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Computers Suck

July 2, 2008 · Filed under Entertainment

I spend a lot of time talking about how much better Apples are than PC’s, and I really do believe that’s true.  But simply saying Apples are better designed, more stable, more intuitive isn’t the same as saying that they are well designed, that they are stable, and that they are intuitive, because they’re not nearly as good as they could - and should - be.  Its more a matter of Microsoft having set the bar so mind-bogglingly low that almost anything would be an improvement.  That is, I suppose, if you ignore the fact that Microsoft has almost single-handedly made personal computers a mainstream device.  But the parallel stream is that they have thereby also made hating computers only slightly less popular than Baseball - at least in the United States.

The bottom line is that I can’t believe how horribly computers and the software that runs on them work.  I think the most common thought that runs through my mind while using a computer is, “Oh - wait - let me try that again.”

kosh said,

You know what side I stand on.

I have to admit I also hate when computers don’t work, but I get such a thrill when I fix them or help someone else who is clueless. They are also much more intuitive then they used to be. I would also argue they are better designed and more stable than days or yore as well. Progress takes time, I say use what we got and do the best you can with it.

Posted at 5:40 am on July 3, 2008 · Permalink

frank said,

@kosh:

For once, I completely agree with you. Computers are way better than they used to, but we have a long way to go. I know this joke’s been told before, but imagine if something like your refrigerator, car, or porch was as reliable as your computer. But, as you say, progress takes time and all those things have been around a lot longer than computers.

I think it was Scott Adams who said something like “Computers make you 100% more efficient but produce 200% more work.”

Posted at 10:33 am on July 3, 2008 · Permalink

emperor norton said,

Hey, Frank– I agree, computers suck when they don’t work; I reserve an especially intense loathing for imprecise, information-free error messages. “An error occurred…” is the classic, but as I work more with SQL these days I am discovering more and more uninformative error messages. I may start collecting them.

Posted at 9:07 am on July 5, 2008 · Permalink

krx10 said,

Macs equal efficiency. Yes, UI design matters. If you want to be slow and run second rate software, run Vista.

Posted at 8:40 pm on July 25, 2008 · Permalink

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