I Hate Computers – this really needed to be reposted. I’ve argued this with my friends for years, and it’s absolutely true. Computers are a means to an end for most people, and it’s a needlessly frustrating journey.
This is a great quote from the comments of that post illustrating the other opinion: “I think users expectations are so high of the people like Microsoft and others that they don’t educate themselves since computers should “just work”, well the real world doesn’t work that way”. That is just a horrible way to treat customers. When you watch TV, drive a car, or use a blender it should just work. I think we in technology has just become complacent with things not working that we expect everyone else to think the same way. Technology is supposed to my our lives easier.
We need to make computers “just work”. Period.
“Computers that just work”. Let me think… Does iPhone ring a bell? Already done. The expectations of techies and of regular users are very different things. Want another name? iPad. Already done. Pick another battle.
Comment by Lucia — April 24, 2010 @ 10:38 am
But that’s the problem. Other than using a blender, your examples DON’T “just work”. With TVs you have to make sure that your equipment, signal, media, etc all line up in a certain fashion. Want to watch a BluRay at 1080P? Not on that Emerson 32″ tube that you’ve had since 2000. Cool, you went and got a spiffy new 52″ LG LED LCD, now you can watch that BluRay at 1080P, right? I mean it says so right on the TV’s box that it supports that. Wait, I need an HDMI cable? WTF is that? They cost HOW much?
Or driving your car. Sure you can get in, turn your key and hope it starts up. But if you don’t do regular maintenance it’s a crap-shoot. ::Turn:: ::CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK:: Ah #$%&. Is that the battery? The ignition? The clutch? The flux capacitor? How the eff should I know? I just fix computers.
Comment by Goatama Himself — April 26, 2010 @ 4:42 pm
“iphone” “ipad” lol I guess Lucia doesn’t actually practice what she preaches.
Comment by chris — July 22, 2010 @ 3:19 pm