Community poll forum: Why are computers still so difficult to use?

I think the computer is hard to use because innovation is constantly held as at a greater value than stability, particularly at an interface level. If you know how to do something from 15 years ago, it probably is near worthless now (outside of coding).


-- Can you remember when you started using computers? 1984?

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with? It was text based, so yeah, for what you could do.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were? Getting my head around graphical interfaces. I still dislike picking up my hand to click with the mouse when I could have typed it already.

-- Do you have any challenges even now? Every new interface slows my productivity (particularly Office 2007's new Ribbon interface. Rubbish).

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies? Adapt and not upgrading unless forced to.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now? I can't imagine start over at this point. I think the keyboard is the centerpiece of a computer, but now it is just another input device to many.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices? 6-8 hours.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now? Up to a point. The internet makes it compelling in a way it wasn't in the 80s and early 90s.