Searching for a tipping point in IT gadgets use

Last week two events happened. First time in life I decided to take an interest in Apple® products, I became curious after two of my current students bought very physically appealing Apple® laptops. They seemed very happy, and I asked myself if I had been missing something in life.

The second event is that my wife's laptop (a Dell® XPS) is in a state of agony. She keeps resucitating it with no luck. On Saturday we phoned the technical service department, they had us for 30 minutes on hold on a national rate call (0844) without any response. The only good outcome of that was the music they played. Bit nicer.

So you might think, why don't you buy an Apple® product (ipad, laptop, iphone) if you have not done so? Is it about time?

Well, I am still not sure. And it is not necessarily because I do not like them, it is because they have not got to me yet. I have not reached a Tipping Point. And possible Apple has not either.

Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point book is illuminating here. He explores how social epidemics occur, how masses of people decide to adopt a product, to mobilise, to smoke or even to commit suicide. He regards several key elements in a situation: Those people pioneering it, those connecting with the rest, those checking and teaching people about it, those persuading, and those finally following.

He also thinks that two other elements are necessary for an epidemic to occur: The stickiness of what is to be adopted, and the context in which it is to be adopted. Together, all these elements could constitute a system of innovation if that is what us, people, are to embrace in our daily lives.

We might think then that there is a critical mass of Apple® followers, those who see themselves as 'outcasts' and 'innovators', if not 'pioneers'; those people who want to be different. Gladwell values this sort of individuals. They are the ones that do not conform. In the IT world it is difficult to decide who is doing that. We have some technology to get us by, or preferences, and ultimately we have habits and routines. We can all be innovators in our own world, perhaps some more than others, those who like to experiments.

We seem to be missing the other types of people that Gladwell mentions. Where are the connectors, those people who make bridges between different communities, people who can act as intermediaries between innovators and the rest? Well, maybe they are the same guys that you see with Apple® products. They just love them. They keep talking about the wonders they do. But the same is true for other people, like my friend Beatriz who loves her Kindle® reader. She has got an Apple iphone® though. She sticks with the Kindle® (not an ipad®). She finds it more useful for their daily routines.

Where are those persuading the rest? Again, these guys seem to be the same who pioneer the use of products. However their message seems to be "This is what I do" rather than "How can this product help you?" They are not salespeople in the strict sense. Apple® seems to rely on setting examples. IT departments in organisations also do the same. In many cases I do not think that after admiration and awe everyone else follows. Hence, the need for good sales people. If we had to take stock from Gladwell, we might suggest that there should be some room in the Apple® and its competitors users communities for doing those things. What I found when going last week to an Apple® istore was a similar store to those of mobile phones. You might experiment with products, but the teaching, and the care might (not) be there. Gladwell sets as an example that of a children's book (I think, just finished reading the book last night), which triggered certain innovators to connect with teachers and others through small communities (no more than 150 individuals). He also uses examples of successful companies which, in order to keep a sense of community, organise themselves in units of no more than 150 people. It might be useful to think of these communities as those where the real innovation and adoption of mass change happens. I might not be knowledgeable of what IT companies do in this regard. It could well be that some communities form 'expert' forums, or 'user forums'. It would be useful to see how their message spreads across, if anyone can get invited and become a 'convert', or you need to proof yourself before doing that (by buying products and becoming an 'expert').


Speaking about stickiness, in the IT and communications world it seems that once you move from one product to another, you stick with it, at least for a good while, either because you love it (and you show it on the train, at work, with friends), or because your contract says so. This is the example of mobile phones. I checked iphone® contracts, they are over 18 months, so just to make sure you stick with it. The product itself might be sticky in its appearance, content (applications) too. Competitors are now working on making products use simple (with a touch interface for instance). How about its use in daily life?

Finally, there is the aspect of context. It is about creating conditions for people to embrace change. Conditions where it could feel safe to follow, or not to follow (for instance in the case of addictions like smoking), with a clearer understanding of the non-average (see my previous post on this blog) need to come together. We are irrational human beings, Gladwell argues, and that needs to be accepted rather than rejected. I wonder if the context of conditions for people like me in an educational setting have become appropriate to embrace change. Some minimum things are required. In the case of technologies, it should be possible to better interact with my students. I cannot see that yet. Or possibly I have not become convinced that these technologies are to bring positive improvement...YET.

My verdict so far for Apple®, Dell®, and others that might like to become the main market players is not that great. Apple® seems to be ahead of the pack in terms of the stickiness factor and with competitors following. However, we do not find easily communities of individuals and individuals themselves that pioneer, connect and persuade others. We do not find access to those communities unless we are already consumers of products. We could try the products though. However, a key element missing is that of the context of use. How we decide to use products in our daily life is likely to depend on other things that products themselves, one of them usefulness.

But who knows, maybe I am just like the rest of the people, I am waiting for others to lead me, or maybe I have my own habits which are not 'average'.

For the time being, I stick to my Dell® netbook (had to repair it once already!), and my Sony Ericcson® mobile. Still I do not follow, maybe I am still waiting for a killer product or application to convince me.

Who knows...