#FUNDRAISING: Does Your Nonprofit Need Help Keeping Up With Its Growing Donor Base?
OpenPetra’s Client Screen
Just this past week Idealware published its 2013 Field Guide to Software for nonprofits and charities. The staff at Idealware demarcate a number of areas that nonprofits and software developers have been collaborating, such as social-networking management, and gives reviews and how-tos on some of the solutions in the market. The book can be had via Amazon ($25) or directly from Idealware’s site ($20).
As you know, though, MKCREATIVEmedia has been tracking software developments for our clients for a number of years now, and we want to share some recent developments in the field of Customer Relations Management software (CRM). In particular, we have found some open-source and free platforms well worth considering to manage your donors and volunteers.
| Category Campaigns, Client Roster, Communications, Cross-Post, Desktop Apps, Development, Donor Acquisition, Fundraising, How-to, iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, Major Gifts, Measurement, Mobile, Mobile, Nonprofit, Project Management Tools, Research, Reviews, Site Administration, Software Review, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Volunteerism | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Let Your iPhone Connect You To Volunteers & Deserving Projects
Apple has not always been a forthcoming corporation when it comes to providing outreach for nonprofits and charities. Many lamented the early iterations of the iPhone for not allowing fundraising applications due to iTunes Store’s stingy policies. Indeed, nonprofits were not even allowed to develop apps if any money were expected to change hands. Though policy has not changed (and Apple still demands a $99 fee to have access to the storefront), many nonprofits are finding ways to leverage the iOS platform of the phone without running afoul with Apple’s lawyers. MacLife‘s A.J. Dellinger offers a compendium of eight such apps that use the iPhone’s OS, and we wanted to highlight a few of those apps to give you a sense of the directions developers are marking as they write software for the nonprofit sector.
| Category Advertising, Advice, Advocacy, Campaigns, Cause Marketing, Communications, Cross-Post, Crowdfunding, Fundraising, How-to, iPhone Apps, Marketing, Media Review, Mobile, Mobile, Nonprofit, Reviews, Social Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#VIDEO: Ken Sterns’s Book Offers Tough Love To Nonprofit Economy
Ken Sterns, former CEO of NPR, challenges the nonprofit sector
Ken Sterns has served as CEO of National Public Radio, arguably one of the best-known nonprofits in the country. He supports The American Red Cross, and has served on the boards of a number of charities. So when his book, And Charity for All argues that the nonprofit sector is a huge part of the American economy, yet the least productive sector as well, people listen. And they should.
Mr. Sterns was recently interviewed at The Huffington Post, as he joined a roundtable (‘multiscreen’) discussion that included Alexander Berger at GiveWell; Dr. John Brothers, founder of Quidoo Consulting; and Rigo Sabarino, President and CEO of St. Barnabas Senior Services. The interview begins with him throwing down the gauntlet, wondering if the nonprofit community is even worth preserving.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Book, Book Review, Civics, Community, Cross-Post, Development, Fundraising, Interview, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Public Relations, Publications, Reviews, Storytelling, Strategic Marketing, Video Interview | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: Questions & Answers Can Be Shared On Quora
The Latin term ‘quorum’ (pl.pronoun: ‘of whom’) has almost no connection to what the term means in Anglo-American law, namely: “the minimum number of members of an assembly that must be present to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.” Without digging too deeply into the Oxford English Dictionary, the term evolved from Norman circuit courts in late-medieval England as the scribes noted the names ‘of whom’ appeared as witnesses of and jurors at trials. The term has been appropriated by the social-networking/question-posing site Quora. The site has been around since 2010, but it has really taken off in the last few months, and we wanted to introduce you to it before whenever the next apocalypse is due.
| Category Advice, Civics, Community, Cross-Post, Education: General, How-to, iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, Mobile, Public Media, Resource, Reviews, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Technology | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Use Crowdbooster To Marshall Your Social Media Conversations
Let this platform tame your Tweetstream and Timeline
Numerous social-networking monitoring sites are out there by now: Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Klout, Tinker… As programmers develop new tools, and social platforms like Facebook or (even!) MySpace evolve, the staff at a nonprofit can feel overwhelmed with the changes. What is important to remember in this fast-changing communications environment is that you are looking for tools that are beneficial to you and your organization − not (necessarily) the latest platform that is getting some buzz. One of the newer sites meant to aggregate metrics from your social networks is Crowdbooster, and we do believe it is worth a look because it helps your busy staff consider the near future of its social-media outreach as well as lay out the past trends.
| Category Advice, Communications, Dashboards, Education: General, How-to, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Project Management Tools, Resource, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Strategic Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 2 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Setup A Pheed Account & Why It Could Prove Valuable For Nonprofits
Pheed offers easy, and copyrighted, blogging
Alright, I admit that when I first heard about one of the newest social networks out there, Pheed, I was underwhelmed. Are we not overwhelmed with social networks as it is? But both professional engagement and personal curiosity got the better of me, and I signed up. The interface looks rather like Tumblr, whose praises we have often sung on this blog. The screenshot to the left is Pheed’s signup page: clearly it is pitched toward an artistic, and likely younger, audience. Nevertheless, it has a couple of features that nonprofits and charities could find especially useful as they present their own content via their social networks. Here’s how to sign up and see if it could be of use to your organization.
| Category Advice, Blogs, Branding, Cause Marketing, Communications, Copyrighting, Education: General, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Nonprofit, Permission Marketing, Public Media, Public Relations, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Tools, Web and Print, Web Design | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#DEVELOPMENT: Do You Have Big Plans For Your Big Data? Not So Fast…
The latest buzz concept is ‘Big Data.’ Like most buzz concepts/ words, its definition leaves much up to the mouth of the speaker. Big Data, whatever the specifics, refers to the large amount of information that can be collected from online activity and exchange of information (on social networks, for example). The ability to aggregate such information from posts, streams, and online purchases creates some truly ‘big’ numbers. And they are only further extended with the collection of information from rewards programs and loyalty cards.
But Big Data can also trick us with impressive numbers like our Twitter followers or Facebook friends − but who within that number are encouraging each other to support our causes? Though ‘numbers don’t lie,’ statistics do, so an organization must know how it’s going to parse the data is collecting and what it hopes to achieve with the effort.
| Category Advice, Communications, Community, Crowdfunding, Development, Fundraising, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Media Review, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Resource, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Strategic Marketing, Thought for the Day, Tools | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: Can Niche Online Networks Outperform Your Nonprofit’s Facebook Page?
Have you defined your organization’s niche?
Our participation in online social networks seems well beyond the status of a ‘fad.’ In some parts of the world, people risk censure − if not their lives − to post important information on such platforms as Facebook and Twitter. These social networks are the current heavy hitters, of course. But what about developing people’s interests in your nonprofit’s causes? Or engaging a peer group already predisposed to support your charity’s fund drive? The hard fact is, the best-known social platforms might just be too big for that kind of conversation. And we might just be witnessing the start of a tidal shift away from the bigger-is-better mantra of social outreach toward niche conversations among like minds. Could these more concentrated communities really be worth the effort of building a presence on yet another social network?
| Category Advice, Blogs, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community, Facebook, Facebook, Fundraising, LinkedIn, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Media Review, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Strategic Marketing, Technology for Nonprofits, Twitter, Twitter, Web and Print | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#DESIGN: Is Your Nonprofit’s Logo Helping Your Cause?
Clarity, scalability, & meaning were much improved in this logo redesign.
Has your nonprofit (re)considered its logo recently? Does it present your organization with the color, the terms, the attitude you want to covey quickly to an audience? For most nonprofits, getting a meaningful and professional logo carries some heavy ambivalence: Of course you want people to recognize your organization, whether they see the logo on a letterhead appeal for support or on a bumper sticker given out at a local festival. But if your logo is ‘too professional,’ might you be suggesting donors’ dollars are going toward a firm on Madison Avenue rather than to the community you want to support?
But a logo can make or break your outreach efforts, so you better err on the side of professional, or your nonprofit will be ignored in what is, alas, a tightly competitive fundraising market.
| Category Advertising, Advice, Advocacy, Branding, Case Study, Cause Marketing, Communications, Design, Graphic Design, How-to, Marketing, Nonprofit, Publications Design, Reviews, Social Marketing, Web and Print | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: NFC Means More Than Paying By Mobile Phone
Wave-&-Ride to replace Swipe-&-Ride?
Near Field Communication has been around for a few years now, though the most popular mobile device, the iPhone, does not (yet?) carry the necessary transmitters to take advantage of it. The technology requires its own dedicated chip to send and receive data. Thus far, Google’s Android phones have been taking the lead in the US economy, but one of the more pulsating rumors about the iPhone 5 is whether it will contain said chip. The web consensus seems to be ‘probably not yet’, but as people become ever more aware of what NFC can do, then Apple will surely enter the market.
| Category Advertising, Banking & Finance, Communications, Marketing, Mobile, Mobile, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Reviews, Social Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: Sweat The Details, But Focus On The Big Picture
In cyberspace, no one need hear you scream.
Ever feel like your nonprofit or small business is doing some pretty interesting stuff online to share the really interesting stuff you are doing in the real world − but no one seems to be hearing you? You are not alone in having those feelings, especially on a Monday − on a week that sees back-to- school for many kids and the start of the political convention season. We all could use a little pep talk.
Plenty of research shows that activity on social networks for businesses and charities pays dividends in many different ways, but what must be remembered is that some of those ways are not quantifiable. Which is not to say they do not have value. Consider this:
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Blogs, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community, Fundraising, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Media Review, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Publications, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Thought for the Day | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Establish Your Tumblr Account Preferences To Stay Organized
33 million blogs in 8 languages − Where's yours?
We have already presented videos on how to sign on to Tumblr and how to tweak the settings of your new blog − including how to ensure your activity on Tumblr is reflected in your Twitter account and on your Facebook page (though recent developments have limited the interaction between Twitter and Tumblr, alas). We want to continue with more how-tos associated with Tumblr both because we think the platform is an easy and flexible way to communicate with the larger world and because many have reached out with questions and ideas about the series. We appreciate your contacts and questions − thank you!
Today we present a video about Tumblr’s account preferences (to be distinguished from the blog’s settings).
| Category Blogs, Communications, Design, Facebook, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Public Relations, Resource, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Storytelling, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Twitter, Video | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#MARKETING: Can Nonprofits Take Advantage Of Pinterest’s Open Platform?
We talked about Pinterest last week when we discussed the fact that the social-media platform has been opened to the public, who no longer need to wait for an invitation. The incredible growth of the platform, already the fastest growing social network in the brief history of such networks, is likely only to continue over the next few years. The questions for nonprofits and small businesses should focus on how to think about Pinterest as a tool to reach more donors, volunteers, and customers. In order to answer some of those questions − even to ask the right questions − one must appreciate what Pinterest ‘is’ and get a sense of what current users expect of each other and of the sharing that goes on. We’re here to help with just those questions.
| Category Advertising, Advice, Branding, Cause Marketing, Communications, Design, Fundraising, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Nonprofit, Pinterest, Public Media, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Web and Print | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Sometimes A Security Breach Is Just A Phonecall Away
What's in your password?
The dog days of summer are upon us. We long for an afternoon at the pool or a weekend at the beach before schools and the NFL kick off. The security of our email and our online shopping accounts probably aren’t on the top of our to-do lists. And nefarious hackers seem to know this: July saw a striking number of high-profile security breaches and website hacks. Even the esteemed Reuters news site was hacked to allow a fake reporter to post that Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal died.
If Reuters’s services can get cracked, what’s a nonprofit organization or a poor individual who has no say in his or her cloud service‘s security standards to do? Actually, one can do quite a bit. But even then, vigilance and the occasional decoupling of online services are needed to avoid disaster, as poor Mat Honan of Wired.com recently discovered just a bit too late.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Blogs, Civics, Education: General, How-to, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Publications, Resource, Site Administration, Social Media, Software Review, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: Pinterest Goes Public Though Gender Gap Remains
All aboard?
The big but unheralded news in social networks this past week was the fact that Pinterest went public − not an IPO, but the hitherto ‘by invitation only’ site is now available to anyone who wants to establish an account. Facebook started that way lo those six or seven years ago. How has Pinterest fared? Pretty darn well: the site reached 10 million unique viewers in a month faster than any standalone website or service ever has. And that was before the doors were opened to the general public!
Which is not not to say all is good for the platform, which offers fabulously easy sharing of images on pin boards meant to be organized by topics.
| Category Advice, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community, How-to, Marketing, Media Review, Pinterest, Public Media, Public Relations, Reviews, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Web and Print, Web Design | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Set Up Your Tumblr Blog’s Settings & Connect To Twitter/Facebook
We continue our video series on setting up your nonprofit’s Tumblr blog account with a look at the two Dashboards within your account. We also explore the blog’s settings and what distinguishes them from your account’s preferences. Tumblr is a free platform and one that can give you an up-and-running blog in about 10 minutes − as well as powerful customization and design tools that can make your blog uniquely branded and connected. We’ll be introducing those more advanced features in future episodes.
What the Blog Settings offer that is worth emphasizing is the opportunity to connect your organization’s Twitter and Facebook accounts to your Tumblr blog. Once done, you can post something on Tumblr and have it announced on the other social-networking sites: three for the price of almost $0.
| Category Advice, Blogs, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community, Design, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, How-to, Marketing, Media Review, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Resource, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Twitter, Twitter, Video, Web Design | | 2 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#NONPROFIT: Some Models Of How Charities Use Tumblr
We’ve sung the praises of Tumblr a number of times on this blog, and today we want to present a few examples and ideas of just how nonprofits are using this free platform as a means to spread the word of their great work. One of the many great things about Tumblr is its simplicity of setup. That said, you don’t want to treat your organization’s efforts simplistically.
First off, you might want to consider Tumblr as your calling card to a larger audience, rather than as a venue for in-depth reports to your committed constituents. Tumblr loves images, quotes, and videos, but few go to their accounts to read long analyses. Your nonprofit definitely should have a place for such detail, but Tumblr might not be that place. How have nonprofits used it?
| Category Blogs, Branding, Campaigns, Cause Marketing, Communications, Crowdfunding, Design, Fundraising, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Reviews, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Technology for Nonprofits, Tumblr, Web and Print | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALMEDIA: How Young Is Too Old To Have Communications Expertise?
Would you hire any of these people for your social-media outreach?
Why don’t you all fade away, and don’t try to dig what we all say
I’m not trying to cause a big sensation, I’m just talkin’ ’bout my generation
The Who, “My Generation,” My Generation (1965)
Well, I’ve already dated myself. But I’m going to press on with this post anyway. Catherine Sloan, a recent graduate from the University of Iowa who already has byline credit with USAToday, posted an opinion blog at NextGenJournal.com with the title “Why Every Social Media Manager Should Be Under 25“. It has caused something of a ruckus − a sensation, if you will − and commentators and flamers have been debating her post for the last 10 days. Now that some of the heat has dissipated, we wanted to see if she cast any light on the generational and communications experiences of Millennials.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Aging, Blogs, Civics, Communications, Facebook, Facebook, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Public Media, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Technology, Twitter, Twitter | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALMEDIA: IOC Struggles To Corral First “Social Olympics” In London
Click on image to visit Infomous.com
The Opening Ceremonies went off without a hitch. Security concerns have been allayed thus far. The weather hasn’t been too bad. For Americans, we’ve had a few sub-par performances in the pool and on the gymnastics apparatuses, but so far, so good.
Unless the issue is how this so-called “First Social Games” is going. The social media events have not gone quite like fans, competitors, or International Olympic Committee members had thought it would − all for different reasons. Indeed, the biggest security dust-up has to do not with fears of terrorists, but fears of unwanted mention of sponsors by athletes and/or their supporters. Is the IOC fairly trying to protect the Olympic ‘brand’ or are its members greedily limiting expression through social media? And does anybody else really care?
| Category Advertising, Blogs, Case Study, Communications, Events, Facebook, Facebook, Geo-Location, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Mobile, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Twitter, Twitter, Video, YouTube | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Establish A Tumblr Account & Why You Should Do So
A couple of months ago we talked about the free blogging platform Tumblr, and the series got a great deal of response from you our audience, and we really appreciate your interest and feedback! We want to step up that earlier discussion with a series of video how-tos that will show you a Tumblr account, what can be set within that account, and why we think Tumblr is a great platform to develop a social-networking presence if your organization has not yet done so. Indeed, we find Tumblr such a simple and powerful platform that you even should consider moving your outreach to Tumblr!
Let’s begin by setting up an account, and exploring what you’ll see inside your new Tumblr account.
| Category Blogs, Communications, How-to, Marketing, Nonprofit, Resource, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Technology for Nonprofits, Video, Web and Print, Web Design | | 4 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Once Developed By Apple, Now Abandoned By Apple: EPEAT Standards
Has Apple lost its environmental cred?
It can be tough to love Apple, Inc. Stock prices over $600? Check. Over $100 billion in cold, hard, cash? You bet. Products loved even by those who don’t even own one? Of course! Profits over $6.5 billion a quarter? No sweat. Charitable organization? Er… Recycle program for its gadgets? Well, up to a point. Environmentally-sensitive product line? Yes, sort of. Unless we’re not. Tell you what, let’s just drop that off the list, ok?
Apple helped draw up the EPEAT standards for environmentally-friendly production of technologies back in 200-2001. But this past Tuesday Apple quietly backed out of its commitment to the program. In fact, Apple only responded yesterday, once word started to spread (darn that social networking stuff that Apple products do so well!) and some contracts were put on hold.
Why has the leading tech company withdrawn from its own environmental guidelines? Will the Apple brand be bruised by the move?
| Category Apple, Branding, Case Study, Civics, Hardware Review, iDevice, iPad/Tablet, News and Current Affairs, Opinion, Politics, Public Relations, Technology | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#HOWTO: Curate Information To Make Sense Of Your Nonprofit’s Ambitions
‘Content Curation’ is on of the new buzz concepts of the internet. The term refers to the activity of collecting, sharing, and responding to information on the internet in a consistent and focused manner. A ‘curator’ is traditionally defined as “a keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection.” And the new concept follows a similar line, albeit for a website or social-networking account. In a sense, many of us are already doing it, both as individuals and as spokespersons for our nonprofits and charities. If you are updating a Pinterest account or sharing what engages you on Scoop.it!, then you are already a ‘curator’ in some sense. But how can you push that activity to the proverbial next level, and how might curation be a boon for your nonprofit?
| Category Blogs, Cause Marketing, Communications, How-to, Marketing, Measurement, Media Review, Nonprofit, Pinterest, Project Management Tools, Research, Resource, Reviews, Scoopit, Site Administration, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Tumblr | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: OneClimate Is A Social Platform Primed For The Environmental Community
Of course those who are engaged in the pressing issues of environmental degradation and global warming want to reach out to audiences as wide as possible. The heavy hitters of social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…) can serve that purpose. But did you know that other social networks focus on particular issues and offer opportunities to talk with others focused on your organization’s concerns? If those concerns include those of the environment (from global industrial waste to local concerns of residue from asphalt runoff), sign up on the social network OneClimate.net. Why join yet another social-networking platform?
| Category Advocacy, Cause Marketing, Civics, Climate Change, Community, Community Gardens, Environment, Greening, Media Review, Nonprofit, Politics, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: A Storm & A Second Cause Disruptions That Remind Us Of Need For Vigilance (& Backups)
70+ mph winds and burning poles disrupt power
If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, then you might not be reading this blog on the Monday it was (hopefully!) posted. A freak and unpredicted storm ripped through the region Friday night − an effect of the 100+ heat and no breezes to break up the high-pressure cell parked on the region. Power is now out for some 560,000 residents of the Baltimore area, and millions in the region. The people who lost their lives in the storm (13 as we post), are of course the greatest tragedy, and we wish strength for the families.
From the perspective of communication and technology, the storm knocked out servers at Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, and Netflix, and the first two of that list especially struggled through the weekend. To make matters worse, the world’s “Coordinated Universal Time” clock tacked on an extra second on Saturday to account for irregularities in the earth’s rotation. Reddit, FourSquare, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon were some of the highest-profile services to fall victim to the extra tick. What can be learned from all this mayhem?
| Category Communications, Community, Media Review, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Public Media, Site Administration, Social Media, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Thought for the Day | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Microsoft Surfaces To Shake Up Tablet Market & Challenge iPad…Someday.
We really like the keyboard idea
Full disclosure: We at MKCREATIVEmedia are pretty Apple-centric, even though we are aware that many of our readers are using Microsoft products to access the blog. So when we heard that Microsoft want to enter the tablet market, we thought, “well, that’s about two years too late.” But we also wanted to see how Microsoft handled the announcement/release and what they wanted to bring to the market − and we wanted to keep an open mind.
The Microsoft Surface was announced this week, and − unlike ‘iPad’ − we really liked the name. In fact, on the surface, the new Surface has lots going for it, not the least of which are the millions of schools, nonprofits, corporations, and individuals who already have a Windows computer and who might be more comfortable waiting for a Windows-built tablet before jumping into the market.
Unfortunately, even the early reviewers at the Microsoft Event are not so sure that’s what will happen.
| Category Advice, Case Study, Communications, Design, Event Review, Events, Hardware Review, iPad/Tablet, Marketing, Mobile, Opinion, Reviews, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Video | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD