[LINK] Steve Jobs: Great unwashed don't need PCs

Kim Holburn kim at holburn.net
Thu Jun 3 13:14:55 AEST 2010


On 2010/Jun/03, at 11:24 AM, Steven Clark wrote:

> On 3/06/2010 9:32 AM, Stilgherrian wrote:
>> On 03/06/2010, at 9:08 AM, Ivan Trundle wrote:
>>
>>> On 03/06/2010, at 8:12 AM, Stilgherrian wrote:
>>>
>>>> Further to my point about the way we use computers changing...
>>>>
>>>>  http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/link/2010-June/088260.html
>>>>
>>>> 'It is official: Steve Jobs no longer thinks that PCs are going  
>>>> to be that important.
>>>>
>>> The vitriolic that appeared almost instantly on many online forums  
>>> is astounding (concerning the truck analogy): it appears that many  
>>> feel threatened by the 'appliance model' of computing. In America,  
>>> I've seen statements that declare that this is an attack on  
>>> American values, and freedom.
>>>
>
> I've been awaiting the recognition that computers have been drifting
> towards being appliances for some time now. The convergence of mobile
> phones and ultraportable machines will be an interesting experiment to
> watch in the near future.


I don't see the big deal about this.  We have lots of dedicated  
computers, appliances if you like, spun off from the computer  
industry.  Apart from techie stuff like keyboards, routers, modems,  
printers, (which all contain dedicated computer systems) I have in my  
house a washing machine that has a dedicated computer system.  I have  
a fridge like that.  In our house we have several phones which are  
basically dedicated computers, quite sophisticated computers which can  
run some programs.  A TV which is a dedicated computer, a couple of  
DVD payers which are dedicated computers, cars which are really  
computers on wheels these days.  I have a nifty GPS which runs linux  
although like many of the other devices you would never know it, you  
never see the underlying OS.  Lots of people have games consoles which  
are closed, dedicated, applianced computer spin-offs and powerful  
computers in their own right.

We always knew that computers and the internet would take over our  
media eventually.  They are converging towards the phone network (just  
about there, all over bar the billing), cable and free to air radio  
and TV.  I must say I never expected TV to start moving towards  
digital but it makes sense to leverage (I hate that word) the same  
technology.  The one iteration of that merge will be half way between  
TV and computer, and portable?  Bonus!  Voila, the iPad!

I don't think general purpose computers will go away for a while yet.   
They haven't so far with all those dedicated systems we have in place  
already spun off.

The restrictions, the dedicated distribution channels will probably  
pass eventually if people make a fuss or bypass them.

-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
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