Why the age of Personal Computer is over

1. Farewell, PC!
Why the age of Personal Computer is over
(and what’s coming afterwards)
April 7, 2011
Li Sirui

2. “I think there is a world market for
maybe five computers.”
April 7, 2011
— Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

3. THE END OF
TECHNO-CENTRISM
Why the age of Personal Computer is over
April 7, 2011

4. April 7, 2011

5. April 7, 2011

6. iPad 2 TV Ad -We Believe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyEpaPEbjzI
April 7, 2011

7. Motorola XOOM Super Bowl Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2A2aNXpmes
April 7, 2011

8. iPad reviews
• “The iPad is nothing more than
a large iPod Touch.”
• “iPad, at best, is glorified
netbook.”
• “You’re not able to multi-task.”
• “It won't replace the laptop.”
• “No one really needs an iPad.”
XOOM reviews
• “Motorola's knack for great
hardware, … the Xoom tablet
technically offers a more
powerful, more capable
alternative to Apple's iPad.”
• “We've been craving this kind of
fast and powerful, ready-for-
the-tablet age device.”
April 7, 2011
The Myth of IT Reviews

9. April 7, 2011

10. April 7, 2011
These people write critiques and reviews
These people buy Apple products
Modified by D.A. Norman based on figures from Crossing The Chasm

11. WHAT’S WRONG?
Why the age of Personal Computer is over
April 7, 2011

12. DON’T
take PC for granted.
April 7, 2011

13. April 7, 2011
What do you think of
PC
Installer
Patch
Wizard
Update
Setup
Tools
Drivers
Menu
Fatal Error
Runtime
Partitions
File Systems
End User License Agreement
File Path
Programs
C:Windows
cmd
Editor
BIOS
crack
Virus
Administrator
Permission Denied
IP Address
Files

14. April 7, 2011
Antivirus
Authoring tools
CD/DVD Tools
Compressions tools
Desktop Enhancements
File managers
Internet
IPOD TOOLS
Mobile Phone Tools
Multimedia
Network Tools
Office tools
Others
PORTABLE SOFTWARE
Programming
Science/CAD
Security
System
Tweak
UNIX
Windows Widgets

15. April 7, 2011

16. The essence of PC
• Technology rules
• One size fit all (general-purpose)
• More features!
• The user is in charge of everything
(even if they don’t really care)
April 7, 2011

17. The essence of PC = Complexity
• Technology rules → Techno-centrism
• One size fit all → Apps fit machine
• More features! → More confusion
• The user is in charge → Learn to use
April 7, 2011

18. THE RETURN OF APPS
Why the age of Personal Computer is over
April 7, 2011

19. WHY
are we using computers?
April 7, 2011

20. April 7, 2011

21. April 7, 2011
USE
Computers are means, not ends.

22. April 7, 2011
USE
Windows are means, not ends.

23. April 7, 2011
CHANGE
PC
App
App App
App
App
PC
Smart
phone
tablet

24. April 7, 2011
CHANGE
PC
App
App App
App
App
device
device
device
COMPLEXITY

25. The Age of PC
• Manage everything
• Deal with complexity
• Platform for all apps
• A centralized workflow
• Highly constrained by the
platform and device
The Age of Apps
• No system maintenance
• Focus on tasks
• An app delivery system
• Adapted to usage scenario
• Software as a service(SAAS)
• Independent of context
April 7, 2011
AppStore
Cloud Computing

26. FUTURE OF POST-PC DEVICES
Why the age of Personal Computer is over
April 7, 2011

27. WHAT IF
we were given a chance to
redesign computers?
April 7, 2011
(with all current technologies)

28. Beyond
PC
• App Store for PC (App Distro-platform)
• More natural desktop environment
• Gesture control
• More sensors
• Improved multi-tasking
• No file manager
And more…
April 7, 2011

29. iPad is Apple’s third post-PC blockbuster
Apple Keynote of iPad 2 Special Event 2011 (via Engadget)
April 7, 2011

30. April 7, 2011
Mac
iPod
iPhone
iPad

31. April 7, 2011

32. April 7, 2011
Mac
iPod
iPhone
iPad
The iPadified Mac

33. “Ubiquitous computers will also come in
different sizes, each suited to a particular
task. My colleagues and I have built what
we call tabs, pads and boards:
April 7, 2011
— Mark Weiser, The Computer for the 21st Century
(Weiser is widely considered to be the father of ubiquitous computing)
http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/SciAmDraft3.html
• inch-scale machines that approximate active Post-It notes,
• foot-scale ones that behave something like a sheet of paper
(or a book or a magazine),
• and yard-scale displays that are the equivalent of a
blackboard or bulletin board.”

34. Maybe you thought this was just a joke
Probably, it’s not…
April 7, 2011

35. April 7, 2011
Mainframe
PC
Supercomputer
Desktop
Workstation
Laptop
Netbook
Smartplayer
Smartphone
Tablet
Tabletized Laptop
TabPadWall
Different sizes
Morespecialized
Moreubiquitous
Mark Weiser’s prototypes
Information Appliances Don Norman’s vision

36. April 7, 2011
App
App
App
Users
Cloud
App
App
App
App
Web App
App
Devices
Apps
Infrastructure
Web App

37. Predictions • PC won’t just die
• iDevices will be detached
from iTunes
• And…
April 7, 2011

38. Wrap-up
THE TREND The Age of Apps
– Deliver best apps whenever and however you want
POWERED BY Cloud computing
– Supply generalized computation power via the Internet
THE FUTURE Ubiquitous computing
– Integrate computation into everything
April 7, 2011

39. The Crossroads of Technology and Liberal Arts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGxEQhdi1AQ#t=4110s
April 7, 2011

40. “They’re not competition — they’re not
even playing the same game!”
April 7, 2011
— Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief of Engadget
on Apple’s Post-PC devices
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/editorial-
its-apples-post-pc-world-were-all-just-living/

41. iPad 2 AD by Conan O'Brien
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/conan-obrien-produces-a-more-
honest-ipad-2-promotional-video/
April 7, 2011

42. WELCOME TO
THE POST-PC WORLD!
April 7, 2011
(hope you’ll enjoy it)