thomas fitzgerald.net

The computer, in particular the personal computer is constantly changing, not just in terms of processing power or software capabilities, but its role is also evolving. The dictionary defines the computer as “a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions.” To the average person however they represent much more. Until recently most people saw the PC as a tool. For doing business, processing data or desktop publishing, it was perceived as a necessary workhorse. In the maturing Internet age of the twenty first century however, the home computer’s function is becoming less of a tool and more of an appliance, with many people now using their computer more for leisure than work. With the hectic lifestyle of the average person in the new millennium, most people no longer want a system that requires the care and attention of a complex machine, they want to think of their computers in the same way as they do their DVD player or their television. They want to be able to turn it on and have it just work. Something that the Mac has been doing for years.

Before we look at the future let’s take a step back and consider the past. It is a little ironic that many people are now beginning to realise that a computer should be what Apple had originally considered for the Macintosh. Apple had always envisioned the Macintosh as “the computer for the rest of us”. A simple to use all in one device that would bring the computer down to earth, to make it easy enough for everyone to use. However, we all know that it never took off the way it was intended. While the mouse and the graphical user interface changed the way computers would be used forever, overpricing and a changing focus of management meant the Mac never got the traction it deserved. The intention was always there though: to build a computer that didn’t seem like every other computer of the time.

In a way it was this approach that drew much of the criticism from Windows users over the years. The argument was often used that the Mac was “a toy” compared to Windows. A lack of complexity however, should not be confused for a lack of power and unfortunately it often was. As the primary function of Personal Computers remained business and productivity applications, Mac users were already ahead of the curve focussing on more creative uses for their machines. Unfortunately for Apple though, the company moved more and more away from the consumers they had originally intended the Mac for, in both terms of price and design. It would not be until the original iMac surfaced after Steve Jobs’ came back to the Company that they would return to their original concept of “The computer for the rest of us”

While computers were evolving, so too was their complexity, and their ubiquity. As PC’s became more mainstream, finding their way into more and more homes as well as offices, software too became more complex. While Apple still focussed on ease of use, the need to distil complex tasks into simple to use programmes suitable for the average person seemed to escape the decision makers at Microsoft. In fairness to the folks at Redmond, I don’t think they realised it was even an issue. Sure, software could be made easier to use, but I think that the philosophy was always there that the computer was a powerful complex machine, and as such if you wanted to use it, you needed to learn to use it properly. I don’t think it ever occurred to anyone to take the opposite approach and learn what consumers expected and tailor the software accordingly. The average computer user didn’t know any different, so for the vast majority of people it was good enough the way it was.

In the late 1990’s things began to change. The term Convergence started to be bandied about for many different things, but overall it conveyed the coming together of entertainment and computing technologies. Many journalists and analysts, and indeed technology companies saw the computer moving more and more into the living room, and in turn theorised that the computer and television would eventually merge. While these computer TV hybrids were a complete failure, the concept was valid. Digital video and digital cameras were starting to take the world by storm and consumers needed a way to bring them together, to manage and view all this new data. As many focussed on the idea that the computer would become the TV and that all these technologies would merge into a giant mutant hybrid device, Apple had a different idea.

When he launched iLife Steve Jobs presented a different approach to that of convergence. Instead of the computer merging into different devices, the computer would be a hub that is the centre of everything. Individual devices would remain themselves, but the computer would be the central point through which everything flowed. And he was right. Apple had a huge head start with its vision of the “digital lifestyle” embodied by its iLife suite that caused so much of a stir in the industry. As people realised that their computers didn’t have to be for only word processing and email, that they could do all these other creative things, without necessarily being that creative themselves. The arrival of digital music and movies further pushed the needs of the home computer user away from the purely “tool” metaphor towards the consumer electronics appliance. Having to deal with their system or software was becoming a chore that the average person didn’t want to have to endure. Despite the market still being firmly in the Windows camp, many people looked with envy at the simplicity of iLife and the Mac. Software developers realised this too, spawning many attempts at similar programmes on Windows.

It would take a different emerging technology that would finally tip the scales for consumers. That technology was Broadband. While taking off slowly, broadband has become fairly ubiquitous throughout the developed world. So much so that using the Internet now pretty much requires broadband to effectively appreciate the experience. With broadband came an onslaught of security issues, from viruses to spyware. Microsoft was taken completely off guard by the ferocity of the attacks. A general loathing of Microsoft amongst the über geeks that write viruses, along with poor inbuilt security and the fact that Windows was pretty much every where made it a huge and easy target for attackers. These security issues spawned a huge counter industry of security software. Consumers now had the double headache of having to deal with numerous security problems on their computers as well as keeping numerous virus and anti spyware software up to date. Enough was enough. People wanted to use their computers without having to spend so much time to maintain them. It might be okay for the more technologically inclined but the average user does not want to have to deal with it. They just want to look at their photos or listen to their music. The complexity of a computer was becoming too complex. People wanted simplicity, the same “just turn it on and it works” approach their DVD player, TIVO, or satellite receiver took. The idea of “The Computer for the rest of us” was finally beginning to register with consumers.

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Which brings us to today. This idea is clearly resonating with computer users. People have long since moved past the point where a computer or even the Internet is a novelty to them. In recent years there has been a growing backlash against Windows, in terms of its security issues and its inability to do things simply. Apple on the other hand has masterfully capitalised on this sentiment, both in terms of its advertising and its hardware and software offerings. With the iPod it opened the door for people to see that simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean lack of ability. More and more people are considering the Mac because it “just works”. The idea of a Computing Appliance is something that fits so perfectly with Apple’s “Digital Lifestyle” message of the last few years that Microsoft has had to sit up and take note. People are beginning to realise that the operating system needs to get out of their way and let them do what the want.

Some industry pundits however, are openly hostile to the idea of the computer as an Appliance. I think part of this is because for them, it somehow takes away from the computing experience, in that to be a computer expert, you are somehow more intelligent. John Dvorak writing for PC magazine propagates the myth that the computer is like a “power tool”:

“But nobody wants this! A power tool is dangerous, and you actually have to know what you are doing to use one. But you don’t hear people saying, “Gee, why can’t a hand saw be more like an appliance?” What would this mean?”

What it would mean is that everyone could use that “hand saw”. That using that saw wouldn’t mean you’re somehow better than everyone else.
For most people their computer is used for email, web surfing, listening to music and managing their digital photos. Why shouldn’t that be as simple as using your DVD player? Why do people like Dvorak consider that idea to be “dangerous”?

Like it or not this is what consumers want. Sure, the geeks want more from their machines, but the average person wants to be able to just do the basic computing tasks without having to deal with “the computer”. Apple seem more than willing to give them what they want, and with Windows Vista, Microsoft seems to have finally grasped the concept too. In fact it would seem to me that Microsoft realises that not only is this the way that the home computer experience is heading, but that Apple have a clear advantage.

When you think about it, why else would they have copied OSX so blatantly with Vista? Yes, we all know that Apple copies from Microsoft too, but Vista is such a complete and blatant copy of OS X. Why would a company in the Market position of Microsoft, with 95% of the desktop operating systems feel the need to so completely copy Apple’s design of OSX, right down to ripping off iPhoto and iMovie (and even changing “My Computer” to the term OS X uses plain old “Computer”) unless they were threatened by it. I know some might consider this kind of a stretch, but despite what many die-hard Mac users would like to think, Microsoft isn’t stupid and they don’t do things like this without a reason. I think that there is a genuine fear within the company that Apple could gain significant traction with the Mac as consumers move towards the Appliance model of computing.

Apple on the other hand keeps moving forward. Time and time again they have demonstrated an ability to anticipate the needs and wants of the average consumer. Mac OS X has often been praised by journalists, not just for its elegance and simplicity, but for its ability to “get out of the way” and let you focus on your computing needs. Windows on the other hand, especially with the new security features on Vista constantly reminds you that its there. This might be nirvana for nerds, but for the average Joe, it’s just a pain that they could do without. As Apple prepares to release Leopard, the next version of their Mac Operating system, perhaps consumers finally perceive the computer the way Apple did, all those years ago.