Post Dec. 10, 2019
I remember loving my TRS 80 "computer"(commonly called a Trash 80) distributed by Radio Shack in the 1970’s. It had a whole 4 kb of memory, expandable to 48 kb with so-called expansion cards. I was the Academic Associate Dean in the Stanford School of Engineering, and we gave one to any faculty member that could do something useful with it. But we could afford to do so, because the price was definitely right. I also remember the thrill of the Apple 1, and have used Apple products ever since then. I am writing this on a relatively new desktop Mac, and its capability is enormous, compared to the early machines - maybe more enormous than I want. I certainly don’t want to revert to a TRS 80, but neither do I want to spend as much time as I do learning slight modifications to what I consider tools.
As you probably have observed, computer manufacturers love to “upgrade” the software on their machines, if not the machines themselves. This is partly because it is relatively cheap to change software, and partly because of the mentality of the folk in the computer business and many hardcore users, who love more “advanced” capability in their machines.. In the case of Apple, much of this has also resulted from their ongoing effort to keep all of their many devices communicating. But as I said in my last post, many of us consider computers and other digital devices as tools that should make our life better, rather than something that should require periodic and sometimes challenging effort to become familiar with changes. As an example, I recently finished edition #5 of a book I wrote some time ago, entitled Conceptual Blockbusting. I decided to definitely not “upgrade” my operating system, because I had become familiar enough with it and the versions of applications that were on it. It took me a couple of years to do the revision. And by not changing anything I innocently thought I could focus on the text. Didn’t work.
My book went through several editors, each using a common and powerful tool named Track Changes, with which editors can send changes they recommend on top of what you have sent them. More editors, more colors of changes. Unbeknown to me, a new version of Word, which is the home of Track Changes, was needed to read one layer of changes, which left me and the editors working on different material. Photoshop changed its format again, and my fairly well developed ability to use it had to be tuned up. After many inconveniences, the book finally came together, and I decided to “upgrade” the operating system, if for no other reason than to get rid of the constant reminders on my screen telling me I needed to. I am still trying to get to the point again where I don’t have to think about how to use the machine (tool), but by now it has demanded a couple more “upgrades”
As an extreme example, when Apple switched from iPhoto, to Photos (I considered iPhoto a much better program, maybe because I was used to it and the way it handled titles, organizing, etc)) without giving users much warning. I had to go through some moves the machine and Apple obviously did not like to stay on iPhoto. Fortunately, with a little help from a friend who is a computer wizard, I figured out a way to stay with iPhotos, and my computer has gotten tired of threatening me, but at some point it will force me to change.
I write this because I am sure some of you will resonate with my problems. I do consider my computer a powerful tool, but a tool none the less. I do not want to learn everything it can do. But if you look at my resume (people.stanford.edu/jla) it looks like I shouldn’t need as much help as I do. I understand the advantages of upgrading hardware and software to the producer, and hardcore computer lovers,but I wish I was not reminded (or forced) to change my digital tools so often. I think most of us would do better if the people designing the hardware and software produced products that did not require as much care and feeding. I want to use my creativity to produce creative material, not to constantly use it to operate my digital equipment .
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