The computer science of everyday things

Abstract

Technology is fashionable, wonderful and getting better; Moore's Law predicts substantial, sustained improvement (G. Moore, 1996). Yet the usability of 'everyday things' is low (video recorders being a notorious example). It seems to follow that improvements must be sought in areas outside technology, such as human factors. But a premise is wrong: in fact, the technology, i.e., the embedded computer science, is appalling! Obsolescence, a symptom of Moore's Law, hides flawed design: poor products are replaced rather than fixed. The poor quality of the computer science of everyday things is eclipsed by the hope for fixing today's problems with tomorrow's consumption. The paper reviews Moore's Law and the usability of everyday things; it shows that professional computer science can improve usability with ease. Improvement will be essential when ethical and environmental issues become, as they will, unavoidable design criteria.