Personal Computer Crisis

First computer in our family was bought when I was about 11-13 years old. It was a 486 IBM PC. During that first period I learned a lot about DOS, Win 3.1, OS/2 Warp, all kind of Linuxes and FreeBSD, and so on.

Different operating systems were installed, along with games and all kinds of software just out of curiosity.

By playing with a computer, I was able to learn many different things about how it works, how hardware works, how software works, how to write a code or create a digital image, and many-many different things that we can call computer science. Or “hacking” in the old sense of the word.

My main point of interest was computer graphics, but I also learned how to make music, 3D renderings, set up a network, write an app or compile kernel for FreeBSD operating system. Because it was fun and interesting.

iPad is not a computer

Apple often claims that the iPad is a new type of computer, but I disagree. With its closed software ecosystem, you can’t install alternative operating systems or software beyond iOS, limiting your experience to App Store apps. Furthermore, in a few decades, you likely won’t be able to run old iOS apps, whether out of curiosity or nostalgia. This is because Apple controls which iOS versions can be installed on specific devices. In contrast, today we can still run old Windows or DOS applications on modern PCs.

With a computer, you should be able to build another computer - from 3D to CAD and PCB to manufacturing. Can you build another iPad with an iPad? I doubt it. But you can use a computer to make another computer, or even an iPad.

iPad as a teenager dream

All the people around me, from 11 to 22 years old, yearn to have an iPad or an iPhone. Most of the time they use it as a device to consume content: to watch a video on Instagram or YouTube, to play games, share statuses on social media, and in rare cases to work with Procreate. I have never seen anyone use it to make music, to work in 3D, or to write code.

With this obsession with content-consuming devices, we will soon have fewer and fewer good IT professionals with a broad range of skills. And that is pretty sad.

“Computers are like a bicycle for our minds,” said Steve Jobs. Back then, computers were a miracle for our generation. It’s sad to see that when young people are asked, “Would you like to have a computer?” the most common response I hear is, “What for?”