Tag Archives: pc

Digital Entertainment, Gadgets, Music

Adobe’s EPUB Standard (and some other comments)

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Here is an article about how Barnes and Noble is backing Adobe’s EPUB standard.

Link

I’m happy to see content  providers getting behind this so there is device independent standard for e-books.

As for the jabs at Apple’s iTunes, well, iTunes isn’t completely locked down.  There are plenty of software programs available that remove Apple’s “wrapper” so users can play the music they purchased  on any device as an mp3.  I had to do this when my laptop crashed and the only copy of my music collection was on my iPod (it seems to me Apple can remedy this by making it easy to transfer songs from an iPod back onto a computer, rather than locking iPods with one device).  Depending upon Kindle’s success, I imagine some “Robin Hood” spirited programmer will “crack” that device as well (it may already have been done).  This really is beside the point, but I am a little tired of reporters feigning ignorance about the various ways to circumvent proprietary file formats and touting proprietary file formats as the key to having a successful digital distribution business model.  iTunes doesn’t have a lock on the market because their file format is proprietary.  They have a lock because their device is easy to use, it’s drop dead simple to buy music for iPod and iPhone devices, and the pricing structure for the music available is within reason.   Can you say Apple has had the same success with video entertainment via Apple TV? No … (in my estimation, it looks like Netflix is poised to dominate in this area due to the numerous deals they are making with TV and gaming console manufacturers.  It is very simple to watch Netflix movies on demand via my XBox360 with my existing Netflix account).   So far there is no clear winner on e-books or e-reading right now other than the personal computer and there are many PC manufacturers.   As for e-readers, I think it’s pointless to have a separate device outside of a laptop for e-reading.  Ultimately, I think this is a software play and not a device play.  I think Amazon recognizes this too, which is why they are making the Kindle software available for PCs the same as Apple did for iTunes.  This leaves box makers to struggle for margins as they try to one-up each other by driving device prices down.  My advice to the box makers is to multi-task existing laptops, minis,  and mobiles rather than wasting time and money on developing a separate e-reader device — unless, of course, that e-reader can be submerged underwater for tub-time reading.  Of course, tub-time computing would also be quite revolutionary …

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connection, Gadgets

PC Makers Considering Android for Netbooks

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Here’s a link to the article.  I have a netbook with Window’s XP, but I’m not beholden to XP.   I can’t install anything like Office on my netbook because it’s too much of a resource hog and required installation from a DVD drive.  However the basic version of MS Office that comes with the laptop is fine for the things I do on it.

What I do need with respect to my netbook is the ability to get on the Internet and to view whatever parts of the Internet I desire.  On my iPhone my current limitation is Flash —  but that more of a problem with Adobe than anyone else.  My feeling is as long as the browser works well, I’m golden since I will most likely used web-based software because a netbook doesn’t have much on board storage.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that netbooks will be treated as the lowest-end computer.  I did witness over the holidays, many financially pinched people considering a netbook as their first PC purchase or as a replacement for an ancient computer that was too old to allow access to the Internet.  When I think about this user, I really don’t know what’s best.  They may be used to “ancient versions” of software or they may be computer illiterate.  This tends to make me think, the simpler the better.  But when I consider which is easier to use, my PC or my iPhone, I would have to say they are about the same since the iPhone mimics a PC experience.  In other words, to successfully use most mobile devices beyond basic dialing phone numbers, there is an expectation of computer literacy.  Thinking in this vein, does the OS matter?  No, just as long as there’s a big clear “Internet” button,  links to do basic things like calendars and view images, and the presentation is professional.   This is most important because I think past attempts at Internet appliances failed because the interface design “looked down” on potential customers (the young, the elderly, and the computer illiterate).  It has to look like a real PC and it has to function like a real PC.

For the more savvy user, I think speed is the key. If Android turns out to be the speedier OS that allows similar functionality and software selection to PC and smartphones, then I think Android will be a winner.  I hope, though, that Microsoft isn’t resting on its laurels and are, instead, working dilligently on a Windows-lite for netbooks.  It’ll be a tough fight once the cell phone makers enter the fray.   However, this competition will be good for everyone because it will force innovation.  I’m looking forward to it.

Digital Entertainment, Gadgets, Gaming

So Cute! A Baby Blackbird!

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I’m pretty sad that I’m not at CES this year because I would like to see this little guy.  Yes, it’s Firebird, a light gaming PC from HP.  From the specs, it also sounds like it would be an excellent entertainment PC to connect to your TV.  Here’s a link to Rahul Sood’s Blog for his perspective on the Firebird.  Anyhow, what’s amazing to me is that they crammed all this good stuff in and the power usage peaks at 350-Watts.  Nice!  It seems like the size, noise, and power consumption trade-offs are nicely matched with the computing power.    Personally, this all sounds like a GREAT entertainment PC to me.  With some changes to the case, it could fit nicely into an entertainment center.  Hahaha!!!

Oh, a weird rambling tangent, this morning when I thought of a baby blackbird, a “sparrow” came to mind.  You know, sparrows are small, agile, and bright eyed birds — everything a light weight but powerful laptop should be.  In terms of styling cues and marketing, “Friend of the Forest” comes to mind.  It’s eco-friendly, people friendly, and adventurous all at the same time.  Fly, little sparrow, fly!!!

Gadgets

You’ve been Using a PC for more than 10-Years and you Still Don’t Get it …Part 1

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Yes, it’s true there are many people out there who have been using computers at work and at home for more than 10-years, who have no clue what they are doing.  I, also, believe that it’s a myth that the younger set are born knowing how to use computers much better than their parents or grandparents.  I think that both are ignorant, with the older generations being so clueless that they have no idea that their children and grandchildren are clueless too.

There is a sweet spot for users who truly understand their PCs.  These users are those that went through the DOS days and have built their own computers.  These folks have a fundamental understanding that Windows, and other interfaces like it, have automated the line commands we used to give in DOS and UNIX (and whatever pet OS folks like to use).  They also have a good understanding of PC hardware and the firmware and software glue that connects everything together into a system.

I’ve been dealing with the PC frustrations of family and family friends lately and when I try to troubleshoot with them over the phone or over the Internet, I feel like we are speaking completely different languages.  I am speaking “technical” and they are speaking “symptoms.”  Here are some of the things I hear:

  • It’s broken
  • There’s no sound coming out of it
  • Where are the buttons I likes on AOL
  • Who is this Julio who keeps trying to chat with me?
  • My PC running really slow
  • Help!  These pop-ups with porn have taken over my PC
  • It won’t go into Windows
  • How can I tell my if PC has crashed?

PCs are highly integrated systems and most people don’t know where the Internet, software applications, OS, Hardware, firmware, … etc, end, begin, and interface.  To add upon this, the symptoms PCs may present could be caused by many problems and many times are integration issues caused by a confluence of components.   A great deal of resentment grew up in me as more and more of my friends and family found out that I knew a little something about PCs.  I felt that if I took the time to get to know computers, then somewhere along the way they should have osmosed half as much.  Recently, though, it occurred to me that non-technical people should not have to understand the inner workings of their PC to use them and to do simple repairs.  Rather, it is the responsibility of those of us who can to make the PC accessible to everyone.

Let’s leave aside the matter of hardware and integration and let’s just dwell upon OS wrappers like Windows.  Recently, I gave a close family friend one of our old laptops.  We could no longer use it because it could not handle the hi-def content we download and watch.  However, for our family friend, this PC has more than enough power to do the things she wants to do like e-mail, surf the web, watch YouTube, and watch DVDs.  Anyhow, she’s having trouble using the PC due to unfamiliarity.  At first this seemed totally ridiculous to me.  Despite its many face lifts, Windows is Windows and she has been using Windows at work and at home for at least 10 – 15-years.  What gives?  Well, what gave is that my family friend, let’s call her “May” for the sake of simplicity, has been using AOL exclusively.  On her old system, when she turns her computer on, the AOL login interface is the first thing that comes up.  She logs in and gets her e-mail.  This is also the interface she uses to browse the Internet.  Furthermore, since e-mail is done with a word processing interface, she was using this like she would use a program like Word.  As a result, AOL was her PC experience and for her Windows never really existed.  Until I got this, I was extremely frustrated with her questions about where the cut and paste buttons are like she had in AOL.  So now what?  She no longer has the AOL interface installed on her computer, and for her own sake, I refuse to put in on.  In the meantime, poor May in lost in the sea of Windows XP where browser, media player, add-ons, drivers, updates, anti-virus, and, on and on are all new and incomprehensible.

What I’ve learned from my experiences with May and others is that people are creatures of habit and there are only a few who continually seek new experiences to relieve boredom and to satisfy curiosity.  So how do we progress these folks forward?  How do we create systems that look familiar to most user and fosters curiosity without allowing the user to break the system or get themselves to a “place” they don’t know how to get out of?  As I think about the PC and emerging handheld technologies, I consider these matters.  Why are some handhelds easier to use than a PC?  As the power of handhelds approach that of PCs, will they lose their simplicity?  Can handhelds and PCs converge into one familiar user experience that is accessible to most people?  I have no doubt that they can.  So then why haven’t they?  And why are PCs and electronics, in general, so hard to use.  The answer is quite simple:  because engineers and scientists design most user interfaces.  People who understand people should design human interfaces.  That is not to say that engineers and scientists cannot be taught to design human interface, because they can.  It’s a matter of allowing those that want to and who understand people, to do so.