C H A P T E R 1

Newton and Its Users

Involve Users in the Design Process

The best way to make sure your product meets the needs of your target audience is to show it to the kinds of people you hope will buy it. Do they understand what it’s for and what to do with it? Can they use it? Can they keep track of where they are? Does it help them? You can do this during every phase of the design process to help reveal what works about your product as well as what needs improvement.

When you give people an opportunity to use your product or a mock-up of it, they will inevitably find some undiscovered flaws. You can implement significant changes to your product during its evolution and thereby save yourself lots of time and money and save your users from frustration. By identifying and focusing on users’ needs and experiences, you can create products that are easier to assemble, learn, and use. These improvements can translate into competitive advantages, increased sales, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Define Your Audience

There are several steps to involving users in your design process. The first step, done at the beginning of a project, is to define the users and then do an analysis of the target audience. You want to determine what these people are like, how they might use a product like yours, if they have any similar products, and what features they would like to see in your product. By doing some research on your target audience, you can find out if what you’re including in a product is desirable and useful.

Analyze Tasks

The second step is to analyze the tasks people will be doing with your product. You need to do a task analysis for each task you anticipate that your users will do. Look at how they perform similar tasks without a Newton.

Involve Users in the Design Process

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Apple 2 manual Involve Users in the Design Process, Define Your Audience, Analyze Tasks
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2 specifications

The Apple II is a defining product in the history of personal computing, first introduced in 1977 by Apple Computer, Inc. Designed by Steve Wozniak, the Apple II was one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products and played a significant role in bringing personal computers into homes and schools.

One of the Apple II's standout features was its color graphics capability. It was one of the first personal computers to provide color output, thanks to its built-in video interface. The initial model supported a resolution of 280x192 pixels with a palette of 6 colors, which allowed for vibrant visuals that set it apart from contemporaries like the monochrome Altair 8800.

The Apple II was notable for its open architecture. This design allowed users to expand the computer's capabilities easily through a series of expansion slots. Users could add floppy disk drives, additional memory, and various peripheral devices, making the system highly adaptable to individual needs. This encouraged a thriving ecosystem of third-party hardware and software, which contributed to its popularity.

Another significant feature was its use of the 6502 microprocessor. This 8-bit CPU was not only affordable but also powerful for its time, allowing the Apple II to run various applications efficiently. Along with a built-in keyboard and an innovative plastic case that housed its components, the design was user-friendly and appealing.

The Apple II also introduced the concept of “bootable software” through the use of floppy disks. The disk operating system (DOS) allowed users to store and run multiple programs without having to reload software manually, providing a level of convenience that had not been widely available before. Key software like VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program, helped boost sales, showcasing the Apple II's utility in business and education environments.

The computer was also well-known for its early adoption of BASIC programming language. Apple provided an operating system that supported Applesoft BASIC, which enabled users, including students, to write their programs, further fostering a community of developers.

In summary, the Apple II's color graphics, open architecture, powerful 6502 processor, innovative use of floppy disks, and support for BASIC programming made it a revolutionary product in its time. Its legacy laid the groundwork for future personal computers and established Apple as a leader in the burgeoning tech industry. The Apple II remains an iconic symbol of the early personal computing era, reflecting a generation's transition into a digitally connected world.
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