Misuse of labels: On the definitions of "mobile" and "computer"

I, for one, want sound bites that give me indigestion. And if it gives me gas, even that much better!

How about T-Mobile, Clearwire, or Sprint's use of 4G when the ITU defines 4G as a 100 Meg for a mobile service. The ITU does provide a technical definition for the term 4G and none of these marketing frenzied companies even come close to it. It's all about spin baby.

I think his comment was nothing more than his "inner twenty-something year old kid" coming out with a rebellious youth type comment. As soon as he remembered, "Hey, I'm a billionaire CEO," he straighten right up and backtracked.

I'm sure we were all full of p!ss and vinegar at that age...

"We need to stop insisting on easily digested sound bites"

Uh huh... good luck with that.

It's merely a matter of economics, where time is a limited resource we must use it as efficiently as possible. Rather than describing the iPad as a (a) computer-like device which is relatively mobile when compared to more traditional computers but no so moblie as the standard phones you can fit in most pockets, unless those pockets are in women's designer jeans in which case a phone isn't all that mobile either, unless a purse is used, and again unless a handbag is used which may be large enough for the device in question to be as mobile as the phone (b) which can connect to some networks but not others depending on the available protocols and the specifications included in the model purchased as well as proximity, passwords to protected networks, or contracts with the network provider (c) which does not have tactile input, but can virtualize mouse-like input or keyboard entries through onscreen displays of keys or input reactions and may even be considered superior to tactile inputs due to its ability, (d) which is made of scratch resistant glass, but please be aware that there's a difference between toughness and hardness, (e) etc. etc. etc.

Instead we just say it's an iPad for which we can use, or not use, the following quantifiers (a) a computer or not a computer (b) mobile or not mobile (c) excellent or terrible connectivity (d) it has no keyboard but does have text entry (e) it can be scratched if you're not careful with it... all as little, efficient sound bites which require the listener to judge appropriately given the full context.

You might as well say that TUAW should stop using headlines.

Is the iOS (iPhone / iPod Touch) app for Facebook that terrible on the iPad? My thoughts are that Facebook doesn't feel obligated to create a new app just for the iPad when there already is a iOS version of the app. I do get why iPad users would want an iPad specific version of the iOS app, but are they really left out? Is the pixel doubling what ruins the experience for iPad users?

"We need to stop insisting on easily digested sound bites and call out anyone who tries to inappropriately apply labels in an attempt to misdirect the conversation. Describe what something does and doesn't do, and let people decide for themselves if it is the best choice for them."

Ok, so we no longer use the label "ebookreader" to describe the Kindle, Nook, or iPad, but what do you do? "The Kindle is a device that works great in the sun, gets fantastic battery life, has a very sharp stable display, is good at reading books and bad at dealing with most web pages" by the time you are done saying that you can't remember the point you were attempting to make, your audience doesn't care any more on account of all having died of old age, and you are about to describe the iPad which does sixty seven times as much stuff so will require a mid-sized novel just to introduce.

Seriously?

Now the bit about calling out people who misuse labels is good...but hard to apply because labels are pretty nebulous. I happen to believe that Zuckerberg wasn't trying to steer anyone with his label usage. It was so far off from what most people think "mobile" is that it had to be a mistake. I think Zuckerberg deeply believes that mobile is a phone. I happen to deeply disbelieve that, and I think most people think of the term as more inclusive, but it still isn't exactly a sharply defined term. For example I think of mobile as something you can cary with ease, say in one hand without adding on a carry strap or bag, and something that has it's own power.

Others may think mobile has to be under 10 pounds.

Others may think mobile has nothing to do with self powered and insist anything they can simply carry to a LAN party is mobile and I'm clearly thinking of "portables".

(and note my definition is pretty open ended...what is "with ease"? Would my definition lead to football players having a wider variety of mobile devices to choose from?)

The same looseness and rapid (relative to "dictionary words") evolution that makes labels useful also makes them pretty hard to police.

I don't know why people are making such a big deal about this. It's pretty obvious that when he said it's not mobile, and then said it's not a mobile phone - he also meant that it's not constantly connected. There is no persistent data connection when it comes to the iPad.

Mobile devices (phones) have a constant data connection - thats why Facebook is targeting them.

Why target a mobile device (iPad) when the device is divided into a version that has a constant connection and one that doesn't?

Mobile phones offer an 'active' experience, no interaction is needed to take advantage of where Facebook want to take their mobile experience. iPads are a passive experience - you have to interact with the device.

Until iPads have a persistent data connection Facebook don't need to do a thing.

Just to throw my hat into the ring, I always describe the iPad as a "network device," since it needs a network connection to be useful.

The iPad has no way to connect to a printer except via a wireless network. The easiest way to transfer files in and out is over a network, either WiFi or 3G. Apple designed the iPad as a little, mobile window into cyberspace, and that's what it does best. Any attempt to make it do something else, like replace a desktop or laptop computer, defeats the purpose of the design.

Disclaimer: I'm talking about Apple-authorized use of the iPad here. I know just about anything is possible to someone with, shall we say, an inquiring mind.