logickal wrote:
] ] Although we successfully forced personal computing to
] ] move to the graphical interface, since then fundamental
] ] innovation in personal computing has ground to a stop.
] ] The operating system most computers users work with every
] ] day is stuck in 1993, with very little fundamental
] ] improvement in the last decade. The applications on
] ] users' desktops, bloated beasts like Word and PowerPoint,
] ] haven't substantially improved in years.
] ]
] ] Why? Because they don't have to change. Because
] ] there's no effective competition. Because Apple failed.
] ]
] ] Those of us who use Windows every day at work are
] ] reminded constantly of our company's failure.
] ] Unfortunately, the rest of the world is being punished
] ] along with us.

it's an interesting take on the problems apple had as a company, but i still think he's somewhat wrong. perhaps they failed at their grand visions of easy to use personal computers for everyone... but they got it half way, and they're certainly not dead yet, and i don't think they will die anytime soon. Will they stay a niche market? maybe. i don't necessarily have a problem with that. i'll say this, my next machine is a mac, because i'm done fighting with my computer to perform simple tasks.

anyway, things will change eventually, for the better or worse. people will start wanting different things out of their computers and whoever delivers that will come to the fore, be it apple or microsoft or linux or whomever. in my opinion, the next thing that people are gonna want is ubiquitous portable computing. It's coming, slowly, but the days of the desktop PC, beige, aluminum or otherwise, are drifting away. i give the transition 5 to 7 years.