Steven F on the iPad: Old vs New World(stevenf.tumblr.com)
stevenf.tumblr.com
Steven F on the iPad: Old vs New World
http://stevenf.tumblr.com/post/359224392/i-need-to-talk-to-you-about-computers-ive-been
8 comments
That actually makes for a better point then: not being 'infinitely aware' of what the machine is doing allows you to pay more attention to everything else. In the case of the iPad that means you're free to focus jus on the web, movie, game, app, music, etc. That's a good thing. That's the point.
Like most geeks I was underwhelmed after watching the iPad presentation and was disappointed that it uses the iPhone OS and not a lite version of Mac OS. But after reading this article and many others it is clear to me that using the closed off iPhone OS is a no brainier for this tablet.
The iPad does everything that my parents currently do on their computer without the annoyances of a PC. If you look at my parents desktop it is covered with miscellaneous files. They don't care how anything is stored. They only want to do simple tasks and have everything work.
The more I think about it, the more that I realise that the current user experience on a computer is not pleasant. Especially for my parents who don't want to have to worry about defragging and keeping virus protection up to date. This is where the iPad will excel. As Steve says "it just works".
However the locked down aspect of the apple system and the potential for a monopoly is worrying so I'm hopeful that that Android and Chrome OS will fit into this New World market.
The iPad does everything that my parents currently do on their computer without the annoyances of a PC. If you look at my parents desktop it is covered with miscellaneous files. They don't care how anything is stored. They only want to do simple tasks and have everything work.
The more I think about it, the more that I realise that the current user experience on a computer is not pleasant. Especially for my parents who don't want to have to worry about defragging and keeping virus protection up to date. This is where the iPad will excel. As Steve says "it just works".
However the locked down aspect of the apple system and the potential for a monopoly is worrying so I'm hopeful that that Android and Chrome OS will fit into this New World market.
Is it basically all about multitasking vs not multitasking? Because it seems to be true, without multitasking, there is no need to worry about spyware or software breaking the system. It's a bit like giving up, though.
As for the elderly loading their iPhones with apps - my experience is that people do that with "old school" computers too. Only then it does break their computers.
As for the elderly loading their iPhones with apps - my experience is that people do that with "old school" computers too. Only then it does break their computers.
"my experience is that people do that with "old school" computers too. Only then it does break their computers."
So basically we're looking at a product that will function well instead of breaking when a typical user uses it in a typical fashion? Surely that's a good thing?
So basically we're looking at a product that will function well instead of breaking when a typical user uses it in a typical fashion? Surely that's a good thing?
I only wanted to make the point that it is not because it is so easy or safe that people install apps.
It's certainly a good thing if people can not load the computers with spyware anymore. But there is a price, so it can not be universally said that it is worth it.
It's certainly a good thing if people can not load the computers with spyware anymore. But there is a price, so it can not be universally said that it is worth it.
How long will it take to complete this Old World to New World shift? My guess? The end is near when you can bootstrap a new iPad application on an iPad. When you can comfortably do that without pining for a traditional desktop, the days of Old World computing are officially numbered.
The bad thing about the keyboard/mouse/screen workstation is that it is designed to efficiently soak up all of your attention, and the overhead of entering/leaving the active use mode makes this an all-absorbing proposition.
That is a big disadvantage of the workstation interface, versus the iPad, a Kindle, the morning Newspaper. Those can soak up your attention, but you can also set them down pretty quickly to get up and open the door. The mode switch isn't such a large overhead. So these interfaces blend in more harmoniously with everyday life.
But for programming, a workstation is great! In fact, for any activity requiring extended, deep concentration, a workstation is a very good proposition. For programming? I think it's pretty fantastic.
We have cars today that might as well have the hood welded shut, or at least with a lock open-able only by the garage. But we also have cars like the Ariel Atom, that are so focused on function, that they even lack body panels. We still have car modders and hippie enclaves with 3 Mercedes Diesel 240DLs in a garage shed out back.
Hacking is not going away.
The bad thing about the keyboard/mouse/screen workstation is that it is designed to efficiently soak up all of your attention, and the overhead of entering/leaving the active use mode makes this an all-absorbing proposition.
That is a big disadvantage of the workstation interface, versus the iPad, a Kindle, the morning Newspaper. Those can soak up your attention, but you can also set them down pretty quickly to get up and open the door. The mode switch isn't such a large overhead. So these interfaces blend in more harmoniously with everyday life.
But for programming, a workstation is great! In fact, for any activity requiring extended, deep concentration, a workstation is a very good proposition. For programming? I think it's pretty fantastic.
We have cars today that might as well have the hood welded shut, or at least with a lock open-able only by the garage. But we also have cars like the Ariel Atom, that are so focused on function, that they even lack body panels. We still have car modders and hippie enclaves with 3 Mercedes Diesel 240DLs in a garage shed out back.
Hacking is not going away.
If I had to pick a single dichotomy between, say, a MacBook and an iPad, it would be that the latter is optimized for consuming content in a way that the former is not. The iPad is primarily an output device.
The fact that the keyboard is a bit of an afterthought is telling. Yes, you can create presentations, spreadsheets, emails and documents, but there's no denying that it's awkward in a way that reading a book or surfing the web on the thing is not.
It's a bit like when the Walkman was introduced without a record function. It didn't spell the end of tape recorders, but it recognized that people spend vastly more time consuming music than producing it.
I think the fact that it's locked down the way that it is is orthogonal to the consumption versus production question. It's as though this Walkman will only play studio-mastered tapes. Which is why I'm rooting for some credible competition to come along and force the issue.
The fact that the keyboard is a bit of an afterthought is telling. Yes, you can create presentations, spreadsheets, emails and documents, but there's no denying that it's awkward in a way that reading a book or surfing the web on the thing is not.
It's a bit like when the Walkman was introduced without a record function. It didn't spell the end of tape recorders, but it recognized that people spend vastly more time consuming music than producing it.
I think the fact that it's locked down the way that it is is orthogonal to the consumption versus production question. It's as though this Walkman will only play studio-mastered tapes. Which is why I'm rooting for some credible competition to come along and force the issue.
favors benefit to the end-user rather than the developer or other vendors
I think Apple's current approach favors benefit to apple rather than developers or end-users.
Sometimes Apple's interests line up with those of the user, but often they don't. I hope it hurts their sales and benefits more open platforms (probably Android) - that may be because I'm from the old world.
I like the dreams embodied by the Lisp machines and by OLPC. The idea that every part of the system can be easily inspected and manipulated resonates strongly with me. The freedom to tinker with a device can and does lead to new and amazing things the original creators never imagined. College kids playing with iPads will never invent Multifinder, and that's sad.
I think Apple's current approach favors benefit to apple rather than developers or end-users.
Sometimes Apple's interests line up with those of the user, but often they don't. I hope it hurts their sales and benefits more open platforms (probably Android) - that may be because I'm from the old world.
I like the dreams embodied by the Lisp machines and by OLPC. The idea that every part of the system can be easily inspected and manipulated resonates strongly with me. The freedom to tinker with a device can and does lead to new and amazing things the original creators never imagined. College kids playing with iPads will never invent Multifinder, and that's sad.
I think you're missing the point of the article: the point is that New World people don't care about all that openness of their computer, just like most people don't care about the openness of their car. They just want it to work, and work really well; Apple's approach is one way to fulfill these requirements, but I don't see Lisp machines and OLPC doing this.
Essentially he's repeating what everyone here probably already knows, and connecting that to the iPad. We're the minority, and Apple's audience might start shifting away from a niche, hip gadget-audience to an incredibly mainstream audience.
Essentially he's repeating what everyone here probably already knows, and connecting that to the iPad. We're the minority, and Apple's audience might start shifting away from a niche, hip gadget-audience to an incredibly mainstream audience.
I think you're missing the point of the article: the point is that New World people don't care about all that openness of their computer, just like most people don't care about the openness of their car.
From over ten years ago I remember making an argument for Free/Open Source software and using the "car with a welded hood" argument. The person just looked at me blankly and said, "I never want to look under the hood of my car. I take it to the garage and let them mess with it!"
From over ten years ago I remember making an argument for Free/Open Source software and using the "car with a welded hood" argument. The person just looked at me blankly and said, "I never want to look under the hood of my car. I take it to the garage and let them mess with it!"
I didn't miss the point. I'm afraid the article is right, and it makes me concerned about the future.
The hood of a modern car isn't physically welded shut, but many cars have become so specialized that only a dealer or specialist mechanic can afford the tools to work on them. Any serious tweaking and tuning requires either hacking sensors to lie to the ECU, or a custom, programmable ECU since the factory ECU is a black box.
I want the mainstream to care just a little bit about these things, because if they don't, I won't be able to get products without the hood welded shut. Sure, there will always be specialty hacker-friendly devices, jailbraking and the like, but those are big steps to take for someone just starting to explore. There's no easy gateway drug like discovering the terminal on a Mac.
The hood of a modern car isn't physically welded shut, but many cars have become so specialized that only a dealer or specialist mechanic can afford the tools to work on them. Any serious tweaking and tuning requires either hacking sensors to lie to the ECU, or a custom, programmable ECU since the factory ECU is a black box.
I want the mainstream to care just a little bit about these things, because if they don't, I won't be able to get products without the hood welded shut. Sure, there will always be specialty hacker-friendly devices, jailbraking and the like, but those are big steps to take for someone just starting to explore. There's no easy gateway drug like discovering the terminal on a Mac.
There's always JavaScript.
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I'm not sure if this division makes sense. Are Android phones "Old World" or "New World"? They have an open development model, and yet have most of the attributes and advantages of a New World device: applications are sandboxed, no need for virus scanners, etc.
I think people are conflating Apple's locked-down restrictive policies with the OS design of iPhone and Android which prevent installing a bad app from breaking your device.
I think people are conflating Apple's locked-down restrictive policies with the OS design of iPhone and Android which prevent installing a bad app from breaking your device.
I'm not sure if this division makes sense. Are Android phones "Old World" or "New World"?
You're barking up the wrong tree.
a) It's not a real taxonomy. He's, in effect, making a prediction about the direction that computing is going -- towards prepackaged specific purposes away from general purpose. Think of it as a descriptive concept.
b) Even if it was a taxonomy, most of those are going to fail boundary conditions. Those things aren't mathematical sets. They're useful to talk about populations, and generally fail at boundary conditions. "North America" doesn't really exist because you can't decide if a particular Panamanian boulder is in it or not?
Classic nerd/techy mistake. Now cut it out!
You're barking up the wrong tree.
a) It's not a real taxonomy. He's, in effect, making a prediction about the direction that computing is going -- towards prepackaged specific purposes away from general purpose. Think of it as a descriptive concept.
b) Even if it was a taxonomy, most of those are going to fail boundary conditions. Those things aren't mathematical sets. They're useful to talk about populations, and generally fail at boundary conditions. "North America" doesn't really exist because you can't decide if a particular Panamanian boulder is in it or not?
Classic nerd/techy mistake. Now cut it out!
I think it's a valid point- we have this tiresome parade of articles claiming that the future by necessity is one in which we pay apple a toll, forever, and that open systems are dying.
Android is a counterpoint. So is the OLPC OS, for that matter. You can have an open, general purpose computer that's also turnkey in operation.
Android is a counterpoint. So is the OLPC OS, for that matter. You can have an open, general purpose computer that's also turnkey in operation.
I think you need to re-read the title of the article.
Some day someone will write a tool which can determine an application (eg, on Windows) is destructive, by recursing into its code and finding all file accesses. You could easily monitor ever application running and make sure it doesn't, eg, write to c:/Windows.
So there are other ways than requiring the hardware manufacturer to vet safe software at the expense of the rebels and tinkerers.
So there are other ways than requiring the hardware manufacturer to vet safe software at the expense of the rebels and tinkerers.
I believe the pieces in Windows are already in place to do this, you can restrict an application to only be able to write in a preset set of directories, etc. What they need is an set of standards for applications that makes this possible, and then for application installations to use that by default.
It's worth re-reading, but imagining as if he was talking about Google Chrome OS. It all pretty much works yet there's no lockin at all.
I'm not quite sure why there's this hard line drawn. Surely Android, for example, falls somewhere in between, with sandboxed apps and all the rest, but not quite the same draconian closed-ness?
See my reply to grimstat: It's not a real taxonomy!
I may stand alone on this issue, but I see this the exact opposite. In an automatic, being able to drive along with just a foot on the gas and hand on the wheel, I find that I actually pay less attention to driving and more attention to everything else: other cars, the radio, my passengers talking, billboards, buildings, etc. In a manual, I'm infinitely more aware of what my car is doing and what I'm doing to mesh that hunk of metal and plastic with the rest of traffic, and far less focused on all of life's distractions.