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The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products Can Fail, the Personal Computer Is So Complex, and Information Appliances Are the Solution Paperback – August 20, 1999

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Donald A. Norman (Author)
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Donald A. Norman (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars 25 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Series: MIT Press
  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: The MIT Press; Reprint edition (August 20, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0262640414
  • ISBN-13: 978-0262640411
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,800,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 starsA verbose articulation of ideas described better by others
By A Customer on January 11, 1999
Format: Hardcover
His basic argument in this book is that the computer industry has matured to the point where it can no longer just cater to the early-adopter technologists and must appeal to the masses to continue growth. Unfortunately, the industry doesn't know how to do this and continues to deliver technology for technology's sake, leading to fat computers and technology that aren't that useful or appealing to most people, and are beginning to exhaust the technologists too. He introduces some recent, but standard models of technology adoption for discussing the problems, customer-centered design in cross-disciplinary teams (marketing, engineering, and user experience) for designing products that transcend the problems (explicitly discussing Contextual Design a few times), and "information appliances," multitudes of small, task-focused technology products that will replace our big, cumbersome, general-purpose (but not great at any) PCs.
Norman's forte is definitely cognitive and experimental psychology in product design, and not being a technological or product development process visionary. I found very little new or interesting content in the book, and I don't think he articulated even some of the derived ideas very well. The whole book could have been condensed into a long magazine article. His prose is wordy and redundant, and the book is regrettfully lacking in many of the detailed case studies and examples he's used in previous books to elucidate his ideas. I want the idiosyncratic and outspoken psychologist professor back, such as he was in The Design of Everyday Things, or the powerful academic argument of Things That Make Us Smart.Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 starsNot his best work
By B. Scott Andersen on April 1, 2002
Format: Paperback
I'm a fan of Donald Norman's work so when I finally had a
chance to pick up "The Invisible Computer" I had high hopes.
Unfortunately, this work didn't provide the same insight and
focus as his previous books such as "The Design of Everyday
Things".
Throughout the work Norman draws upon "Crossing the Chasm"
and "Inside the Tornado: Marketing Strategies from Silicon
Valley's Cutting Edge" [both by Geoffrey Moore]. Also
heavily emphasized are the ideas put forth by "The
Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms
to Fail." All of these books are interesting--but I wanted
something from Norman himself.
Chapter 7, "Being Analog", was more in line with what I had
come to expect from Norman. He ends this chapter with this:
"Alas, most of today's machines, especially the computer,
force people to use them on their own terms, terms that are
antithetical to the way people work and think. The result is
frustration, an increase in the rate of error (usually
blamed on the user--human error--instead of on faulty
design), and a general turning away from technology. Will
the interaction between people and machines be done
correctly in the future? Might schools of computer science
start teaching the human-centered approach that is necessary
to reverse the trend? I don't see why not." That's what I'm
looking for! If only the rest of the book had followed that
passion.
Instead focusing on human factors and man-machine
interface issues, Norman wanders discussing substitutable
goods vs.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsRambling but inspirational
By David Lenef on January 21, 2000
Format: Paperback
The book is a rallying cry for the technology industry, a call to arms for the geek troops. Sure, the writing is like a beta version that the publisher decided to go live with, but the essential concepts and emotion come through loud and clear.
Norman builds a solid foundation for his arguments, citing historical cases and several written works. The book was a fun, easy read. When I finished Invisible Computer, I felt the same sort of illumination and clarity that came after reading Alan Cooper's About Face.
His vision of ubiquitous information appliances and devices will undoubtedly come true in ways none of us can imagine. But what will become of the PC? Will I have 100 individual devices replacing the 100 software programs I have installed? Hardly. But the book doesn't really address the ongoing need for a general purpose computer.
In the end, I would recommend this book to anyone involved in technology. It definitely altered my personal perception of where tech products have come from and where they are headed. Time will tell if his ideas are strong enough to truly help shape the future of software and product development.
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3.0 out of 5 starsThe Case for Information Appliances
By Alicia Crumpton on September 16, 2004
Format: Paperback
The content strives to support the design of information appliances due to the complexity of the computer coupled with creeping featurism. Human centered design must be used to overcome the increasing complexity.

Chapters 7 (Being Analog) and 8 (Why is Everything So Difficult to Use) are reminiscent of Things that Make Us Smart and The Design of Everyday Things also by Norman.

Chapters 9 and 10 focus on human centered development by defining it as a process and then describing 'immutable principles' that should apply. Six disciplines of user experience are identified.

As I progressed through the book, I had to continually return to the cover and back pages, rereading the title and description to remind myself of what the book is about. Read the two referenced books first!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 starsCan't believe this got past the editor. Can't believe this got past...

I only at chapter 2, but I need to rant. I'll update this review when/if I finish the book. I can't believe they allowed this to be published, the writing is horrible. Read more

Published on May 30, 2009 by Zenith
5.0 out of 5 starsAll CIO should change the plicy for the PC.

All CIO should change the policy fot the PC.
Many people waste many time to manage the complexed PC.
If there is a simple computer, we can make happy. Read more

Published on February 24, 2008 by kaizen
1.0 out of 5 starsSave your money

Short and sweet: Don't waste your money on even a used version of this book. If you want to buy a book see some of the recommendations made by other reviewers. Read more

Published on April 4, 2002
4.0 out of 5 starsA good read, although difficult to accept his major thesis

This book covers in detail the role technology has pervasively interrupted our lives by intruding into everyday living. Read more

Published on January 29, 2002 by Jim Richards
3.0 out of 5 starsGreat ideas... if lacking in firm foundations

While this book generally manages to be a good read for those developing both the management technique behind the software and the software itself, it spends a great deal of time... Read more

Published on August 19, 2001 by C Hudson
2.0 out of 5 starsInteresting in some points, yet redundant

Don Norman makes his point early on Chapter two about the current situation of computer technologies and what companies have done and should do about it. Read more

Published on February 17, 2001 by Ruben Ocampo
5.0 out of 5 starsThe book is a revelation

this book is a good possesion. especially bcoz of its price tag.

Published on September 22, 2000
3.0 out of 5 starsCould Have Been Better

I enjoyed the Psychology of Everyday Things. In this book, it was called Invisible Computer. I would have preferred he cover more about modern tools and why they could not be as... Read more

Published on May 16, 2000 by Michael Charton
3.0 out of 5 starsNot as provocative as the title

The book is absolutely not as provocative as the title. There is some solid information in it about:
* user-centered design,
* the technology life cycle,
* product... Read more

Published on April 12, 2000 by David P. Bishop
2.0 out of 5 starsPeople's Information Appliance

Many people have been taliking about usability for years. Eventhough there is nothing new presented in the book, it provides to thecorporate management, about the issues that need... Read more

Published on April 11, 2000 by thyagi

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