Re: [9fans] architectures

[Christopher Nielsen <cnielsen@pobox.com>]

On Thu, Jul 12, 2001 at 03:16:57PM +0900, okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp wrote:
> There are people and people who are using 'computers' now.  This may be
> false for many of such peoples, at least, some of them would be better to
> use such tools as "keitai" in Japan which has very limited buttons and even
> lacking keyboard.  It means that a kind of computer, road off from the main
> /real meaning of itself, will be neccessary to appear which does not look
> like 'computer' and very very limited usage for some particular purpose.
> Hmm, can we call it 'computer'?  :-)

I'm speculating on this, but I think it's where
we're going.

Computers are going to become more and more like
appliances; they will be in everything. Our greatest
hurdle is usability. Plan9 goes a long  way in the
realm of usability, but it's geared towards
programmers. You can't effectively make a system
that is usable for everyone; my mom couldn't use
Plan9. We need to consider that there are going to
be models of usability that cater to specific types
of usage/people. Not all users of computers are
programmers, nor should they be.

Don't get me wrong. As a geek, I love Plan9.

--
Christopher Nielsen - Metal-wielding pyro techie
cnielsen@pobox.com
"Any technology indistinguishable from magic is
insufficiently advanced." --unknown