Last week Paul Gilster, a fellow journalist who writes for the Raleigh News & Observer, wrote a column about computers entitled "Enough usability; give us reliability." I generally read Paul's columns and nod in agreement with his opinions. This week, however, Gilster was completely off the mark when he stated a computer must be complicated because it performs complex and complicated tasks. "If a modern PC or Mac is too hard to use, then so is an automobile, or a microwave, or a cable television. We manage to use all these devices after mastering a learning curve and acquiring the needed skills," he states.
Oh, come on, Paul. Learning to drive a car can be accomplished by a simple series of high school instructional classes completed in about three weeks. In less than one month, a non-driver is given all the instruction needed to drive just about any car for the rest of his or her life.
In the computer world, three weeks of classes barely cover how to turn on the computer and use the mouse and keyboard. After a new computer user invests the time to learn the basics, he or she still has to learn each of the programs. On top of that, computer hardware and software are constantly changing. Just as a user gets proficient in one operating system or program, a new version with improved features makes them start the learning curve all over again. Even computer terminology and acronyms are difficult to learn. Why does a computer user have to know the difference between a SCSI port and a USB Root Hub.
Yes, a computer accomplishes complex tasks. It can compute income taxes, manage e-mail, and calculate the national debt. If, however, the computer is to be the tool of the average person, it needs to be easier to operate. A computer should be an instrument that helps us perform necessary tasks quickly and easily rather than an object of frustration, difficult to master.
My friend Paul also states "plenty of 10-year-olds seem to master computers with utter ease." Certainly, youngsters who have been surrounded with computers for their entire lives are more comfortable in the digital world and find computers easier to use. If I had grown up in a rocky area, I probably would have become a good rock climber. In today's world, however, it is not just children who want to use computers. I have seen thirty, forty, and even ninety–year-olds struggle to use a computer. Most often these folks are successful in their endeavors, but they sometimes need to spend years to become computer proficient. It really shouldn't be so difficult. Computers can be easier to use, and this should be the major focus of the computer industry, both now and in the near future.
As a computer consultant, I see the great potential computers offer the average person. I constantly advise them to jump into the computer world in spite of the current frustrations. At the same time, I plead with the computer industry to work diligently to make computers easier to use.
With due respect, I must tell you that Mr. Gilster went further in his column to say that reliability is the real problem for computer users and should be the main issue of focus for computer manufacturers. I agree that computer reliability, or lack there of, is a major problem. Computers that crash on a daily basis are totally unacceptable. My hope, however, is that the industry will listen to both suggestions and commit to making computers easier to use as well as more reliable.
