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Public Hardware Beta Tests

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the first-one-is-free dept.

orangerobot writes "Commercial software companies have performed public beta tests of their products for quite some time but more recently Philips Electronics has started holding public betas of new consumer hardware gadgets. A few months ago it was the Streamium MC-i250, and now it's their iPod clone the HDD-100. Public hardware betas seem like a great way to do a bit of marketing and user testing at the same time maybe more companies will pick up the same idea." This seems like a great idea for a company wanting to collect usability data on their interfaces, so that the release version can be tweaked.

13 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. This isn't new by wwwgregcom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I once got a free internal DSL modem from Efficient Networks because they were beta testing the drivers on their new internal card on linux. Very nice of them, I hear the card was expensive.

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  2. This is a great idea... by alwsn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Having just filled out the form, this is a win win for Philips. Only 50 people will get the hardware, which costs them next to nothing.

    But when they get out of the deal is thousdands of people filling out pretty detailed information that they normally wouldn't fill out in the hopes of getting something for free.

    Good idea.

  3. Let me know by tmark · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let me know when you all finish filling out the application. I quit when I saw that the 3rd page had what looked like at least 20-30 additional questions. Forget the beta-test, what Phillips is really looking for is a lot of data points on a a huge market research study - I'm sure they could care less about the actual beta-test itself.

    1. Re:Let me know by Naikrovek · · Score: 4, Interesting

      right, and it was that page that let you express your love for the OGG format, which is the only reason i filled out the page. i don't give a poo if i get to trial it, i just want them to know that i dig OGG and it is important to me.

    2. Re:Let me know by OMEGA+Power · · Score: 2, Interesting

      True that the main purpose is market research but the questions are not invasive from a privacy standpoint and I for one would like companies that make mp3 players to know things like I want them to support OGG, or I perfer firewire to USB.

    3. Re:Let me know by Mac+Degger · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Then again, you might just fill in the form in a way which makes you more desirable for the beta :)

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  4. OGG by tomcio.s · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wow. They said OGG... That would be nice. Open souce codec, and they are willing to build in support. Wow. I am just speachless. Maybe we are making more headway than we have previously thought.

  5. Releasing products when they are ready by 200_success · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Whatever happened to releasing a product when it's ready?

    Some issues, like usability, do benefit from a beta. The more morons you expose a product to, the more likely one of them will report a usability problem. Remember the "butterfly ballot" problem in Florida? A well conducted beta would have changed history.

    Beta users volunteering to test a product that isn't dangerous is a good thing.

  6. Re:Yeah... by Alien+Being · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Funny, but false. Alfa has had several models designated "Beta".

  7. Re:Damn You Slashdot! by rusty0101 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Since they have opted to disqualify anyone they wish, they may disqualify all applicants from when the story hit Slashdot to it's expiring from the most recent days. (two, three days?)

    You may get your chance yet...

    -Rusty

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    You never know...
  8. iPod clone??? by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 2, Interesting
    How come everyone seems to call any new hard disk MP3 player an iPod clone now? It's not like Apple was first. Might as well call them Archos clones, especially since the Philips unit is a recorder, like most Archos models, and unlike iPod.

    As far as I can see, the only innovation Apple did was pick a 1.8" hard disk instead of a 2.5" hard disk to save size (and greatly increase cost), and eventually add some rudimentary PDA functions.

  9. Why this works by 3ryon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    After filling out their lengthy survey (slim chance of being 1 of the 50 now that it's posted on /.) I can tell you why they do this. The "application" is basically a marketing survey. They'll get tens of thousands of these surveys completed, and it only cost them 50 devices.

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  10. very suspicious survey by heff · · Score: 2, Interesting

    as someone who studies marketing and org. comm. i found the "eligability survey" philips required very suspicious.

    The questions they asked were more or less market research questions and I found it difficult to see the relevance that those questions might have in determining a persons ability to test a product.

    I could be wrong, but I suspect they use these signups as a way to whore people into providing marketing information such as demographics etc.

    I speculate the actual hardware test itself is a front for this.

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