inigopete (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} inigopete) wrote,@ 2007-05-30 14:03:00 |
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table of content
Microsoft Surface - it's what we all need, apparently. It's going to enable us all to have an entirely integrated MyHomeLife(tm) experience, as every flat surface will be interconnected and full of life-enriching content.
Except it's not what most of us need.
"a new way that isn't new at all" - thanks, Microsoft.
30 years ago, ethernet was going to link together all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to turn the oven on, close the curtains and turn the lights on before we got home.
20 years ago, the Internet was going to link all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to set our heating systems to call themselves a plumber when they broke down and scan items into our fridges so that we could automatically order more shopping online.
10 years ago, Bluetooth and wireless networking were going to link all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to stream data from one room to another, surf the web on our toasters, set the mood lighting to match the music.
It'll no doubt be very popular among those with a lot of money for showy gadgets. For the rest of us, our un-connected lives will continue as normal: a fridge that just works like a fridge means there's less to go wrong; a standard Polish plumber will be able to fix our central heating systems; a house alarm system will just work like a house alarm system, the toaster can be safely relied upon to make its contents hot and then turn off. We won't have to entrust the running of our homes to expensive, bug-filled and difficult Microsoft Experiences (tm). Our houses will not need constant software updates and third party programs to stay secure and we won't need to call out a Systems Engineer to change a fuse.
I like my toaster the way it is.
Microsoft Surface - it's what we all need, apparently. It's going to enable us all to have an entirely integrated MyHomeLife(tm) experience, as every flat surface will be interconnected and full of life-enriching content.
Except it's not what most of us need.
"a new way that isn't new at all" - thanks, Microsoft.
30 years ago, ethernet was going to link together all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to turn the oven on, close the curtains and turn the lights on before we got home.
20 years ago, the Internet was going to link all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to set our heating systems to call themselves a plumber when they broke down and scan items into our fridges so that we could automatically order more shopping online.
10 years ago, Bluetooth and wireless networking were going to link all the appliances in our houses, we'd be able to stream data from one room to another, surf the web on our toasters, set the mood lighting to match the music.
It'll no doubt be very popular among those with a lot of money for showy gadgets. For the rest of us, our un-connected lives will continue as normal: a fridge that just works like a fridge means there's less to go wrong; a standard Polish plumber will be able to fix our central heating systems; a house alarm system will just work like a house alarm system, the toaster can be safely relied upon to make its contents hot and then turn off. We won't have to entrust the running of our homes to expensive, bug-filled and difficult Microsoft Experiences (tm). Our houses will not need constant software updates and third party programs to stay secure and we won't need to call out a Systems Engineer to change a fuse.
I like my toaster the way it is.
