Shall We Call It "Curated Computing?"

medcalf writes "Ars Technica has an opinion piece by Sarah Rotman Epps on the iPad and other potential tablets as a new paradigm that they are calling 'curated computing,' where third parties make a lot of choices to simplify things for the end user, reducing user choice but improving reliability and efficiency for a defined set of tasks. The idea is that this does not replace, but supplements, general-purpose computers. It's possible — if the common denominator between iPads, Android and/or Chrome tablets, WebOS tablets, and the like is a more server-centric web experience — that they could be right, and that a more competitive computing market could be the result. But I wonder, too: would that then provide an incentive for manufacturers to try to lock down the personal computing desktop experience as well?" And even if not, an emphasis on "curated computing" could rob resources from old-skool computer development, as is already evident at Apple.

Comments

Re:Walled Garden computing

[jedidiah]

Of course they want something with more positive spin on it.

Walled Garden Computing is far too honest and descriptive. It acknowledges a downside rather than trying to completely ignore it.

Re:Locked Down

[jedidiah]

Of course you can't see the difference. You are LYING in order to make the point.

There is no service hatch in Ubuntu. It is specifically designed to allow for 3rd party software sources and places no limits on installing or running random binaries.

Not only is there a "service hatch" on an iPad but it is locked. Unlocking it is of dubious legality and the means to unlock an iPad are constantly being "fixed".

They are NOTHING like each other.

At worst, something is hard on Ubuntu. That's a far cry from something that is specifically intended to be impossible.