[stcredzero]

This is a lot closer, but still too far off the mark. It's still orders of magnitude inferior in terms of lag, convenience, and reliability, while being orders of magnitude more expensive.

Thinking about the iPhone briefly, I think the Steve Jobs formula is to wait until the device can be less than an order of magnitude more expensive, only half as convenient, and about as reliable as the thing it's displacing. I'm also wondering if Microsoft did actually make the right long term decision with regards to its Surface line of hardware.

[Qwertystop]

> I'm also wondering if Microsoft did actually make the right long term decision with regards to its Surface line of hardware.

Which decision would that be?

[refulgentis]

Does that formula, beyond being about as reliable, apply to the iPhone? It seemed the gate was if it was much more convenient.

[stcredzero]

The iPhone was much more convenient in a new context: having access to your data in your pocket, all the time. It was a worse cellphone, with regards to charging and call reception. However, it was good enough as a cellphone, and it enabled something else.