Re: Multimedia

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"IVB" <ivb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:REgwg.8054$vO.101@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Thx dude. I specifically pursued an "art-based" design b/c of my desire to
> satiate the following non-techie relatives:
> - Wife, who is a marketing person with a psych degree
> - Wife's best friend, and most common babysitter we got, who's an actor
and
> is confounded by his iPod.
> - Mother-in-law, who's a montessori school teacher and still won't use an
> ATM or put gas in the car
> - Father-in-law, who's an architect
> - Brother-in-law, who's a schoolteacher
> - BIL's wife, who's a real estate agent and prides herself on her
ignorance.


Montessori schools?  Actors?  You must be a Californian! :-)


> I was looking for something 'accessible' to that contingent, all the
regular
> stuff seemed too clean and sterile.

I've deployed a number of computer systems professionally and one can never
underestimate the value of a "buy in" feature.  People hate upgrading OS's
so the last time we did it, we switch to laptops and docking stations so
that employees could take their machines home.  They were fighting to be the
first to upgrade.

In your case, the "buy in" comes from a feeling of simplicity coupled to the
sentimental charm of a child's school painting stuck on the refrigerator.
That removes a lot of the intimidation non-techie users feel about new
automation systems.  Robotic designers have realized the importance of
making robots that have an emotional appeal.  It's often the difference
between seeing the the glass half empty or half full and rejecting or
accepting a new system.

I've been watching a program about Leonardo DaVinci and it clearly
illustrates how his art benefitted from his engineering knowledge.  The
built a replica of his 500 year old glider he designed from observing birds
and actually got it to fly further and longer than the Wright Brothers.
DaVinci would have liked your design choices, I'm sure, because they marry
art and engineering into a unique machine.

--
Bobby G.