04-25-2004, 04:00 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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People Love 'Their' Computers - Report
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."
IMAGE SOURCE
"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."
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.
"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."
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?  pclove:
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04-25-2004, 05:15 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 589
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Re: People Love 'Their' Computers - Report
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Originally Posted by Jonathon Watkins
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? pclove: |
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.
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04-25-2004, 05:27 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,055
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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?
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04-25-2004, 05:37 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 14
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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??
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04-25-2004, 05:45 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,162
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People are creatures of habit.
And I actually have that exact desk as pictured!!
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04-25-2004, 05:46 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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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!
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04-25-2004, 06:30 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 37
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I go to Penn State and I am really glad to see my university is doing some hard core research!! 
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04-25-2004, 07:25 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 193
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jacob
People are creatures of habit.
And I actually have that exact desk as pictured!!
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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...
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04-25-2004, 07:26 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 275
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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.
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04-25-2004, 07:33 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 193
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aerestis
... 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.
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Hmmm... like this, maybe? :wink:
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Linear Mode
