David Rothman pointed me to Michael Lasky’s PC World review of the Pepper Pad. Lasky bangs on Pepper, saying he can’t recommend it.
Too often, I think, technology reviewers approach a new product without understanding it. Lasky tells us how the Pepper performs when playing music or videos before comparing it to “notebook computers available for the same or a lower price.” We wouldn’t let an automotive reviewer conclude a review of a Prius hybrid to a Chevy truck by saying the truck is the better deal because it has a bigger engine for the same money, so why let technology reviewers off so easy?
Lasky and others need to remember that Americans with mobile phones outnumber Americans with home internet access almost two to one. Clearly, PCs are missing the point, and I’m pretty certain price isn’t the issue. I’ve known too many people who’ve decided their PCs are too spyware, malware, and bloatware infested… too troublesome to continue using.
The Pepper Pad (and the Nokia 770, I like them both) may be able to open that market of more than 80 million Americans who find their cellphone an essential part of their lives, but don’t have the same feelings for Internet access.