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View Full Version : People Love 'Their' Computers - Report


Jonathon Watkins
04-25-2004, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3625911.stm' target='_blank'>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3625911.stm</a><br /><br /></div>The British Broadcasting Corporation has posted another interesting article about computing. This time it's personal: "People tend to develop strong ties to a specific computer, even if it means waiting to use their favourite machine, say researchers. A team at Pennsylvania State University in the US found that people were drawn to a PC because of their tendency to assign human attributes to machines. It also reflected people's love of consistency, they said." <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/hug_computer.jpg" /><br /><span><i><a href="http://www.imarkconsulting.com/faqs.html">IMAGE SOURCE</a></i></span><br /><br />"The Penn State team set out to find discover just how far people were prepared to go to maintain a relationship with their favourite PC. For the study, they analysed the behaviour of university students using 800 computer terminals. They found that students tended to show loyalty to one or two computers, even when others were free. People given the option of a range of PCs tended to have favourites, with some even prepared to wait in line to use a particular machine. "It is well documented how we treat computers as if they have feelings, despite the fact that we know deep down that they have been pre-programmed by humans," said Professor Shyam Sundar, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University."<br /><br />Interesting. I know that I tend to do this kind of thing as well. However, there are often other reasons at play here, i.e. you will try and re-use a public computer which you know has not had it's settings messed up, coke spilled into the keyboard or has had a variety of random spyware installed by the previous bozo to use it. :grumble: However the report tries to push things further than that.<br /><br />"Prof Sundar said there computer manufacturers and advertisers could learn from the results of the study. In general, computers are marketed as things that can easily be phased out and replaced. "A better advertising strategy might be to portray computers as something durable and reliable, something that grows with you," Prof Sundar told BBC News Online." <br /><br />Computers (and PDA's) durable and reliable? Na, it'll never catch on. :wink: What do you reckon? I suppose it goes without saying that you guys are attached to your 'Personal' Digital Assistants? :ppclove:

Wiggster
04-25-2004, 05:15 PM
Computers (and PDA's) durable and reliable? Na, it'll never catch on. :wink: What do you reckon? I suppose it goes without saying that you guys are attached to your 'Personal' Digital Assistants? :ppclove:

Hmm, me? Attached?

Every night, when I'm dead tired, I go to bed and hook up my PDA to the internet, and go to my favorite online digs until I know I'm going to pass out, then I turn off my Pocket PC and set it next to me, and I fall asleep. This means I've slept with my Pocket PC more than my fiance.

Zack Mahdavi
04-25-2004, 05:27 PM
This article is very true. However, I've noticed that this applies to a lot of things in life. When I go to a restaurant I've visited many times, I end up ordering the same thing as the time before. When I go to Target, I end up parking in the same usual spot. When I go to the bathroom, I end up using the same stall.

Maybe I'm just weird.... is it the same for the rest of you?

Casio Collector
04-25-2004, 05:37 PM
It really is true - I don't lik to use anything different, and I definitly have become attached to my PDA, but especially my phone.

Perhaps it just reassures us, this consistancy, as well as providing us with something we are familiar with??

Jacob
04-25-2004, 05:45 PM
People are creatures of habit.

And I actually have that exact desk as pictured!!

Ekkie Tepsupornchai
04-25-2004, 05:46 PM
I guess I have a different slant on this. While in areas with a large number of public terminals, I can see this being the case... mostly because (as already referenced), people knows the ins and outs of a specific machine (where icons are located, internet bookmarks, perhaps they like the location of the terminal, etc.) However I'm not sure this can be translated to people perferring to grow with their own personal computers though.

It seems like an apples-to-oranges association. Most people I know who have owned their own desktop for more than a couple of years would love nothing more than to get a new desktop (or at least upgrade their current one significantly). Rarely do I see anyone get sentimental about an old machine when they're considering a new one.

I do agree though that PCs and PPCs can become very personal part of our lives... I just have no plans to grow with my PPC without ever considering upgrading to a new device within the next year!

IntegraPrelude98
04-25-2004, 06:30 PM
I go to Penn State and I am really glad to see my university is doing some hard core research!! :D

rbrome
04-25-2004, 07:25 PM
People are creatures of habit.

And I actually have that exact desk as pictured!!

Me too! It's the old "Jerker" from IKEA. I love that desk. The new one doesn't have the nifty slide-out side parts. I think I have more of an attachment to my desk than my Dell PC, but don't get me started on my mobile devices... :D

Aerestis
04-25-2004, 07:26 PM
I love my pc and handheld, but I DEFINITELY want new ones. I always use the same computer at school due to my personal preferences in 3ds max R6 not being on other machines. When I do video editing, I am always moving from one machine to another. Then again, those are macs, and they are all the same model. I don't know... I might be attached to a laptop or a nice pda, but I don't have either one. I think about buying them the most though so I figure I would like them even more than the stuff I have now :)

I do think a line of computers promoting the ability to upgrade and change things easily and grow with the same pc would be popular, especially if the marketers made it it look more affordable and comfortable. However it's probably not a huge deal, and not even half of the computer consumers would care. Unless they looked reaaallylyyy cool.

rbrome
04-25-2004, 07:33 PM
... I do think a line of computers promoting the ability to upgrade and change things easily and grow with the same pc would be popular, especially if the marketers made it it look more affordable and comfortable. However it's probably not a huge deal, and not even half of the computer consumers would care. Unless they looked reaaallylyyy cool.

Hmmm... like this, maybe? :wink:

http://a288.g.akamai.net/7/288/51/7fa1594996ea98/www.apple.com/pr/images/ref_0301pmg4_open.jpg

bjornkeizers
04-25-2004, 07:47 PM
I don't get attached to my PC's. To me a PC is just like a cellphone or toaster or whatever. I use it until it either breaks down, or until I need to upgrade to better specs. If I could toss my old puter in the trash or trade up every three months, I'd do it.

It's different with my PPC. I use it in a more personal way then my laptop, so I'm very attached to it. I wear it on my belt every day, and where I go, it goes. I can't do without it, and while I certainly upgrade, there's always a little bit of regret.

ctmagnus
04-25-2004, 08:42 PM
I have to send my precious in for a warranty exchange. While I'll get the exact same model in return, I am a bit torn at losing the original unit I purchased. :(

Kevin Daly
04-25-2004, 09:06 PM
I'm not certain about this one...
People tend to get that way about any tool they rely on heavily, so concentrating on computers may be reading more into the situation than is actually there.
Also, I think for some of us a desktop PC is more about place than anything else - it is our castle.
On the other hand, I think I do tend to anthropomorphise PDAs on some level - I know I feel residual guilt whenever I let the battery drain on my old Jornada 545. It's become a kind of tamagochi.

I really need to get out more :D

OSUKid7
04-25-2004, 10:06 PM
Well, I'm more attached to computers/technology in general. I guess I'm attached to the Internet. If a computer's online, I'll use it to get to my files, email, etc.

foldedspace
04-25-2004, 10:31 PM
Well, this explains Mac Addicts.



I keed! I keed!

:wink:

Wiggster
04-25-2004, 10:55 PM
Hmmm... like this, maybe? :wink:

http://a288.g.akamai.net/7/288/51/7fa1594996ea98/www.apple.com/pr/images/ref_0301pmg4_open.jpg

Dude, your computer fell apart. :mrgreen:

Jonathon Watkins
04-25-2004, 10:59 PM
Dude, your computer fell apart. :mrgreen:

:rotfl:

Ah yes - people that really love computers. :P :wink:

Kacey Green
04-25-2004, 11:06 PM
Hmmm... like this, maybe? :wink:

http://a288.g.akamai.net/7/288/51/7fa1594996ea98/www.apple.com/pr/images/ref_0301pmg4_open.jpg

Dude, your computer fell apart. :mrgreen:

:rofl:

Kacey Green
04-25-2004, 11:11 PM
This article is very true. However, I've noticed that this applies to a lot of things in life. When I go to a restaurant I've visited many times, I end up ordering the same thing as the time before. When I go to Target, I end up parking in the same usual spot. When I go to the bathroom, I end up using the same stall.

Maybe I'm just weird.... is it the same for the rest of you?

I think this is true as long as the environment we are talking about stays constant, you take those same study participants and about halfway through the experiment change some but not all of the computer most of the participants will find a new favorite.

I must also confess that I'm the same way even with a choice between two identical options familiarity will gravitate me to what has worked in the past.

If ther is a slight difference between the two options if I like it or not I will seek out the one that I had the pleasent experiance with in the past. Example: If you set up three computers all very similar but the third with one slight difference (not something negative like a faulty mouse in which case i would avoid it like the plague) I will seek out the machine with the difference.

Edit:
Does this make any sence to you?

If you have PC [a, b, c] I find that i prefer pc "b". then you move the PCs like this [b, a, c] unless all i liked about b was it's position I will then find the pc and resume using it.

Zack Mahdavi
04-25-2004, 11:27 PM
Edit:
Does this make any sence to you?

If you have PC [a, b, c] I find that i prefer pc "b". then you move the PCs like this [b, a, c] unless all i liked about b was it's position I will then find the pc and resume using it.

Makes perfect sense! Good insight.. I completely agree with you.

delfuhd
04-26-2004, 12:31 AM
I know I like consistency, but I also know I love going to staples and office max and playing with all the other ppc's wishing I had another one than my 2215 (but I do love my 2215 of course :D )

how can people like their computer when we all love upgrading so much?

maybe they mean moving to another person's computer, with a different resolution or different desktop etc?

i mean when I get a new computer I love it because I get something to play with, and customize...

KAMware
04-26-2004, 01:03 AM
Oh yea I luv my computers! All 17 of them! I actually have favorite keyboards and mice but not the actual computer as I am always changing them to do something new with them.

But we humans do seem to give inanimate objects human traits at times. So I can see people developing affections for certain computers. But I think they should go further with the research and find out exactly why they favor certain ones.


OOO I think your CPU is so smoooth!...

:D

Jonathon Watkins
04-26-2004, 01:07 AM
Oh yea I luv my computers! All 17 of them!

8O And I thought I was doing well with 4 current and 4 retired ones!

Do you use all of them at once (i.e. are they all setup & ready to go)?

Hosting your own LAN parties must be fun. :grouphug:

Do you favour particular ones - or is the latest, fastest one?

KAMware
04-26-2004, 01:16 AM
I have all the desktop ones on the network either wired or rf and all the portable ones are wireless connected. Most of the time about 50% of the wired ones are on. A lot of them are test machines with different OS's, some are for Forensics work and there are 4 dedicated to development.

My most used one is my main development one and it is also the most powerful. 3ghz, 2 gig ram and external water cooling.

The second most used one is the one I am on now where I do most of my surfing.

I luv the keyborads on it and the development machines. eluminx blue and aqua. Nice size and nice feel not to mention the glowing keys!

:D

Aerestis
04-26-2004, 04:09 AM
I need a new keyboard now

minimage
04-26-2004, 04:49 AM
I love quite a few of my computers. I love my desktop, because it's the fastest one (and the one with the most memory). I love my Dell Inspiron 3800, because it's the fastest portable. I love my Fujitsu Point 510, because it's the best tablet I have. I love my Fujitsu PenCentra 130, because it's the only tablet handheld PC (or handheld PC, for that matter) that I have, and because it has Pocket Access and Pocket PowerPoint. I love my Dell Axim X5 Advanced, because it's the only PPC I have. I love my Dell PowerEdge (even if it's only a 486), because it's the only true server machine I have. I love my Casio BE-300, because it was my first CE device. I love my RS/6000, because...because it's an RS/6000. I love my Color NeXTStation, because it's a NeXT. I love my Sun Ultra1, because it's better than the Sun Sparc4 I used to have, and that means I can run Solaris 9 for free, instead of having to choose either Linux or being a bad person and running Solaris 8, which stopped being free. I love my G3, because it's the best Mac I have. I love my PowerBook Duo 250, because it's the only portable Mac I have. I love the Linux box I use as my personal FTP server. I love the BSD box I use as my personal web server.

Would I upgrade, if I could? Sure! However, most of these devices would remain in-house, and I would get rid of the computers I haven't mentioned.

I might sound like a fickle computer slut, but the fact is I would be DEVASTATED if I lost them all. I have been known to refuse to go ANYWHERE without at least one of my babies, and to leave one at someone else's house, lest my house should burn down or be burglarized.

Let me end this with quoting a song from my teen years: "The doctor said it's too intense; it's not love, it's mere obsession, yeah. I've just got it bad that way."

Mark Johnson
04-26-2004, 05:51 AM
I suppose it goes without saying that you guys are attached to your 'Personal' Digital Assistants? :ppclove:


I'm attached to having a PPC, but not so much to having a particular one. I fid it pretty easy to "jump ship" to the new model when there is a release. As a matter of fact, I've been really dissapointed that we've been (from my perspective) at a standstill since December of 2002 when I got my iPaq 1910. Portability is key to me and at 4.4 ounces it is as small as they get. Even a couple of clock cycle increases didn't pry it out of my hands. Really there has been nothing interesting in a year and a half at this point. I want VGA, but I'm not carrying a brick to get it.

Maybe in May/June, we'll see something I'd want. Of course I'm pretty impressed with (and depressed by) Microsoft's ability to COMPLETELY silence the rumor mill on whatever devices are coming next month. I've got to wonder if such a tight lid is really good for them. Since PPC2003SE is basically a maintenance release of PPC2003 which was basically a maintenance release of PPC2002, I'm at the point where I'm just not even excited anymore. Letting a little info slip out is good if there's goodies coming, but I'm starting to fear the emperor has no clothes...

hdsalinas
04-26-2004, 07:29 AM
Well just today somebody broke into my cousin's house and stole, among other electronics, his PC with all the accesories and stuff. I really feel bad for him but as soon as I could I came to my house and hugged my PC. I built my PC myself so I guess my attachement is deeper than with any before. (sort of a "its alive!" feeling)

Another good example is my car. There must be hundreds of black 99 corollas but for some reason I sense a personality on my car that I dont see in any other corolla. Somehow for me, my car is more special than any other corolla out there.

:lol:

TopDog
04-26-2004, 08:24 AM
I love my Shuttle... altough it's not the best desktop I've ever had, it looks cool.

Lately I've been doing some changes to it... changed PSU, changed cooling paste, cut a hole to get more air... just to get it cooler and more silent. I also got tempted and put in some cold katode to make it look cool at night:
http://home.broadpark.no/~gholmin/topdog/images/shuttle_bynight.jpg
So YES... I love my computer :ppclove:

Beside my bed lies my Axim, on my girlfriends side there is an old Jornada (mainly used for Freecell) and under my pillow lies my SmartPhone... I love my gadgets too!

Zack Mahdavi
04-26-2004, 02:18 PM
I love my Shuttle... altough it's not the best desktop I've ever had, it looks cool. Lately I've been doing some changes to it... changed PSU, changed cooling paste, cut a hole to get more air... just to get it cooler and more silent. I also got tempted and put in some cold katode to make it look cool at night:
http://home.broadpark.no/~gholmin/topdog/images/shuttle_bynight.jpg
So YES... I love my computer :ppclove:

TopDog, is that an Apple LCD you have connected to your shuttle? I'm doing a similar setup. I use Apple's DVI to ADC adapter to hook up my PC to the monitor. :)

Jonathan1
04-26-2004, 03:17 PM
People Love 'Their' Computers

Ya and people are also freaks but you don't see reports stating that. :p ;)

Honestly I don't understand this preoccupation of some to name their computers. A couple friend of mine have been bugging me to name my systems over the last year. 2 weeks ago I satisfied their burning desire with...

My Dell Latitude laptop is Lynx.
My Toshiba Satellite laptop is Tiger.
My Dell Optiplex is Puma.
My home server is Ocelot.
My Jornada 568 is Calico (as in a smaller housecat.)

Are ya happy now huh?! huh?! :)

As for people loving their computer the first thing that comes to mind is the movie Hackers where the Feds are taking that one kids computer and he grabs the leg of the guy who has "Lucie". I hope to never meet someone like that. Can you say psycho? I prize myself on being not too overly hung up on material possessions. Do I enjoy owning a sexy laptop? Sure. But its not the end all be all thing in my life.

Zack Mahdavi
04-26-2004, 08:01 PM
Honestly I don't understand this preoccupation of some to name their computers. A couple friend of mine have been bugging me to name my systems over the last year. 2 weeks ago I satisfied their burning desire with...

My Dell Latitude laptop is Lynx.
My Toshiba Satellite laptop is Tiger.
My Dell Optiplex is Puma.
My home server is Ocelot.
My Jornada 568 is Calico (as in a smaller housecat.)

Are ya happy now huh?! huh?! :)

Oh yeah?!??!

My PowerMac G4 is Frodo.
My Powerbook is Sam
My Dell PC is Gollum. 8O

Just so anyone thinks I'm crazy for naming my computers, it's only because that way each computer can have its own host name. It's great for DNS services. Instead of "ssh 192.168.0.188", I can just say "ssh frodo"

So sometimes it's a good idea to name your machines! :)

OSUKid7
04-26-2004, 08:23 PM
Honestly I don't understand this preoccupation of some to name their computers. A couple friend of mine have been bugging me to name my systems over the last year. 2 weeks ago I satisfied their burning desire with...

My Dell Latitude laptop is Lynx.
My Toshiba Satellite laptop is Tiger.
My Dell Optiplex is Puma.
My home server is Ocelot.
My Jornada 568 is Calico (as in a smaller housecat.)

Are ya happy now huh?! huh?! :)

Oh yeah?!??!

My PowerMac G4 is Frodo.
My Powerbook is Sam
My Dell PC is Gollum. 8O

Just so anyone thinks I'm crazy for naming my computers, it's only because that way each computer can have its own host name. It's great for DNS services. Instead of "ssh 192.168.0.188", I can just say "ssh frodo"

So sometimes it's a good idea to name your machines! :)
Yes and no. I'm a big fan of naming computers for where they are, or, in the case of laptops or PPCs, the specs/manufacturer name.

minimage
04-26-2004, 10:24 PM
The very first computer that was actually my personal property had a name. Because it had a Samsung monitor, and because it was an XT, I called it "Sammy X." Now all my computers are called "baby" and "sweetie." Yeah, I'm a freak. I don't care. Just don't take my computers away!

I want to love this next:
http://www.internetishop.com/product_detail.asp?main_cat_no=&sub_cat_no=&item=EZ30D

I very nearly called them up and added to my unsecured debt when I first saw this thing, but something approaching sanity took over.

dean_shan
04-27-2004, 02:24 AM
I love mine. I've had the same case for four years now. Keep replacing the guts once they burn out or I feel it's time for an upgrade.

OSUKid7
04-27-2004, 02:34 AM
I love mine. I've had the same case for four years now. Keep replacing the guts once they burn out or I feel it's time for an upgrade.
lol...see I always find a bigger and better case, mobo, and CPU, and by the time I get around to it, I end up building a new computer, and keeping my old one running for a server. Yeah...my parents don't particularly like the computer in the closet. :lol:

Falstaff
04-27-2004, 04:19 AM
I definately agree with this article, since it is talking about computers in public labs. I have favorite computers at my school's labs. In one lab, a PC became my favorite when it was the only one with XP, which I quickly skinned to be the same as my home PC. But I also know that that PC has an optical mouse, a full keyboard (others are missing keys, idk why), and a larger screen than others. Even now that some of the other machines are the same and XP is throughout the lab, I still try to always use that same one. I don't even have any special software installed on it. I guess I'm just a creature of habit. All the XP machines I use have the same appearance (Azul bg and silver bars, instead of blue), heck, my PPC even has an Azul theme I use sometimes. Maybe I'm juist wierd though....

TopDog
04-27-2004, 08:02 AM
TopDog, is that an Apple LCD you have connected to your shuttle?
I wish... no, it's just an old LG Studioworks 15' LCD... I'm saving money and wishing that someone will start selling the Shuttle 17' LCD's here in Norway... they look cool!

About name-calling, I used to be greative, but now I keep it simple:

Shuttle XPC is called "shuttle" (because it's a Shuttle)
Dell laptop is called "fedora" (because I run Fedora Linux on it)
Dell Axim X5 is called "axim" (because it's an Axim)
Qtek 7070 SmartPhone is called qtek (because it's an Qtek)

juni
04-27-2004, 08:17 AM
I want to love this next:
http://www.internetishop.com/produc..._no=&item=EZ30D

Did those tablet pcs ever really catch on? I haven't seen many around anywhere actually in use.

My HP2210 is called "Zeus", PC "Consulate"...at some point in time I've had computers named "Centurion", "Juno", "Caesar" etc.

I can't say I "love" my devices, being in IT I've seen so many computers that the thrill of a new pc isn't what it used to be. But I do feel different about my pocket pc, I suppose they are more personal. :)

Kacey Green
04-27-2004, 02:23 PM
my iPAQ 2215 is called "Rex" after someon's ipaqzilla untill i find a better short name all my PDAs will probably be called rex with the old ones changing names to model numbers as i retire them.

minimage
04-27-2004, 06:50 PM
I want to love this next:
http://www.internetishop.com/produc..._no=&item=EZ30D

Did those tablet pcs ever really catch on? I haven't seen many around anywhere actually in use.


As far as I've read, sales have not been what manufacturers hoped, but I believe they have a following. There's a Microsoft newsgroup and at least one forum out there getting activity. Of course, it's true that MS gave away quite a few last year (just not to me *sob*). I fully believe there are more nutcases out there like me who greatly desire one, but haven't gotten Bill G. to give them one and can't afford the pricey little darlings.

Yeah, this is sort of on-topic. I cannot for the life of me get my Win98 Tablet to activate DRM, so I still don't have my Zinio magazines conveniently portable. If I had a Tablet that would let me read my digital PC Mag and my other eBooks, that would let me play games, get on the net (wirelessly), edit and read documents, and use my Exchange account, the love in the air would be so thick you could cut it with a laser.

Hemi
05-01-2004, 01:01 AM
"People tend to develop strong ties to a specific computer, even if it means waiting to use their favourite machine, say researchers. A team at Pennsylvania State University in the US found that people were drawn to a PC because of their tendency to assign human attributes to machines. It also reflected people's love of consistency, they said."

"The Penn State team set out to find discover just how far people were prepared to go to maintain a relationship with their favourite PC. For the study, they analysed the behaviour of university students using 800 computer terminals. They found that students tended to show loyalty to one or two computers, even when others were free. People given the option of a range of PCs tended to have favourites, with some even prepared to wait in line to use a particular machine. "It is well documented how we treat computers as if they have feelings, despite the fact that we know deep down that they have been pre-programmed by humans," said Professor Shyam Sundar, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University."


Coming late to this discussion... but here's my $0.02

This story would be more insightful if it mentioned whether a person's attraction to a particular computer is influenced by its location relative to the other computers; or, influenced by other people sitting in proximity; or its relative location in the room. In short, did its surrounding environment play a role in a user's machine relationship? Perhaps a preference is more than just beige plastic and silicon... :?: