Re: PC--What is it good for?

"Alan Jenkins" <alan-jenkins@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:d44e7e81-3b96-44e0-836f-b4b54c3dcc12@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Dec 9, 11:03 am, "Ken from Chicago" <kwicker1b_nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>> By PC I mean "personal computer", be it Windows OS, Mac OS, Linux OS or

>> even
>> Amiga OS, what are personal computers good for? Considering the
backlash
>> against Windows Vista, I was wondering, what's the point? Aside from
>> increased security, there seemed to be little reason to upgrade other 
>> than
>> semi-transparent window interfaces, that 3d task windows interface and 
>> video
>> wallpaper. Four gigs of ram for that? What's the point? And then I
>> considered the question more generally:
>>
>> Long a stable of science fiction, yet what's left conceptually and
>> pragmatically for home or personal computers to do? should do?
>
> I think you mean staple.
>
> Theres a lot that could still be done with security, reliability, and
> HCI ("user friendliness").  It would be a paradigm ****ft if the
> proverbial Grandmother could pick up a fully functional computer,
> learn how to use it, AND maintain it.

HCI? Human Control Interface?

> I can't think of much which could be done but hasn't.  On the other
> hand, SF is often concerned more with the societal impact of
> technology than its general capability.  If only a few geeks use a
> particular feature, its not very interesting unless its part of a plot
> for world domination.
>
> I think the social Internet is still due a revision or two.  If you
> look at the current fads e.g. Facebook & Youtube, much of the
> communication is quite facile, and the channels which might be used
> for less facile communication aren't sup****ted consistently.

That seems more software or hosted programming than something done 
locally--ala the old school "dumb terminals".

> I'm thinking in particular of "comments" on Youtube, which look like
> what you'd get if you took newsgroups and eliminated every scrap of
> intelligent conversation, and the abysmal sup****t for email
> notifications of Facebook messages.  The social internet started with
> email and newsgroups; I can understand why separate systems with
> reduced functionality became popular but I don't have to like it.
>
> In another ten years you'll still recognize the desktop PC's and what
> they can do, but with luck you'll still be surprised at what people do
> with them.

Agreed. It's a cog, but what's the "core" functions and what are optional 
addons / programs to it? That's the trouble Microsoft got in trouble with
in 
the 90s, blurring the definition between OS and applications.

-- Ken from Chicago