« please take a second | main | Signage junkies delight once more »
Back in the day when I was a Mac user, I remember the days I looked forward to seeing the Happy Mac on my screen(especially when that 20 page literary crit paper was due the next day). It was like a reassurance that my computer was there for me.
I think avatars are still necessary depending on the situation. But I think the most important aspect is the timing for them to show up and disappear based on your continued use of the system. Maybe at some point, just saying "computer, I need x." Would be the replacement. Gosh, I think Star Trek was on to something...
I used Macs in college to edit the school paper and had one at my first job. Macs were the greatest and the happy Mac was a sign that all was right with the world.
When I finally bought my very first Mac this past January it was 16 years after using a Mac for the first time. It was insanely reassuring to see the happy Mac when I booted up OS X for the first time (I also had to go get Uli's Moose to re-live more wonderful times). When the happy Mac was not there and replaced by a wonderfully modern Apple I was a little saddend, but I know somebody will find a way to bring back the happy Mac for something.
I hope Susan Kare knows we still love her creations. The icons were so small, but spoke with great meaning.
But according to David "Small Pieces" Weinberger, our words are our avatars...so, wouldn't a graphical avatar just be superfluous?
Actually, I think removing the little guys from the OS was a better move, because they were in Sad Need of updating and I would imagine changing a first-gen Mac into a next-gen Mac would have involved too many pixels. Not to mention the more virulent flack Apple probably would have received than if they just killed the things altogether. Macs are great 'puters, but their fan club has been a major reason (aside from cost) that I haven't gotten one.
Yet Another Two Cents...