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> Modern cars: rarely need fixing; also much more efficient. That really has nothing to do with what is being discussed though. The reliability and efficiency

by Crito 13y ago

> Modern cars: rarely need fixing; also much more efficient. That really has nothing to do with what is being discussed though. The reliability and efficiency of modern cars are consequences of advances in technology and engineering, not user interface redesign.

comex 13y ago
Modern computers have also gotten... not more reliable exactly (they have, but it's not the point), but more robust against the need for manual configuration. When's the last time you had to defragment a disk, or figure out why some device in Windows Device Manager had a question mark next to it or what driver cocktail to install, or enter complicated settings to access the Internet? (Or XF86Config, for that matter...) In other words, just like modern cars, it's not as necessary to pay attention to the innards for continued operation.
- Figs 13y ago
  figure out why some device in Windows Device Manager had a question mark next to it or what driver cocktail to install I did this just last week with a fresh Windows 7 installation because the drivers for the Ethernet adapter had to be manually installed...
  - surye 13y ago
    When was the last time you thought about IRQ settings?
    - alandarev 13y ago
      Is it some kind of a test? Why is knowing IRQ relevant? I am joining many people here, who prefer having configurable tools. I do not want to configure 'IRQ' on any tool I use, but if it will misfunction, I will search for it and find out what IRQ means and how I adjust it to my needs. Worse, is being unable to change 'IRQ' when you need to, because people in charge decided it draws 95% customers away, and you are being in a 5% boat.
- the_af 13y ago
  I don't think robustness has much to do with the need for manual configuration. Configuration is needed not (only) because users need to do troubleshooting, but also because they want to adjust and tweak their cars/computers/gadgets to their needs. The current trend is less configuration, less control in the hands of the consumer, more lock-down. I believe hiding implementation details is part of this trend to reduce complexity (which is good) but also to wrestle control away from the user (which is bad).
TheLoneWolfling 13y ago
Umm... Actually, yes, it is relevant. A large chunk of the reason behind the efficiency in particular of newer cars is the addition of those opaque black boxes. Being able to have the car's engine directly tune things according to complicated algorithms, instead of power-hungry mechanical controls, etc, etc.
- Crito 13y ago
  Those black boxes would function just as well if they had public and standard specifications. Their opaque secrecy is not a feature.
  - TheLoneWolfling 13y ago
    True. I was commenting on the black boxes, not the software contained within.

by Crito 13y ago

comex 13y ago

Modern computers have also gotten... not more reliable exactly (they have, but it's not the point), but more robust against the need for manual configuration. When's the last time you had to defragment a disk, or figure out why some device in Windows Device Manager had a question mark next to it or what driver cocktail to install, or enter complicated settings to access the Internet? (Or XF86Config, for that matter...) In other words, just like modern cars, it's not as necessary to pay attention to the innards for continued operation.

Figs 13y ago
figure out why some device in Windows Device Manager had a question mark next to it or what driver cocktail to install I did this just last week with a fresh Windows 7 installation because the drivers for the Ethernet adapter had to be manually installed...
- surye 13y ago
  When was the last time you thought about IRQ settings?
  - alandarev 13y ago
    Is it some kind of a test? Why is knowing IRQ relevant? I am joining many people here, who prefer having configurable tools. I do not want to configure 'IRQ' on any tool I use, but if it will misfunction, I will search for it and find out what IRQ means and how I adjust it to my needs. Worse, is being unable to change 'IRQ' when you need to, because people in charge decided it draws 95% customers away, and you are being in a 5% boat.
the_af 13y ago
I don't think robustness has much to do with the need for manual configuration. Configuration is needed not (only) because users need to do troubleshooting, but also because they want to adjust and tweak their cars/computers/gadgets to their needs. The current trend is less configuration, less control in the hands of the consumer, more lock-down. I believe hiding implementation details is part of this trend to reduce complexity (which is good) but also to wrestle control away from the user (which is bad).

TheLoneWolfling 13y ago

Umm... Actually, yes, it is relevant. A large chunk of the reason behind the efficiency in particular of newer cars is the addition of those opaque black boxes. Being able to have the car's engine directly tune things according to complicated algorithms, instead of power-hungry mechanical controls, etc, etc.

Crito 13y ago
Those black boxes would function just as well if they had public and standard specifications. Their opaque secrecy is not a feature.
- TheLoneWolfling 13y ago
  True. I was commenting on the black boxes, not the software contained within.