Pass the Sodium Chloride

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 20:31:16 +0800

I updated my Mac OS today and realised that it just isn’t a consumer computer. The next time you have dinner try asking someone to pass the Sodium Chloride. One of two things will happen. You get blank looks or after a pause, someone hands you the salt. Either way you look a jerk for saying Sodium Chloride instead of salt. We are at that stage with the computer. It indicated that it was running the install script and preparing files. This is computer jargon that is not relevant to 99% of Mac or maybe even any computer user. I wonder who would understand and then who would be interested in this information. However, I do know there are people sitting with stop watch in hand measuring the time it takes for these processes to be completed. I have seen their posts. If I were the Apple engineer responsible for programming these messages, I would delay the message by 0.25 sec. Then later I could read all the confused comments about the sluggishness of this part of the install process. I’m sure a hot debate would ensue and many reasons would be proposed.
Instead of seeing something of no interest to me or most other people I would rather Apple made a swish slideshow with my photos.

This made me think about other areas. When you use any home computer you will be face with the Desktop. It is in every operating system, on every computer. It is a static plain that gives the user no hint at how to proceed. The user turns the computer on and it just sits there ... and sits there. The computers should be more dynamic. The most recent apps used should be presented to the user like a magician asking you to choose a card. Activities such as adding photos, watching a video or browsing should be offered too.
The whole Desktop metaphor is wrong. I’m sorry, but it is. We are either expected to know how a filing system works and what applications do or else have someone on tap to tell us. The computer presents us with an office metaphor that is not used in the everyday world.
We need a more relevant, consumer orientated way of using our computers. Forget Windows, and Linux just wants to be a better Windows so they are out as well. Apple and their OS X seem to be the main hope. They gave us the desktop when it had some merit and now that time has gone I hope Apple can give use a new dynamic face to computing. I would like the computer to offer me stuff that I like doing. I don’t have to refuse, I just accept. When I open an application like Photoshop or Pages I want the files offered to me rather than me searching through folders trying to find a particular one.
Apple OS X uses the iTUnes method of navigation as its way to navigate through the system. Well they have done a good job with Photo of grouping photos by date or event, people (Faces) and places. This same thinking should be applied to the whole system. Imagine I start (launch!) Photoshop. I get all the pictures I can use (Open!) presented to me in iPhoto fashion. I have a group for date, one for the format of picture (.jpg, .png, .tif) and others I may have set up.
So I look forward to no more static screens whether it is black and a flashing white cursor or a full colour desktop, it makes no difference. When we use them, they should help us by organising the stuff for us. But first stop looking like a jerk by telling me stuff in jargon.

Nintendo goes into the pits

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:02:16 +0800

A pretty easy thing to talk about seeing that it was quite obvious from the launch of the wii. In F1 racing during the `90s the teams and drivers would adopt differing strategies for pitstop usage. Some cars would load up full of fuel and last most of the race on a set of tyres and fuel passing cars that had gone into the pits. Others took the opposite strategy and had a little fuel and tried to gain a good lead before needing to go into the pits early.
Nintendo seems to have adopted the second strategy. The now have the lead with a light weight console. They are now seeing their market mature and they are adding their voice to those who look down at the lack of HD resolutions and storage. Is it time for Nintendo to signal that they are going into the pits?
I think it is. They have a good lead and can learn something from the handheld market were the DS is far ahead of Sony’s PSP. Nintendo launched the DSi and sold it side by side with the older machine. They can do a similar thing with the wii and a HD version.
What I would like to see is mainly more memory and a more powerful processor. Developers always complain about the lack of memory and they never have enough processing power. The wii already has an ok online store and storage. Judging from the success of the wii people will be looking at fun rather than the fancy graphics. The price needs to be kept low. I hope they can have a powerful machine with memory at the same price as today’s wii. In fact do not bother with HD and just give us full screen anti-aliasing so the image is smooth and devoid of the horrible jagged lines of the current wii. Most people are feeling Blu Ray is unnecessary resolution at too high a price. The 360 and PS3 are sold on their hi-res ability which has meant very little when compared to the wii in terms of console sales and game sales.

Meet our happy family…

Pass the Sodium Chloride

Nintendo goes into the pits