A blog about User Interface, User Experience, Design, Flash, Product management and all that goes in between.

Joost (up until recently code named ‘The Venice Project’ ) has released it’s Mac beta (only Intel Macs at the moment) – this is good news for us Mac users.The general feeling is pretty much same as with Windows, performance is good, video quality has improved.The interface has slightly evolved since my last review, but small details are somehow still neglected, mainly fonts inconsistencies and text placement issues. But the issue I am more disturbed about is the remote control readiness – better say Not Ready.Apple Intel computers ships with Apple Remote and are the only platform that actually justifies the full-screened interface, allowing a real lean backwards experience, controlling your Mac with one hand from across the room.Joost does not support the Apple Remote, furthermore the interface is simply not ready for a remote control, as it is still relying on a point & click control (a mouse), and many details in the interface are too small for using from a distance.I believe Joost will eventually be remote controlled, but at the moment the users are getting used to a certain UI logic, and it will be harder to change the entire interaction habits in a future stage, leading me to think that since Joost is “a new way to watch TV”, maybe the beta program was released a bit too early?

Dealing with ideas and startups, we get to talk with entrepreneurs, VCs and BizDev guys, very often we are asked what is the technological edge in the idea? what will differentiate it from imitations and prevent competitors from copying the idea? hmm, how about nothing?

In todays reality, what makes a product hot often has nothing to do with pioneering technology, what was Flickr’s technological edge? what was YouTube’s? yes, yes, I know, both these examples have deep technological aspects in their solution/product/service, but Flickr really did not invent something new in terms of technology, neither did YouTube. for each example I can name a better reason for succeeding other than a technological edge, mainly Timing, face it, many of those web2.0 companies are really implementing OLD ideas, in a better circumstances, as today the users are more willing to accept & participate in “advanced” concepts.

So what is the importance of a technological edge in the chances of a new idea to succeed ?

Since It is simply not necessary today to have huge development departments in order to make applications people want, it is time to omit the technology from the phrase – the edge may be the user experience in your product (e.g. iPod), integrating well with other services (mashup), or being open for enhancements from third party players (open API), and more important – successfully integrating these in your business plans & objectives.

I value the user experience the most because this is what counts for users at the end, I use Flickr, Skype, de.icio.us, because it is easy and convenient, not because they use this platform and not another, and this counts for success – how many users are actually using it, and what impact it has on our life.