Gadget User Blog

 

Well, a lot has happened over the last year in the gadget world! Sadly, I’ve been rather too busy to comment on the exciting developments we’ve witnessed, but I have been observing the exciting developments. I guess the most amazing has been the rise of tablet computing, thanks largely to the success of the iPad, released around April 2010.

This left other tech companies scrambling to get in on the action, when after initial skepticism, people realised Apple was onto something big. With the advent of iPad 2 this year, many of those companies are still scrambling and Apple remains market leader with the most sophisticated, stable and solid product on offer.

Here at GUB we have been following the fortunes of a small Indian start-up in this space called Notion Ink and their Adam tablet, which incidentally was a dream if its creator well before the iPad was launched.

We have even gone so far as to order the Adam and the following article is really about this experience. And what an experience it’s been… you see I don’t actually have the Notion Ink Adam tablet yet. I participated in a rather odd process called a pre-order. This means that you put some money down even before they have built the product. A little nerve wracking I must say, but there is some pleasure in thinking you are part of something new and exciting; helping a entrepreneur realise a dream of starting a new technology company.

But here I am some 6 weeks down the track after pre-ordering in mid-February and I’m still none the wiser about when I’ll see the Adam. The situation with Notion Ink is, that after some initial frequent communication about their progress as a company – like getting the product out to trade shows, putting on new staff and the challenges of certification for the tablet, chasing investors and the like – things have gone a little quiet!

There are several hundred people in the same boat mind, and several hundred others that have received one of the variants of the Adam tablet. Some love it and some are not so sure. Some of those waiting have given up and cancelled their order. Some who received and played around with the Adam decided it didn’t live up to expectations and have already sold their device to others eager to see the Adam.

A number of sites have sprung up courtesy of Notion Ink Adam fans who provide reviews, hacks, tips and tricks for the device. They also provide counselling for those who despite ordering the device weeks ago (in some cases 12 weeks ago), remain Adam-less. Forums are full of wild speculation – everything from Notion Ink is just a front to make us suckers part with some cash, to conspiracy theories about Chinese customs and suppliers.

I for one believe that Notion Ink is genuinely trying to create something special – perhaps not special for the whole world, but certainly special for India; a start up tech company that can challenge the best in the world. The company founder and CEO, Rohan Shravan has had a dream and is trying to make it a reality. That is to be applauded. And his early steps were inspirational. He cleverly created a community of passionate gadget enthusiasts around this idea and was open and accessible during the product’s development.

However, at the moment, this openness seems to have waned. Rohan’s blog updates at notioninkwordpress.com are becoming less frequent, his response to comments on the site have vanished. Direct contact to Notion Ink in Bangalore seems to yield inconsistent responses to customers concerned about the status of their Adam.

I’ve have taken a more ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to this pre-order process and am relying on my assessment that Notion Ink is suffering from start-up pain and chaos. Some pre-order participants are unfairly expecting that Notion Ink will behave like a well established tech company with a fully operational and efficient supply chain. They are not in this league – they barely have a supply chain together let alone a flawless distribution system. I hope Notion Ink are learning quickly from all of this – through a committed and passionate group of wannabe Adam users they have a unique opportunity to try make a dream a reality.

So I don’t think they are out to rip any one off. And while there are a lot of vocal people baying for blood on some of the forum sites – clearly disappointed and angry that their Adam is nowhere to be seen – there is an equally significant number patiently waiting for Notion Ink to deliver.

Those with most cause to be angry are those that ordered their Adam in December of 2010 and still don’t have the device in their hands – that group would surely be the priority for Adam now. But people who have ordered in January or February of 2011 already have the Adam, causing some understandable grief among the first batch of Adam pre-order participants. Add to this a feeling of being abandoned on the communication front and Notion Ink are not making it easy for their community of Adamites to maintain faith in the product.

Here at GUB, I’ll hold out for a few more weeks in the hope that some of the manufacturing, ordering and delivery chaos will start to sort itself out. Failing that I’ll have to reluctantly cancel the order and look elsewhere for that killer Android tablet.

If you were thinking of taking the Notion Ink Adam plunge and are waiting for the next pre-order round, my advice would be to hold off a little longer. I think if things go well in the next 4-6 months for Notion Ink they will have a competitive product on their hands, but at the moment the logistics of it all on the development, manufacturing and supply front seem to be letting them down.

And if you’re wondering,  this is the variant that I’ve ordered: PixelQi LCD, Wifi + 3G (UMTS 900/2100 MHz).

My order status remains: Shipment under process.

I patiently wait for an update. And for Notion Ink to deliver.