Dream of “Digital Furniture” Store
I don’t need digital appliances. Just give me digital furniture.
It is the time now. The integration of IT products and electronic appliances is no longer a mere slogan. It is really eye-opening to see leading IT manufacturers vow to produce LCD TVs, in order to expand their business scope from the computer to the household appliance, or to develop computers with the shape and functions of bedside audio systems.
What appliances will the computer be integrated with? This is an interesting question. But to me, it appears more that household appliances possess digital genes than computers gain additional appliance functions.
Maybe that sounds an opinion from the viewpoint of appliance manufacturers. But I believe that, if IT manufacturers wanted to step into the sitting room from the study room, that would be a mindset which can better cater for consumers and eventually change the landscape and business processes in the industry.
In a word, I believe that "appliances with computing capability" will be more appealing to consumers than "computers with the functions of appliances". Taking this standpoint, manufacturers will find that their product lines can be greatly extended.
It is very abstract to say "put the digital gene into appliances". From the viewpoint of hardware, it means to "put some functions of computers into appliances". Note that, it is "some functions", not "an entire computer", is embedded in appliances, according to their usage context.
I don’t know how well "computers with the functions of audio systems" and "LCD TVs with the functions of computers" are being sold today. But simply "combining two machines into one" is definitely not a good integration solution. It might attract some early adopters, but will not be accepted by the mass market easily.
From the standpoint of software, "putting the digital gene into appliances" means that what’s flowing in the new device is digitalized information that can flow into other devices too. Through this way, a movie downloaded from the Internet could be transmitted to the TV in the sitting room.
With networking and content processing abilities endowed to digital appliances, contents can flow freely in your home - from the computer to the TV, and to the refrigerator, which only need the ability to receive and play the contents, instead of all the functions of an entire computer.
Up to this stage of digital appliances, the revolution in your household is just beginning. Who will be the buyers of digital appliances? Readers will say that only innovators and early adopters have such impulse. The question is: what about the mass market?
What the mass market needs is not "household appliances", which is a frightening term. Mass market consumers still need a little more time to forget the terrible feeling of being a "computer idiot". What they need are "digital furniture" that is easier to use.
From the standpoint of hardware, "digital furniture" means "to put the digital gene into the furniture". Furniture? They are chairs, tables, lamps and kitchenware, aren’t? That’s crazy. What do those things need the digital gene for? To have "computing ability"?
Let’s look at an example. Imagine a "digital photo frame" that displays images files downloaded from digital cameras, instead of printed photos. Take the memory card from the camera and insert it into the frame, press a few buttons, and the photo transmission is completed.
The frame is powered by batteries, allows displaying a different photo every few seconds, and can be put on the desk in your office or study. The entire process does not involve a computer. Therefore, papas and mamas will be glad to pick up digital cameras, without worrying about how to handle the computer.
Think about it: how to put such a digital gene into your sofa?
The digital home market can be divided roughly into two phases, as shown in the following figure:
If we dig a little bit deeper, we could see that one of the challenges for digital appliances is the fact that distributors don’t know how to sell the product. Appliance stores don’t know how to sell TVs with the functions of the computer. Vice versa, computer stores might be at loss to sell appliances.
In the future, when furniture is digitalized too, a new business mode will emerge: "digital furniture stores". The staff at such stores will be aware of consumers’ requirements for furniture and the features of IT products.
One day, when there are enough digital furniture and digital appliances, they will be put into a special store to improve the cost-effectiveness. The question is: when will that day come? For me, I am hopeful.
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