Pretty Is
Posted by Ray @ 12:23 am
This is something I’ve never been able to understand. Nor do I try to - that energy should rightly be devoted to more important issues, like playing games and watching anime. I just call ‘em as I see ‘em, man.
I believe it’s time I talked about my iBook. It’s a gorgeous piece of hardware, and is quite possibly the epitome of functional beauty. So rarely do pretty things have substance that I swear I’d clean forgotten such a thing was physically possible. Every moment with it brings a smile to my face; every design choice reveals a useful feature; every task done (in a quarter of the time it would take on a windows system) executed in a way that you instinctively understand.
I mean this thing has a dopey processor (1.2GHz) and a pithy 512MB of RAM! It shouldn’t be physically possible to surf the ‘net, check my mail, download pr0n watch a DVD, read a few PDF documents, type a few Word documents and chat online… all at the same time! That kinda shit just ain’t natural.
But it happens, all the same.
Which is why when Microsoft proposes devices like this, I can’t help but laugh. The company that makes devices do THIS:
Is thinking of making robots that will watch over your children. Your children! Fruit of your loins, apple of your eye… and soon to be victim of the Blue Screen of Death. Imagine going home after a romantic dinner with the wife, trusting a robot to take care of your flesh and blood. Imagine opening the door to your home, smelling the fresh scent of… burnt flesh? As your eyes desperately seek what your nose tells you is there, they fall upon a cute teddy bear emitting a curious blue glow. And then you see your beloved electrocuted daughter, her curious fingers having unfortunately found their way into the power socket. Imagine your devastation, your hurt, your horror.
…
Aw hell, who am I kidding. Imagine the lawsuits! Imagine the money! Bring it on, Microsoft.