And what of those who cant install Windows 7 due to their computer is to old? Just leave them out in the cold! that’s like saying “get a new computer tight arse” or “cant afford a new computer, tough” is it not.

Post-PC is device agnostic, yes. Well, less about the arrogant machine, anyway. ‘How do I learn how to use this, how long will it take me to learn to operate’ is replaced with ‘What can this device enable me to do right now, this second?’

The video is interesting, but for designers – offers nothing ‘new’. Minority Report was 2002, and this takes us no further, other than placing the tech in less dramatic situations. Designers learn this stuff at Uni, and ask far more far reaching questions. (Like – how do we replace the screen – even when it’s translucent – it’s kind of anti-social).

It’s less about device, and all about experience and enablement. How can we enable people to do more, with less? 

Post-PC is actually about Post-’sit up at the keyboard and type’, and more about – let’s go! It’s the difference between the stone tablet and the invention of paper, and the freedom to use, rather than learn. 20 years from now, I think we’ll be saying that the iOS was the watershed moment. The moment when computing became accessible. When the interface became user-centric.

The focus now – is how do we make this technology democratic – and truly enable people.

To me, “post-PC” is something we are seeing the beginning of but it’s not due to the latest slate/tablet or whatever smartphone is around. Those devices are, as Simon states, still PCs.

Post-PC is not about the device, it is about the user. 

I, as a person, will become “post-pc” because I won’t need to worry about one particular device. The Internet started this off and the “cloud” is taking it to the next level (along with the connected services and devices). 

The Microsoft 2019 vision video (http://bit.ly/iVXJ49) is a good example of what I see “Post-PC” as, with children communicating through glass etc. not becuase there is no beige box on the table, or Skyping each other through a smartphone but because of the way they are communicating with each other.

Post-PC is when people come before the device

Before anyone says I’m an Apple Fanboy – I’ve moved from an iPhone to an Android device – as the user experience is more mature on Android – and I mentioned before – I use both PC and Mac.

For the masses, who don’t use Smartphones or Computers, I guess the premise of Post-PC will be quite meaningless. For those that so though – I think we have to be realistic.

Taking the discussion up a notch – and the question of semantics – I think the truth is that PC (as a description) defines an era. It is an era firmly anchored in films such Superman III, Jumping Jack Flash and Weird Science. Beige ‘terminals’, with green screens and keyboards akin to a plastic box of ‘Terry’s All Gold’. PC, as a term belongs to the likes of Sir Clive Sinclair and Alan Sugar. ‘Amstrad CPC 464′. ‘IBM PC’. Sadly, PC is more associated with wooly jumper, floppy discs and C:/ardigans. And – I think – the term PC will always be associated there too. Just look at the Wikipedia description. It’s not only a tad inaccurate, but is says little about the human enablement factor, and more about the boxes. Lots of boxes. And lots of wires.

It does come down to semantics really though I suppose. I’d love to agree with your sentiment of we’re not Post-PC – but I don’t. Personal Computing was special when it was new. In the 80′s, ‘personal’ was hip. Personal Stereo. Personal Computer. Personal Banking. Personal (hey everyone, you’re an individual, and so is our product). But now we’ve all got ‘Personal Computers’ in our pockets…, they’re not special in the same way anymore. So PC, as a term – it may be used (due to the amount of “PC’s” out there) – but it belongs more to the era of Neon socks and Space invaders – and Monster Munch. And there in lies the problem. (In fact – in the era of the PC – when schools shared one BBC Micro with 200 pupils – it was anything but personal).

As soon as we say ‘Post-PC’ therefore, we’re kinda saying ‘Post-Knight Rider’, or ‘Post-Legwarmers’. Or even ‘Post-Van Halen’. Some of these come back in different guises, but the original – anchors it firmly in the past. 

Computers are Charles Babbage and Punchcards, and huge tape reels. Our computing now – has moved on. When we can recall our favourite music during our lives from our device, and trust these devices with our family album – they’ve moved beyond mere ‘Computing’ – and into our daily stream of thought. ‘Computing’ was something you did. But we’ve moved that out of the way. Now – we just ‘do’.

So – Post-PC. I guess for me, means we’ve gone past that dogma. Touch is the new, the hip, the cool. And a touch device is still a PC of sorts- well, ish. Only it isn’t. The difference between a touch device and a screen + keyboard +/- box combo is the difference between a proper Barista in a Coffee Bar and a warm cup of brown in a Transport Caff. Sure, the latter is still coffee. But the former is refined, considered, and made to enjoy – and delivered to delight and entrance. The problem with the PC of old is that it was always slightly overwhelming. Like it knew more than you, and you were the fleshy input device – rather than the other way around. The PC – as a device – was extremely arrogant. 

So the promise of touch devices – notice I’m not saying touch computing – is that suddenly, the device is here to help. It changes on the fly to help us work with it. Human.

For me therefore – I’m saying that we truly are Post-PC. By humanising the technology, the technology is fading away. ‘Hi-tech’ is ‘low-tech’. User experience wins. Quiet, considered, seamless user experience. True human enablement doesn’t come with a programming language – it comes with simplicity. When your grandmother can write an email and add an attachment; and when your four-year old is mixing songs – then the tech has moved out of the way.

I’d love to see Microsoft move Laptops and Desktops away from the monicker of ‘PC’, and into something else. Something less ‘PC’, and more about the enablement. More about life. the promise of PC’s – was never Personal Computing. It was always enablement. But it never took the time to explain – until now.

In the 1980’s, ‘Personal’ was the leading edge. In the 2010′s, ‘Social’ is the norm. In the world of devices, it’s not about ‘my PC’ anymore. It’s about our shared experience, or sharing. In that respect – the devices we carry are not PC’s, but are something entirely different. Tablets do not belong to the PC world. They belong to a new generation of devices. They may ‘compute’, but they are no longer ‘computers’.

Post-PC – it’s here, it’s now. The question is – what’s next?

You are correct there are about 5 spelling mistakes and 2 grammar mistakes in the post – will try not to do that again …

Si

Critically, as I understand it (and note I’m not a lawyer), if the Patriot Act is invoked to move data outside the EU for a customer with a presence inside the EU, that could incriminate the IT Director from that EU organisation.

As for Safe Harbor, isn’t that just a guideline, so Patriot Act (law) trumps any safe harbor considerations?

The real issue here is that cloud services do not live within one jurisdiction. What’s lacking right now though is some clarity as to what the legal impact is for hosting data with Microsoft (or any other cloud provider) who is legally subject to laws such as the US Patriot Act (I’m sure there are others elsewhere too).

The law applies to any other cloud provider as it does to Microsoft. Microsofts online services contract is obviously unique to the offering…others may not provide the same comfort level.

….also great post Matt

I am the speaker referenced above, my response: http://www.mattgrovesblog.com/2010/10/men-in-black-suits-wearing-sunglasses.html

Thanks for the feedback, pretty sure it's working fine for me through a proxy, so that one is a little odd…I'm not in the office now so can't confirm just yet.

Interested in point 2, how do you mean if there's nothing for the selected dates it won't wrap them? It does require that you've at least posted something otherwise you'll get a blank doc…can you think of a better way to handle this? I'm happy to try to make it happen…or at least try.

Si

Nice.

I think will try your peanut butter suggestion though, sounds awesome.

I'd suggest using a better storage system, perhaps use Windows Home Server to store the media.

What happens if you do peanut butter AND Nutella?

My old fave, though, is golden syrup…yum!

I have a Logiech Harmony 880 with a volume button that no longer works. I have researched this on the web and found many others complaining of the same problem. It appears Logitech does not care about the problem other than offering a 50% discount on a new Logitech product ( as in buy it from us, cut out the retailer). Actually, I would prefer that you provided a decent product to begin with so I wouldn't have this problem. Your customer service just sends me the same old “Too bad you don't like it, we are happy to sell you another one direct at 50% off”. This is just to tell you I will never purchase another Logitech product, and every time I see an opportunity like this on the web I will repeat this message. Most sincerely, Geoff from Canada. – Check your Customer Satisfaction report to find my email. dated 15 July 2010.

I really appreciate the response and commitment to fix it. It’s unusual to find something like this in a Logitech product and I’m a happy customer again. Thanks.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Glad to hear you're a Logitech fan and enjoy our products, sorry to hear your annoyance with the UI of our short survey. If it bugs you, I'm sure it bugs others too. My role at Logitech is to ensure that our customer experience is as good as it can be and the greyed out box does seem to go against that. I'll have it changed ASAP.

Regards,

Glenn Rogers
Director, Customer Experience – Logitech

But in the current climate, a lot of businesses are not in a position to upgrade their core business systems (which as I said could cost huge money). And until these upgrades are made, the business can't move away from IE6.

So it's not a case of will not move. It's a case of cannot move due to the huge costs involved and unless you work in or have first hand experience of life in a corporate IT environment, this may not make sense.

This is a very real problem but the argument coming out of the enterprise is:

> We know IE6 is vulnerable
> We know the thing to do is upgrade
> But if we upgrade, we can't access our payroll application which needs IE6
> So nobody will get paid this month
> And we don't have $1million to go out and buy, build and migrate to a new payroll application this year
> And the board don't understand all this stuff so don't get it.

So by all means lets encourage everybody we know to upgrade their browser. And at the same time we make sure they all understand that an unpatched version of Firefox is just as insecure as anything else but lets not think we can “force” the large enterprise customers to do the same. That's not how the real world works I am afraid.

I think the argument for change has just been made. Security. Ed’s right, if you’re recommending anything but an upgrade from IE 6 as an IT Pro you’re guilty of negligence (in almost the same way as a doctor not prescribing a specific drug because it’s too expensive).

Also every single home user needs to upgrade, sure some will be at the end of a slow connection but it’s worth the time. The analogy here is having a lock on your front door that everyone out there know’s can be opened with a toothpick.

I think the argument for change has just been made. Security. Ed’s right, if you’re recommending anything but an upgrade from IE 6 as an IT Pro you’re guilty of negligence (in almost the same way as a doctor not prescribing a specific drug because it’s too expensive).

Also every single home user needs to upgrade, sure some will be at the end of a slow connection but it’s worth the time. The analogy here is having a lock on your front door that everyone out there know’s can be opened with a toothpick.

A lot of big corporations have a lot of big (and old) applications and quite a few of these, especially finance, CRM and HR packages for some reason, only run under IE6.

Yes this is bad. Yes it should not be allowed but considering that it may cost the company over $1million to change that application and retrain all its many thousands of users and considering that the application works fine and does it’s job well, why change it?

So why throw out a perfectly good application which in turn will cost many thousands of dollars and involves months of retraining just so you can change your browser?

The argument for change is just too weak.

A lot of big corporations have a lot of big (and old) applications and quite a few of these, especially finance, CRM and HR packages for some reason, only run under IE6.

Yes this is bad. Yes it should not be allowed but considering that it may cost the company over $1million to change that application and retrain all its many thousands of users and considering that the application works fine and does it’s job well, why change it?

So why throw out a perfectly good application which in turn will cost many thousands of dollars and involves months of retraining just so you can change your browser?

The argument for change is just too weak.

A lot of big corporations have a lot of big (and old) applications and quite a few of these, especially finance, CRM and HR packages for some reason, only run under IE6.

Yes this is bad. Yes it should not be allowed but considering that it may cost the company over $1million to change that application and retrain all its many thousands of users and considering that the application works fine and does it’s job well, why change it?

So why throw out a perfectly good application which in turn will cost many thousands of dollars and involves months of retraining just so you can change your browser?

The argument for change is just too weak.