2.5 Days or Billion Days?

In my training sessions I often tell my delegates the following story:

20+ years ago someone went round the big car makers and asked them, if you had to make one of every car and combination of features of every car you make, how long would it take you?

Toyota answered 2.5 days
GM answered 2.5 billion years

I have to admit that I have lost and forgotten the source of my story although I try to find it from time to time. I think in general my story is correct. So, what now? Well, take a look here at the comparison between Android driven phones and Apple driven phones ... the key idea is complexity.

Complexity almost killed GM and I believe it should have. Apple is keeping things simple: is this a pointer to the future?

Android phones:
http://fortunebrainstormtech.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen-shot-2012-05-17-at-10-09-20-am.png

Apple Phones: essentially it has 3 platforms: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

In terms of resolution, scroll down this page and see how Android phones ooze complexity and choice compared with Apples supreme simplicity:

http://opensignalmaps.com/reports/fragmentation.php?

I find this very interesting!

DW