On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 10:51 AM, Richard Pieri <[email protected]> wrote: > On Apr 6, 2011, at 10:32 AM, Bill Bogstad wrote: >> >> Not completely. Game console is closer then microwave oven. They want >> the app store model. No one would be buying these devices if they >> were the equivalent of a TV, radio, or cable set top box. (Varied >> media content, but functionality completely controlled by the device >> vendor.) > > Tablets are, in the end, consumer black boxes. Push a button (or an icon on > the screen) and something wonderful happens without any knowledge or > understanding of what the button does or how that wonderful something works. > That's what I mean when I refer to tablets and consoles as appliances. And > while the
In that sense, all computing devices are black boxes. The majority of desktop computer users know as little about how their desktop computer works as their cell phone. A minority might have at some time installed software by putting a CD in the disk drive, but I don't see how that's significantly different from the download/app store model. They still just push buttons/click mice and shiny things happen that they don't understand. The download/app store model is taking over desktop software as well. Even Windows 7 has to some extent changed to the app store model in the way you can do an in place upgrade to more advanced versions using the "Windows anytime upgrade" option. I wouldn't be surprise if Microsoft distributes Windows 8 (or whatever) via on-line upgrades from Windows 7. > app store model doesn't apply to the microwave oven, take a look at some of > the other appliances around. A state of the art sewing machine can be > programmed -- with memory cards -- to do pretty much everything but load the > thread and feed the cloth under the foot. That's not much different from > iPad and Xoom. Or the way most people treat their desktop. The difference is that with a desktop you CAN replace essentially all the software. But most consumers don't know or care. Bill Bogstad _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
