Need new desktop PC advice

[Perry Winkle]

I've been in San Francisco doing job interviews the last two days. Some of the conversations have been crazy.

With one pair of interviewers we talked about how we might redesign certain products (GMail, Twitter, etc). It became clear to me how much the things the people who design and build the software want differ from what the intended audience want. Not even in the same ballpark.

Even within "my" ballpark the desires aren't really in the same ballpark.

I bring this up because it seems relevant to Windows 8, Mac, Facebook, *whatever* hate. There is surely a bubble where the decisions made on those products makes a lot of sense.

Some will use a certain product because their needs align with the assumptions of those in the design bubble. Others will use certain products because they can't figure out any way but the established choices. And then there is the group where none of those products make sense and so they take a (many, really) third way.

(n.b. I've met people who unabashedly love Windows 8 and for decent reasons. I'm not sure they aren't extraterrestrials.)

[tw]

Originally Posted by Perry Winkle

There is surely a bubble where the decisions made on those products makes a lot of sense.

In order for 'useful' designers to have influence, the boss must understand and use the products. History is full of examples.

Largest PC software manufacturer in the world once had what we now know as Office. They had Multimate, dBase, etc. All before Microsoft did it with Word, Access, etc. And then its founder died.

The new guy did not understand or use those products. When he introduced a latest version of dBase, it was obvious in 5 minutes to all reporters that he did not know what dBase did. Therefore he also did not know his newest product had over 10,000 bugs. Eventually they would have to buy back all those dBase packages. Because the boss was ignorant of the product. Because he thought like an MBA.

Same has changed in Microsoft. Ballmer is a bean counter. Therefore useful innovation in Microsoft is stifled. For the same reasons Sculley and Spindler so destroyed Apple. Same reason why GM and Chrysler make inferior products. Same reason why Ford became productive when an MBA (Jacque Nasser) was replaced by someone who had a driver's license (William Clay Ford).

Windows 8 makes sense when using spread sheet analysis. It makes less sense to a laptop user who do not want a Gorilla Arm.