ABC News did a fluff piece on Sony's new Internet TV (with Google TV built-in) that included this close-up view of its remote.
I mean, really! Really??
I tried to count the buttons but I got too bored. In any case, it sure seems to have a lot of 'em.
What is the goal of a remote? To help a client find and watch content; it's not to be able to do every single conceivable thing, whether the client wants it or not. Can you use this in the dark? Can your spouse use it? Can your mom?
Who is the intended user persona of this thing??
As Sony puts it, "Enhance your TV experience with the power of the web."
The "features" of Sony's new TV include "An HDTV that’s powerful."
An HDTV that’s powerful. Imagine the performance with Intel Inside®. The Sony Internet TV has enough processing power to easily load sites and stream videos, while a wireless handheld QWERTY remote will make navigation simple.
(Golly, are they really still trying to sell Intel Inside? Do customers care about the chipset any more? I thought that was over and done with.)
But Sony engineers have seen an iPod by now, haven't they? Here's the Apple remote:
Up, down, left, right, click. Can't you do virtually everything you want with this navigation?
Time to step back. What is the role of a remote? "What you want," not "everything you could ever want."
A google exec put it this way:
A good product is “what you want, when you want it” as opposed to “everything you could ever want, even when you don't.”
