Confusing Computing For The Common Man
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Today I was struck by thought: are we so set in our ways as geeks, that we have sacrificed simplicity for seeming computing power? Lately, it sure has felt this way. With the geeking sounding hardware branding to the rather off the wall methods for coming up with software titles, it just seems like computing has left the common user in the dust.
Now, it should be said that it’s not like non-geeks are overtly cheap per se. It’s simply a matter of fully understanding exactly where their hard earned dollars are going. I suppose to some degree, this explains the simplicity of going with the Mac. You know that once you get the unit home, everything you need is right there. Well, minus the absence of an included office suite, anyway. But to be fair, you can either buy MS Office or download NeoOffice should the need arise.
So this brings us to today’s question. Do you feel that the PC crew is losing its members because of preventable over-complicated nonsense? Or instead, is this a matter of common misconception? It’s your call. It’s your call, hit the comments and tell me about it.
Tags: changes, computing, complexity
3 Comments
Randy Allen
June 6th, 2007
at 6:12am
I think more people are coming to Mac because it has become a great operating system. Files can no be shrared hassle free with PCs. Windows is trying hard to play catch up, but not quite making it. People have heard the Vista horror stories and want no part of it. I look to my left at my Dell Lattitude 620, dreading when I may have to pick it up, unhook it from the network and go next door and plug in. After rebooting and disabling/reenabling my network connection, cussing Bill Gates, it will finally start to work again. Make mine Mac! I hate to use the commercial line, but “they just work!”
Kurt Koppang
June 6th, 2007
at 7:25am
I think that there is much truth in this. Most of the folks I talk to, support, workwith, etc. just want their system to work. over 70% are not gamers and just do a little net surfing, e-mail and basic correspondence. The MAC provides a consistenet interface, the menus don’t change with upgrades and everything they get with the MAC works. Ubuntu is providing the same for the Linux folks. Non tech folks just want the system to work. They don’t want to hunt drivers or replace equipment that works fine to get a OS upgrade that moves everything they knew how to do. It has also become nearly impossible for the average person to make even moderately informed about hardware because the names don’t always denote performance ie: a 5800 thing may not be faster than a 5500 thing, or a 512MB video card may not be faster than a 256MB card. The processor naming conventions have also mad it nearly impossible for the non-tech to know performance levels. Last but not least $500.00 to $800.00 dollars for hardware upgrades for a system that cost $1000.00 dollars a year or two ago is not in the average person’s budget, especially if everything is still functional.
Light & Dark
June 6th, 2007
at 2:30pm
The hardware and software manufacturers (and their marketing departments) have totally lost the plot, as far as I’m concerned. Most average users now dread dealing with their computers more than their cars. as a geek who’s in marketing, I just cringe when I see each new hardware/software release and the misleading marketing that goes with it.
The upside is that this nonsense has opened up a terrific consulting niche for me.
Macs at least are marketed more on benefits - real or perceived - while PC’s are still stuck on flogging “features”. manufacturers need to face reality. teh average user is far more interested in an utterly reliable 1.5 ghz machine for $500 than a flaky, annoying piece of crap with a 512 meg video card in it that still won’t run the newest operating system properly.
Yea, this is a hot button for me. I do agree with you.
Paul