Agreed. My Mom wants an iPad, too.
I don't think my mom knows what an iPad is, yet, but if getting her one makes her stop calling me with computer issues then I'm sold!
Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
31–39 of 39 posts
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#32On making people feel like idiots... do we still need KatMouse* on Windows 7?
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#33This post is reminiscent of The Design of Everyday things. A book that receives much praise but really annoyed me. Not so much the message, but the way it was written.
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#34All the people defending the iPad as "the computer for the average person" are missing one important point. Those of us upset about the iPad being a highly restricted device, rather than an Apple tablet netbook, are not upset because it is targeted to a different audience. We are not upset because we will not be "the needed geek" anymore (I bet most are actually quite happy about that).
No. The problem is that Apple did not release anything else. They did not release a product for "professionals." Thus, some, perhaps many, IT people are upset because they were looking forward to a useful tool, and instead got a toy for mom.
edit: And I want to add, there is no sign at all that an Apple tablet netbook will ever be released. Many people are frightened that the iPad represents where Apple is going for all of their product line.
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#35Somehow I don't think that learning how to operate a unique proprietary user interface(iPad) will help people to operate a real desktop computer. While it may temporary help to boost users self confidence in using a computer it will only serve as a fallback after the inevetable frustrations with a full UI. What is realy apsent from the mind of older generations is the idea that computers are just tools, albeit imensl…
When I was using a Macintosh SE in 1989, my peers told me that I was dumb for not learning DOS commands so I could use a "real" computer. (Somewhat ironic: Now I'm a Linux user and spend all my time at the shell, and most of them are happily using Windows or Mac OS X...)
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Around 92 I was forced into a required class for basic computers. I didn't pay much attention, but got A's as it was covering topics I already knew well. What I did learn from that class was from the students as I noticed many were just downright afrid of the machines and would only do what the teacher said. There was no sense of play and the fear of "Blowing something up" was always there and I wondered how anybody…
There will always be people like that. My grandmother used to live with us as I was growing up, and she was always afraid of technology. She was afraid to touch the electronic thermostat... even though it only had two buttons and just displayed the set temp and the current temp. She was deathly afraid that she would 'break' it. {edit} On the other hand, you also have people that constantly break things as a result of…
My friend's sister would be constantly corrupting her external hard drive because she would just yank the plug to remove her laptop from her desk.
In the short term, your friend should tell her that she won't fix it anymore (or should have, whatever).
In the long term, thats a design problem. Not that I know how to fix it, but the idea that you can't just disconnect is something that needs teaching. If we can find a way that people can disconnect hardware (e.g. USB drives) that would be a good thing.
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#37I don't think many people who have grown up using computers struggle with basic file system concepts, installing programs or using office applications. Maybe we have reached the stage where a basic understanding of computing, along with basic numeracy and literacy, is necessary to function in modern society?
I disagree. About 2 years ago I lived with a college senior who didn't know what the "My Documents" folder is, where their downloaded files went or that they could put things in different places. All her files were in one place and she had to make sure their names were easy to remember.
Once, I put a folder on her desktop to download some images to, and she freaked out a bit. Funny shit for me, but a good learning experience as well.
Edit: This is one example. I have other, smaller, examples.
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#38I can see both sides of this issue. My parents have no problem with the computers for basic uses. My mom needs help more than my dad but if you tell her once, then she is ok.
On the other hand, one time about 10 years ago, I used a friends computer to print out a flier that I had made for a nightclub promotion. The name of the file had a cuss word in it. I forgot that I had copied it to the desktop to print it and the parents freaked. They were only a little bit mad about the cuss word. They thought I had put a virus on their machine because I changed the Desktop. They threatened to call the cops and try to have me kicked out of college. I calmly went it over there, explained that it was only a picture, and right clicked and erased it.
Until that point, I never realized that some people didn't know that you could place files on the Desktop of a computer.
Re: Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
#39Another addition:
My grandmother just played a Wii for the first time. Now my Grandmother has NEVER seen the thrill of video games since she first saw them 16 years ago. I mean she had no desire to play any whatsoever. When she saw me with the Wii she actually said "looks like fun, can I try?" and we played a game of bowling on the Wii. She didn't quite get the buttons but the motions she did and she had an absolute blast.
Its all about interaction with the computer, and letting people interact with it in a natural way. Geeks care about "multitasking" on a computer, non-geeks care about their computers always running at top speed for any application they use. They don't care that you can have 100 windows open at a given time, just the fact that 1 is open and works well and they'll close it an open another. How many people here enjoy the fact that the blackberry allows multi-tasking and you have to spend time worrying about background processes sucking up your cpu?
I think this is the reason why the chrome os has tons of potential.