Computer for the 21st Century
1_ Ubiquitous computation. Weiser mentions how technology/ “Computers” are successful when they are in the background. ” They serve their purpose for the time being and disappear (which we are all used to by know/ things eventually fade out and or get updated) This can be argued that this is what makes technology successful, the ability of human expression that only projects/propels humanity as a whole (which is agreeable) but Weiser mentions in the passage that “computers” have become distractions, that computers are not fading into the background because the users (humans) are relying and depending on these technologies too much. We think they are at our mercy but when we take a step back we realize that it is vice versa. This comes back to the idea of convenience. we strive for our technologies to make things easier for us and be manageable but I want to argue that these technologies cannot be and will not be in our life backgrounds. It’s the “elephant in the room”, It sticks out like a sore thumb, To hide something of this magnitude is just blind ignorance. Ignorance is bliss. instead of putting technologies/ computers in the background maybe we should incorporate them as mutual?
Weiser mentions how even traditional paper is going to be replaced by pads. maybe in a sense paper is a ubiquitous technology which is being fazed out by the new meta-pater a tab. Progression is inevitable.
“One-time use DVD”
2_Weiser mentions in the passage “C.I. enhances every room/space. Does this statement hold true of how architects, designers, engineers, design spaces today? before we even start saturating our spaces with C.I., should we ask ourselves “have we stressed all aspects of a space preface to C.I. introduction? or have we exhausted all aspects of a space and C.I. is the next step/ direction to alter spaces and enhance them? (meta-space) This I think pertains to our research group “situated technologies” on the behalf that eventually the world will be in a state of total C.I. and us designers will have to incorporate these technologies into our designs. I think to go against it is not as productive.
3_Weiser goes into the subject of storage. He talks about how computers nowadays have come along way from 1MB storage to 1TB of storage. He also mentions how it is important to delete unused information and work but my question is what happens if we do not get rid of all that information? Will there be an overload where there is not enough storage? could saving all information be used for useful archive purposes or do we have to purge not important information to save space. Do we just have to organize our information more strategically?
4_Dunne. In the passage Dunne talks about how smart materials are being explored for functionality more than actual aesthetic expression and design, How do we begin exploring the world of next materials when it is obviously seen that functionality is more important at the moment? Does it always have to follow this pattern of functionality first and exploration next?
