Abstract

The future is said to belong to information appliances, specialized and easy to use devices that will
have the car tell the coffee pot to brew a cup of coffee just in time for our arrival home. These gadgets
are supposed to eliminate the complexity and resulting frustrations of the PC. The thesis of this essay is
that while information appliances will proliferate, they will not lessen the perception of an exasperating
electronic environment. The interaction of the coffee pot, the car, the smart fridge, and the networked
camera will create a new layer of complexity. In the rush towards the digital era, we will continue to
live right on the edge of intolerable frustration.
The paradox of information appliances is that while they are presented as products for a mature
market, their main effect will be to unleash a tidal wave of innovation. When technology changes
rapidly, greater ease of use serves to attract more users and developers, creating new frustrations. The
most we can do is ameliorate the spread of the information appliance products and services. To do
this, it appears necessary to recognize that flexibility and ease of use are in an unavoidable conflict,
and that the optimal balance between those two factors differs among users. Therefore systems should
be designed to have degrees of flexibility that can be customized for different people. It will also be
essential to provide for remote administration of home computing and networking.