As a consumer tech blog, I would be remiss were I not to discuss Google I/O. Google I/O is an annual developer conference event held by Google to showcase products and software that they are developing and releasing. I wasn’t sure why it’s called I/O, and so I looked it up. I found this helpful article from Google’s blog, The Keyword.
“Originally, the name I/O was actually based on something numerical: a googol, the eponymous number that lends our company its name.
‘A googol is a one, followed by 100 zeroes, so that's where the I/O name and logo came from. We just took the first one and zero, and we left off all the other zeroes. It all goes back to Google,’ says Lorin.”
Oh, of course, the googol! You know, the thing with the one, and the zero? It’s easy to remember because it is very eponymous. So obvious - right there in front of me the whole time!
With that light shed, I can now say the event is called I/O because Google wants to confuse and put off as many casual consumers as possible, by having a completely opaque and abstract name for their marketing event.
Their blog confirms this:
“The fact that I/O’s name origins are so complex is a feature, not a bug. After all, Easter eggs and hidden meanings are a long-running Google tradition. ‘From the beginning, we wanted it to resonate with the developer community,’ says Lorin. ‘So the name Google I/O was almost like a puzzle to figure out.’”
You know, in the last week, I’ve been concerned that my last three blog posts on Chromebooks were a little bit dense; perhaps too niche. I feel better now. The occasional impenetrability of my writing is a feature, not a bug. As a writer, I should actually strive to be more like the Easter Bunny.
Anyway, whatever you think of the name, I/O 2023 was held last week. There were three products released:
The Pixel 7a, which is an affordable, budget phone, that will be pretty great for the price at Thanksgiving, but is not a steal today. There are no headline-worthy features. It doesn’t do anything in particular that your current phone doesn’t do. But if you need a new phone, it will be a nice option once it inevitably goes on sale.
The Pixel Fold, which is like the Pixel 7a, but costs $1,800, and can unfold to have a screen that is twice as large, thus signaling primacy to your fellow nerds.
The Pixel Tablet, which is also like the Pixel 7a, except larger, less convenient, and not a phone. It’s nice if you want to have a bigger version of your phone around the house, for wasting time on apps. The Pixel Tablet facilitates maximum screen time in your household. It is there for the moments when you would feel guilty about watching TV, but still would like to stare at a screen, but your phone is too smallish and want to treat yourself a little.
Sarcasm aside, I don’t see a wide use-case for the latter two products. A folding and unfolding phone is a great party trick. There must be a legitimate use case, because I see my fellow tech writers drooling over this device, and I don’t think they are simply Google fan boys. Even so, I imagine that’s a very special moment when you’re going to need the exact utility offered by the Pixel Fold. I try to think how often I need a larger screen, but also don’t want to be carrying an iPad or laptop with me. I’ve heard mention of train commuters using this for something. I don’t get it, but that’s just me. Whatever the case, $1,800 is an insane price for something that is a mediocre combo version of devices that cost much less. The price certainly does not seem to have been set in pursuit of mass adoption.
The Pixel Tablet also seems to be aimed at very particular, unique user. It’s not powerful and dynamic enough to compete with an iPad, for practical uses, like graphics design or point of sale terminals. Yet, it still costs $500, which is a lot of money for basically a bigger, disconnected version of the phone everyone carries. I’ve heard the argument made that the $500 price includes both the tablet, and the speaker/charger docking station, which is $130, so it’s really just a $370 tablet. Seems like a stretch. $130 is a lot of money for the docking station, which is essentially just a charger and a middling speaker, and $370 is still a lot for a redundant device. One way or another, this is an expensive gadget (or combination of gadgets) that doesn’t do anything I can’t already to from the phone in my pocket.
The other main thing you need to know from I/O is that Google is really going to try to nail this AI thing that they’ve been hearing all the kids talking about. As Bing is somehow, improbably, making noise about supplanting Google as a search engine (due to it’s ChatGPT integration), this makes sense that AI would weigh heavily on the minds at Google I/O.
In fact, the term “AI” was dropped well over 100 times in the I/O presentations. Yes, people were counting. Might as well have called it AI/I/O. And if we’ve made it that far, might as well preface it with an “e” for electronics, and it can be e-AI/I/O. Then we can write a jingle for it, to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
And with that, I’ve solved their confusing name problem.