and therefore does not make me more productive.
Sitting at a desktop computer, arguably the most productive machine in my arsenal, means that I am in danger of being distracted by a bunch of irritants associated with that machine. Voice transmission is good, as long as it is not interrupted by a flying plane, at the same time disrupting my train of thought. Laptops and convertible tablets require me to sit in a specific position so that I can use them effectively. SwiftKey is only productive for long typing when I'm standing or sitting quietly. And for me specifically on this lazy Sunday morning at the grill, the Priv keyboard is good because it allows you to walk around and type text, while monitoring the temperature, watching a movie, and without interrupting the thought flow. So at the moment this is the most productive thing I can use. But it is unlikely that BlackBerry will market the Priv as “a productivity device for bloggers who love to grill meat and watch outdoor movies.” The target audience is very small. Instead, they will simply say 'a productive device', even with a multitude of people who will never be able to replace what they already have with the device.
And this thing is overlooked by those who measure performance for others. Having the right device means using the thing correctly in your own workflow. Smartphones are more productive than desktop computers due to their portability. Desktop devices are more powerful than laptops due to their capabilities. Smartwatches can create a more productive environment by immersing you in it the moment you look at your wrist. And pen and paper can be the most productive because with them you avoid the risk of distraction.
All of these things are at the same time most and least related to performance. And therefore, it is a mistake to sell any of them as the productivity gains that you can achieve by purchasing something new. Instead, companies should demonstrate a successful workflow that leads to increased productivity. This is much more difficult, since all these phones, tablets and watches are also wanted to be purchased for entertainment. You will begin to show how a successful businessman solves his problems – you risk losing money that could be spent by a twenty-year-old buyer who just likes a cute device, or his friend has one.
So, productivity is a personal metric associated with personal workflow. And the goal here is to reduce the total number of steps to complete a task, no matter what environment. And the rest is marketing bullshit they are trying to sell you. '
Perhaps the reasoning of the author of the article will seem to you a transfusion from empty to empty, and the virtual parrot has long become a bird of happiness for you. Or, on the contrary, you are skeptical about the current trend when specs sell devices. Anyway, share your thoughts in the comments!