I don't think they will reply me as I think the questions I've posed may have put them on the line. Perhaps no reply is a reply. I have already received some very good replies off from other professionals. They gave some very interesting views. They probably give better and honest answers to human factors in a way that they come from the users point of view. And it does confirm that some of the PC design need some good revamp. Like what I have earlier envisaged, most consumers agree with me of the physical attributes of the machine. Some people would have liked more choice of colours and motifs and see that as a value-added trait. BUT they want the power of the machine over aesthetics. Many think that buying a PC, from a household
point of view, is a waste of money; as the value of PC decreases very quickly in just a matter of months. Updating OS and software is an expensive chore too. If we need to keep our environment sane, we should really look at the way we use and throw computers away every few years. That is a waste.

I personally find that the Ethnographic design appears to be lacking on PCs. Perhaps its a common use of technology globally but the keyboards is definitely sensitive to cultural usage. Though there are improvements, the keyboard doesn't make typing Mandarin easy especially if you are an advanced learner. The style of PCs in notebooks/net books pin heavily on the western culture. True on the aspect on the keyboard layout design. Physical comfort is lacking too.

Favorable PCs ?

At local schools, the Ministry of Education here subsidies Notebook PC purchases at around 40% on selected high end HP notebooks for students. I personally like HP for the price and value though some accused that HP lacks originality. It is true to a certain extent. I had been eying for one but all the stocks were totally bought up even at full price. There was also a long back log of orders even without the subsidized purchase. Net books were hot sellers across the brands probably because the differentiation between brands on net books are hardly noticeable regardless how you look at it in terms of price and quality. They are light, inexpensive and they serve the primary function very well.

What seems to be interesting to me is that not a lot of people seem to be bothered about vision health as much as I do. Staring at the screen is to me a very unhealthy habit. Yet no one seems to be bothered about glare, radiation and static electricity from the use of computers. That to me was a little shocking.

Quick post here after replying to a professor at the local university with regards to the college and the ergonomics talk that was held last week. I am still waiting for replies for now. I was late because of a misdirection and entered the lecture theatre 15 minutes late. So I wouldn't know what was the introduction. But basically, it was about how studies in human factors had turned around fortunes of a computer company and a comprehensive illustration of the design process with the inclusion of human factors. Mobility, individuality,credibity and aesthetics have all played a part in delivering a marketable and hot selling PC product, especially the notebooks and the netbooks. However I had a lot of questions about sustainability and the human factors that were mentioned. Throughout the talk though, my main impression was styling and branding appeared to be far more dominant than ergonomics. That was my overall feeling. I didn't seem to be hearing anything about how targetted consumers were interacting with the computers. I was hoping to listen more. Maybe the PCs have run out of new forms that are comfortable to use and carry, but I was looking for more than thinner notebooks and colours that sparkle to consumers. My PDA had ran out of batteries and I resorted to jotting points down on my handphone by thumb-typing brief notes.

Somewhere along the typing, I was also wondering how different brands would fare in ergonomics ? Dell, HP, Sony Vaio, Apple, Acer, Asus, Fujitsu et cetra. Can you think of one good computer that fits sustainability well along with a nice affordable price tag without the loud colours ? And also fits the physical usage by majority of the human species in the global sense ?

I often find the cheaper Notebooks heavy and the batteries do not last long. Why should comfort be restricted to the expensive models ? I have both cheapie computer that weighs like a brick and heats like an oven. (no joking here: it does feel like a mini oven. I could cook a pigeon egg on it. ); and a quite expensive one that is lighter, more fashionable and nicer to use. I had a good interesting time looking for a notebook so I know what kind of troubles I have been into if I wanted some machine that was good and 'cheap' during times of global financial crisis. It is still good to save more when times are unpredictable. I bet many consumers are thinking along the same lines. The problem of using a notebook has not exactly been eradicated. It doesn't really fit on your lap nicely. Neither does it allow you to read the screen as you type on your lap or on the table. There is a problem of damaging your eye sight. But why is the form of the notebook remains basically the same ? I recall having once seen a detachable keyboard off a notebook. It was a Japanese make, but I have forgotten the brand. I had wanted to get it but the last set was already booked. Since then, I have never come across anything like that. Neither is there any new gadgets that allow one to use the notebook as a fun and healthy tool.

Quick typing here and this is actually a draft but I will return to the topic soon as they give me a reply !