Why were computers so hard?

Question

Why did computers used to be hard to use? Someone told me that you had to do it all by keyboard or in html or something. The old apple computers?

Answer 1

Computers used to be hard to use in the past because Windows, or OS/X wasn't around in the old days. Not so long ago, computers used what is called a command line or command prompt interface (instead of clicking icons or pictures to open files or programs, you literally typed in techie computer commands) For example if you wanted to rename a folder you created for your mp3 music files on your computer you would have to type something like... REN C:\Mymusi~1 C:\Music. By typing this, you would be telling the computer to rename your mp3 music folder (compare that to just right clicking the folder in Windows, clicking rename, and typing a new name). Command prompt interfaces were not very popular. They were kinda hard to use (it required some technical savy) and wasn't much fun. Back in those days, you couldn't put pretty wallpaper on your computer's desktop or run that pretty screensaver. Back then everything was black and white text, literally. You typed commands into the computer and the computer listened. That was the reason why back then, computers and the internet, weren't popular. They weren't fun or easy to use. Once Microsoft Windows came out and Apple created their own line of Graphical User Interface OSes, computers started to be fun, (not typewriter like). For the first time, the average joe could use a computer. You didn't have to memorize commands to use a computer anymore. Computers became more mainstream.

Answer 2

Computers were "hard to use" in the past because they had a lot of limitations - particularly where memory came into play. In the "old days", you only had DOS (disk operating system) which gave you a "C" prompt. Programs were written that used DOS, and were loaded into memory. Once memory was full, you couldn't load anything more, and typically had to reboot the computer if you wanted to run something else. Then Windows came along, and made life easier by managing memory better. Windows Vista is going to change computing again - hopefully for the better. We'll see.......

Answer 3

Those were the days before GUI (Graphical User Interface) or windows. Everything was done by command prompts - keyboard commands.
We've come a long way baby!!

Answer 4

They still are.

Setups, configs, drivers. Incompatibilities.

How long does it take you to download a song that you only know the tune?

Intuitive interfaces. We have a long way to go. But, yes, we've come a long way too. We've replaced punched cards with keyboards. Text interfaces with mouse driven GUIs.

Answer 5

Its not hard. Its easy. You can use keyboard to type and use a mouse for the commands you want to perform. you can play games, write emails, play videos, listen music and lot many things. once you start using, you will get addicted.

Answer 6

Older computers lacked the power to display the "user friendly" interface we are all used to today. Early computers were text-based, and one had to know the functions before hand.

Answer 7

Well, they just used a text interface, a command prompt. Now computers have clean, shiny, easy to use graphical interfaces.

Answer 8

the operating sytems werent as modern as they were now so you could not double click any thing you had to type eveything in prompt EX: run://internet.exe ....then it would run internet get it?:)

Answer 9

becuase back in those days technology was different and everything was new still so they used what they had now they have better, faster technology