Paradigm Shift III

The Qwerty keyboard has been around for over a hundred and thirty years. The  problem is it works too well and with enhanced features like extra function specific buttons and software shortcuts it seems indispensable. There is, however, also the need for task specific hardware interfaces for some applications in some industries

I have a love hate relationship with the mouse. At least one jog wheel should be compulsary for scrolling purposes and people should always set up their pointers and mouse functionality before trying to do anything with a PC. Some applications, such as CAD, work better with pen and tablet type devices. However if you ever watch someone new to computers use the mouse it is often something quite alien for them, finding it, then finding the on screen pointer/arrow, seems to take up a lot of time.

Computer screens were once like this:-

(NB The differences between forward slash and backwards slash were vital and that is why the terminology is still in use today)

The MAC OS and then Windows revolutionized things, not because you could do anything different, but because a lot of people could now do something with computers. What they did was typing, spreadsheets and perhaps some database based stuff, perhaps the accounts department did something a bit more complex involving tax contributions but none of it was new, none of it necessarily easier, none of it initially cheaper than the old methods. Computers became pervasive in virtually all white collar work. Computer networks allowed  interpersonal communications but these were, and in many cases still are, little more than the inter-office memo they replaced. Enough has been written about the internet to fill the internet (well almost) some people have even made money out of it (not many as a percentage of users I'd wager)

When I did computer studies, at O-level (exams before GCSE), I had to know about punched card readers and flow charts and how to program in BASIC. When I was an undergraduate I used the latest 4MB RAM 286 based IBM PC for my 3rd yr project (Digital Audio Test Signal Generator) and Turbo Pascal. I think I've matured with the PC. I have fundamental knowledge of the the hardware and used the MS operating systems and software (sorry I'm virtually MAC illiterate). I can understand file structures and sub-directories which frequently seem to baffle people who have to start using a computer in anger (i.e. for real work not trolling). Having said all that my 12 year old niece can do things with facebook that amazes me.

OK I'm waffling a bit now but what I'm trying to lead up to is  that has any of this changed the basic rudiments of living our lives at all. Sure we do things differently but essentially it is the same things. Yes social media has seen a certain democratization of our ability to communicate to the wider world but only in the same way as the printing press did for pampleteers in the 18th century (or perhaps even the discovery of fire did for sitting around and having a chat) it is only a tool and not the message.

tbc