ReinventMobile recently released a study of user preferences regarding their mobile PC. The study analyzed close to 4,000 conversations about mobile PC’s across the web to extract user likes and dislikes about current mobile PC’s.
Most of the findings (below) are mere statistical validation for common sense. Things like wishing they could revert from Vista to XP, faster end-solution (leaner software or faster hardware, users didn’t care), and longer battery life.
The surprise was how strongly users felt on a few particular issues–they abhorred long boot times, hated trialware (prefer to just pay up front), and wished wi-fi issues would disappear.
Main findings:
- Boot-up time is wasted time that lasts too long and reduces productivity
- Too many unnecessary software add-ons are slowing down mobile PCs
- The tribulations of too many trial software offers and applications is an issue
- Heat build-up and noise during continuous operation annoys users
- Power management and batteries need a boost to buy more operating time
- Trying to connect is often a disconnect, particularly in the wireless world
- Weight weighs heavily on their decision about what system to buy
- Poor ergonomics and badly designed input devices are a strain
- Insufficient RAM, weak graphics, faulty motherboards are big areas of complaint
Full study available here.