| Editorial February 2005
Solving Problems vs. Creating Art
This year’s was the first Consumer Electronics Show
I’ve not attended in several years. Watching the coverage from the comfort of my home
instead of from within the throngs of reporters gave me an opportunity to reflect on the
proceedings from afar. The SoundStage! Network’s coverage of this granddaddy of audio/video
shows revealed that, as always, a healthy number of home-theater and high-end audio
products were introduced. Whether they knew it or not, at CES 2005 there was something for
almost everyone.
As I suppose most consumers do, when I look at new products
I find myself thinking, "Would I want to buy that?" I usually come back at
myself with an answer like, "Well, I might buy it if I were . . . " Putting
myself in what I assume is the target market’s shoes, I try to envision the
manufacturer’s goals and make an internal note as to whether, in my mind,
they’ve succeeded. For the most part, new products are designed to satisfy what their
makers see as market needs -- problems that had to be solved in order to make the
consumer’s life better, more entertaining, whatever.
Here’s an example: Does any HDTV manufacturer out
there not believe that space-saving flat-panel TVs solve a problem for many
consumers? Or how about Apple’s newest iPod, refreshingly affordable at $99 USD? For
legions of teenagers, the newest digital music technology has just become reachable. Do
you think Apple will try to halve the iPod’s cost again next year? Sure bet that they
will. When a company solves a problem such as the high cost of new technology or
unacceptably hulking big-screen TVs, it’s going to profit.
But not all products solve problems. In fact, some products
weren’t conceived to meet any demand, real or perceived. Instead, such a
product, when successful, creates a market simply by its existence. Such products,
to me, are more akin to art, and are thus far removed from the average gizmo on the
Convention Center floor at CES. Looking at the displays of high-end audio gear at the
Alexis Park hotel at this year’s CES, for instance, left me with the impression that
some designers could care less about filling a market niche. Instead, they seem singularly
concerned with realizing their vision, as opposed to satisfying yours or mine.
I’m not implying that one type of product requires more engineering skill to produce
than the other. I am stating that what I’ll call the "problem solver" and
"the product as art" were born for different purposes, and that their respective
buyers will purchase them for very different reasons.
I buy both. A flat-screen LCD panel hangs on our
living-room wall. My wife loves it because it solved the problem of having a widescreen
monitor without having to place an elephant coffin in the room -- it doesn’t infringe
on the room’s living space. I also have a pair of sculpted speakers painted as if
they were one of the world’s finest automobiles. Although they perform their function
magnificently, these speakers were designed as pure artistic expression. I daily enjoy the
LCD and the speakers as they perform their functions as parts of my home-entertainment
system. As you read our CES coverage, keep in mind that you’re looking at apples and
oranges -- they taste different, but each can be satisfyingly delicious.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
