Here we have two “media” remotes. The one on the left is the standard remote you get with any Intel based Mac. On the right we find a remote from a new HP laptop. Both remotes are intended to control multimedia applications. The Apple uses Front Row, and the HP uses Microsoft Media Center.

The Apple remote has six buttons. The HP remote has twenty three buttons. Both remotes offer similar functions. Why all the extra buttons on the HP remote? The HP remote has no less than ten directional buttons while the Apple has four. Other buttons are similarly redundant. Furthermore, the HP remote is shaped like a small grand piano that is neither visually attractive or ergonomically sound (Don’t believe me? Try using it with your left hand). The Apple remote is, well shaped like a remote. It is both aesthetically pleasing, functional, and easy to use. I think this small example of the PC world vs. the Mac world clearly demonstrates what is wrong with PCs.

Can the HP remote be fixed? Of course. Here is a crude Photoshop hack of what the HP remote should have been. I even included some extra buttons whose function is a little unclear. What exactly is the circular arrow button? What is a box with two vertical lines on each side?

This story was posted on Thursday, December 14th, 2006 at 22:02 and is filed under Computing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.