One computer to rule them all: why the iPad will be big.

The iPad is seen by lots of computer-savy people as too slow, limited, etc. However, after spending a few hours getting the PC of my mom up to speed, a few things became clear to me. Especially that her needs from a computer are way different from mine. She doesn’t need a filesystem,right clicking, context menu’s, and doesn’t want virus scanners and backups (but then I guess nobody wants those).

This article rang quite true for me: Why are computers for power users the same boxes as computers for experts? When you think about it, it’s quite crazy my mom has a computer (actually: an OS, it’s not a hardware thing) that can run a compiler. She’ll never compile anything, and doesn’t want to. She probably doesn’t need tabs in her browser (I usually have 100+ open), or even run the browser and the email client at the same time.
Currently, the only difference between a computer for a power user, and a novice is specs and price. Both will (in most cases, linux excluded) run the same OS, with the same options. The software might be different, but even there I run the same mail client, browser, and picture management software as my mom (although on a different OS). That’s strange, as I spend about 20 times as much time behind the screen as her.

Abstractions like directories are quite a hard system to understand, and I’m more and more convinced that the iPhone OS list of pictures (and, a similar list of docs) would be a way easier mechanism. Maybe less powerful, and not workable for the code of a website, but good enough for my mom.

Current computers are incarnation of the old typewriter: Even the form factor has only changed slightly (A box on a desk, with a keyboard). But the way we use computers has changed a lot: The first users were mostly producing content (letters, spreadsheets, etc). Today a lot of computing is the consumption of content (Youtube videos, browsing social networks, etc). Still we use a device with the same form-factor. Maybe we need a different device to consume media, which will suffice for 90% of the population?

I’m starting to feel the iPad is just that computer. Sure, it’s limited, but the things it does it probably does well. And it won’t have viruses, different browsers, or even right clicks. I have the idea that’s the right model(and it will make my life better as well!). I don’t know if the current version or form-factor will be perfect, but I can definately see computing as a whole split: An iPhone like OS for simple tasks, and a powerfull OS for the geeks, who need to run compilers, photoshop, etc. And maybe I like to use such a simplified system as well…

(Actually, the above is the same gripes I have with my MCE PVR: I hate to reinstall my VCR every few months, but I guess that’s a similar but different blogpost).