Paper Info
Title
The power of play: design lessons for increasing the lifespan of outdated computers
Abstract
One consequence of rapid advances in computer technology is the obsolescence of hundreds of millions of computers each year. This paper explores strategies for increasing the reuse of outdated computers through an investigation of an 8-bit home computer that is still popular in developing countries. We observed the use of the computers in 16 households in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, India in order to gain insight into the contextual factors that support the continued popularity of the device. While most computers become obsolete in less than a decade, this 30-year-old computer technology remains useful because it provides exciting, multi-user family entertainment. While having minimal processing power and virtually no connectivity, the 8-bit computer supports input and output channels that are especially suited for co-located social game play. In contrast, PCs are primarily designed for individual use. Therefore, we offer low-cost design recommendations that would enable outdated PCs to support greater shared use and increased utility within the constrained material context of low-income households. These simple interventions, if adopted by computer refurbishment industries, have the potential to significantly extend the useful lifespan of PCs.
Year
DOI
Venue
2013
10.1145/2470654.2481379
CHI
Keywords
Field
DocType
8-bit computer,greater shared use,outdated pcs,8-bit home computer,useful lifespan,30-year-old computer technology,computer technology,computer refurbishment industry,individual use,design lesson,outdated computer,ethnography,sustainability,social computing,obsolescence,games
Obsolescence,Computer science,Entertainment,Reuse,Popularity,Input/output,Human–computer interaction,Social computing,Computer technology,Sustainability
Conference
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
7
0.45
14
Authors
7
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Derek Lomas11019.79
Anuj Kumar2806.05
Kishan Patel3623.52
Dixie Ching4204.17
Meera Lakshmanan5523.95
Matthew Kam654157.29
Jodi Forlizzi75042382.63