In most instances, you get one bite of the apple.
Those who are offered a second opportunity hope the same imprint in not made.
Apple introduced a new device last week: the iPad.
The description is somewhere between a smartphone (iPhone) and a computer (MacBook). Apologies to all those who are Windows aficionados, but this is about more than who has the most computer weapons. It is about ingenuity, changing the game, and plowing the way for others to follow.
No one knows at this point whether the new Steve Jobs LED tablet will change the rules or be a passing fancy for a few people who love the latest gadget. But if a track record is worth reviewing, the CEO of Apple has a string of technology changes to his credit, both devices and content access.
For those of us in the media business, this venture into tablets (this is the second time around for Apple) at least affords a chance to redeem some missed opportunities from 20 years earlier.
Back in the 1980s as the Internet was beginning to blossom, news organizations decided they needed to play on the Internet, but there was a significant issue.
The driving force came from the content providers - the newsroom - advocating to fill the open space on the Internet with news items that for decades were accessible only through printed products and cash payments.
Somewhere along the superhighway, the advertising people were left behind.
There were no business plans. Ask someone to produce one, but make sure the ink is not wet.
Bragging rights: We are online.
The pressure became too great for those who set up a pay wall not to take it down. Bloggers and other overnight publishers owned computers and teased traditional media companies to enter the world of free access.
What was lacking for most players - those who are traditional and others who sprang up - was a financial structure that supported the investment of content resources. As the years progressed, it became more apparent that mere page views and unique visitors were hard to distinguish for the prospective advertiser.
For all of the critics of printed newspapers, there are audit numbers that provide
advertisers with real data. The fly-by online visitor was of minimal value except for bragging rights as to users and viewers.
Something needed to change as reader and viewer choices started shifting from traditional delivery systems to digital devices. There was one emerging issue in the early digital shift, and that was being tied to either a desktop computer or a laptop. Then came the smartphone, a telephone hybrid device that allowed the user to have content access in the palm of a hand all the time.
The new era being ushered in with the iPad from Apple is not about promoting one company over another. The change is portability in a format that assists those looking for a larger screen and a lighter weight in a more compact package than a computer.
The iPad will not reverse the fortunes of media companies that chose to provide free access to content, but it does open the opportunity to reconsider the business proposition of content distribution.
The next several months will be used by media companies to better understand the potential of the new portable devices.
The question is whether this time around there will be a comprehensive approach in creating a business model that supports the dissemination of information.
Time will tell.
To reach Tom Griscom, call 423-757-6472 or e-mail tgriscom@timesfreepress.com.