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I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

baekdal.com

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Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#21

Post by GHFigs »

kamidev wrote: post #15

The author of this article is interesting because he is so obvious: "It's about giving people a great experience." In other words: it's all about selling stuff to consumers. Which is a great thing to say if - like Baekdal - you are marketing yourself as a guru to people to want to sell stuff. Many "usability" discussions have the implicit (sometimes explicit goal) of making it easy for users to do things without havi…

When you love what you are doing and try to make it as good as you can, using the right tools in the right way is a major part of the experience.

That's the point: "It's about giving people a great experience".

You made a mistake right off the bat by setting up the argument that "it's all about selling stuff to consumers" instead of the one actually made in the article. You're disagreeing right past agreement.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#22

Post by GHFigs »

philk wrote: post #17
philk wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What experience does an iPad deliver that I can't get from an iPhone, a netbook or a laptop?

To clarify, as the original post I replied to has been deleted. Premptively I'd like to say thanks to stdcredzero because his experiences with an HP tc1100 were very interesting. a) If I want to surf the web seriously or do some real work, I'm sitting down somewhere. At this point I want a decent keyboard, something that stands up by itself so I can use the keyboard and the ability to use more than one application at…

If I want to surf the web seriously

What does this mean, exactly? How would this be distinct from un-serious browsing? Is this something that a netbook is capable of?

...now I have to carry a bag around with me to hold the thing and keep track my bag while I'm out...

Millions of people do this daily without issue, whether backback, briefcase, messenger bag, or purse. It certainly hasn't held back netbooks or the Kindle. Why do you think it would be different for the iPad?

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#23

Post by loup-vaillant »

In my opinion, this article fails to draw a crucial line: the limit between what a user has to know and what he can ignore.

Speaking of cars, users have extensive knowledge of it. To the point that no one can legally drive a car without a driving licence. This represents dozens of hours of specialized learning and training.

And I was talking about a single purpose device. Computers have many purposes. No amount of user friendliness is going to hide this essential complexity. No matter what we do, users will have to know basic things like the difference between a computer and a program, between a browser and a the Internet, or between the address bar and the search box. If they don't, they could lose their privacy or their money. Just like driving left without looking can be lethal.

Many computer users lack this kind of knowledge. The only way we can give them a "great experience" is by teaching first. Until we do, they will stay dependent, helpless, and happy. (At least as far as computers are concerned, which is further and further, these days.)

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#24

Post by GHFigs »

mbrubeck wrote: post #20
GHFigs wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's going to charge me $100 for something I already have, and they're gonna charge me two times the price? Could you explain what you mean by this? I don't understand how Apple fits in to your previous purchases.

He's saying that Apple has a large markup on the flash storage options for the iPad, and if it supported USB or SD like most computers then they wouldn't be able to have such a price differential between models. (Or maybe they would; Apple has previously charged 2-3x market prices for RAM upgrades in build-to-order Macs, when users could save hundreds of dollars by buying their RAM elsewhere.)

That doesn't explain the relation to his previous purchases. I don't see the connection at all.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#25

Post by GHFigs »

loup-vaillant wrote: post #23

In my opinion, this article fails to draw a crucial line: the limit between what a user has to know and what he can ignore. Speaking of cars, users have extensive knowledge of it. To the point that no one can legally drive a car without a driving licence. This represents dozens of hours of specialized learning and training. And I was talking about a single purpose device. Computers have many purposes. No amount of us…

The only way we can give them a "great experience" is by teaching first.

Who do you mean by "we" and what exactly do you think should be taught?

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#26

Post by fragmede »

GHFigs wrote: post #24
mbrubeck wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's saying that Apple has a large markup on the flash storage options for the iPad, and if it supported USB or SD like most computers then they wouldn't be able to have such a price differential between models. (Or maybe they would; Apple has previously charged 2-3x market prices for RAM upgrades in build-to-order Macs, when users could save hundreds of dollars by buying their RAM elsewhere.)

That doesn't explain the relation to his previous purchases. I don't see the connection at all.

I have a 16-gigabyte SD card.

In order to have a 32-gigabyte iPad, I have to purchase the 32-gigabyte version for $600.

If the iPad had an SD card slot, I could hypothetically purchase a 16-gigabyte iPad for $500 and use my previously purchased 16-gigabyte SD card.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#27

Post by MrFoof »

hobb0001 wrote: post #3

> I even tell my dealer to change my tires twice a year > I even drilled a hole my wall, and bought a 60 feet cable, at the cost of $300 What?! Is this guy completely oblivious to the way he spends his money? > Yep, I am one of the drooling mac fanatics. Oh. Well, there you have it.

>I even tell my dealer to change my tires twice a year >What?! Is this guy completely oblivious to the way he spends his money?

Being a car guy, I can say that properly maintaining sports cars is not cheap.

To the average person who loathes paying $300 for a set of all-season tires every 40K-50K miles, maintenance budgets for a high-performance car can be terrifying.

I had to do long distance commuting in a Lancer Evolution MR for a while. The ultra-grippy tires would last about 10K commuting like a sane person. You could destroy them during a single track day at Watkins Glen. At $1300 a set (shipped, mounted, and balanced). And you still needed to maintain a good set of winter tires despite an absurdly complex torque-vectoring AWD system. And tires were not the biggest items on the maintenance budget.

Even the cheapest sports car money can buy in the US, a Miata, tears through $800 sets of summer tires pretty handily.

People aren't oblivious. Everyone has their priorities. Home. Cars. Technology. Food. Travel. Other hobbies. What some find ridiculous, others find normal, and vice-versa.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#28

Post by GHFigs »

fragmede wrote: post #26
GHFigs wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't explain the relation to his previous purchases. I don't see the connection at all.

I have a 16-gigabyte SD card. In order to have a 32-gigabyte iPad, I have to purchase the 32-gigabyte version for $600. If the iPad had an SD card slot, I could hypothetically purchase a 16-gigabyte iPad for $500 and use my previously purchased 16-gigabyte SD card.

You've restated exactly the part that I do understand. What I don't understand is where you see a connection between your previous purchases and what Apple charges for what they produce. You specifically said that Apple would charge you for what you already have, but it isn't clear where that occurs.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#29

Post by loup-vaillant »

GHFigs wrote: post #25
loup-vaillant wrote: post #23

In my opinion, this article fails to draw a crucial line: the limit between what a user has to know and what he can ignore. Speaking of cars, users have extensive knowledge of it. To the point that no one can legally drive a car without a driving licence. This represents dozens of hours of specialized learning and training. And I was talking about a single purpose device. Computers have many purposes. No amount of us…

The only way we can give them a "great experience" is by teaching first. Who do you mean by "we" and what exactly do you think should be taught?

"We" are developers, teachers, and even just any people who know some very basic stuff well. And we should teach:

First the very basics. What is a computer? A program? An OS? A network? The internet? A web browser? A web site? A URL? A search engine? A file? A text editor? Email? Web based mail?

Then, a bit about privacy and security. What is a virus? An anti-virus? A firewall? Spam? Fishing? Spam filters? Cryptography? TLS? How to spy on your husband? Can you trust strangers and companies on line (compared to IRL)? What is a weak password?

And finally, a crash programming course in a super-easy programming language so they can write a hello world, do some calculations, and a basic interactive program (like a dichotomy game). It shouldn't take more than a few hours (maybe even just one). But it definitely should teach that computer errors are often programmer errors. That it is possible to do personalized automation of tedious tasks.

Ideally, all these things should be taught with the help of GNU/linux machines. Not only to push the philosophy, but also to put everyone in an unfamiliar environment, then get them familiar with it. Just to teach them that they can actually learn.

Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer

#30

Post by loup-vaillant »

GHFigs wrote: post #28
fragmede wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a 16-gigabyte SD card. In order to have a 32-gigabyte iPad, I have to purchase the 32-gigabyte version for $600. If the iPad had an SD card slot, I could hypothetically purchase a 16-gigabyte iPad for $500 and use my previously purchased 16-gigabyte SD card.

You've restated exactly the part that I do understand. What I don't understand is where you see a connection between your previous purchases and what Apple charges for what they produce. You specifically said that Apple would charge you for what you already have, but it isn't clear where that occurs.

Literally, Apple don't charge him for what he already has. Just that assuming he wanted that 32GB IPad, it would be as if he were charged $100 for what it has. But literally, he would just have been charged $100 too much, compared to Apple adding this dammed SD port.

This is akin to the different Windows editions. The basic edition is exactly the same as the pro edition, except for the restrictions, so they can justify the price difference.

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