Making Steps Towards an Appliance Computing World

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Making Steps Towards an Appliance Computing World

• Andy HuangStanford University

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Appliance Data Services

• Project Objectives
• Identify principles that make digital appliances
  usable and useful.
• Build a test-bed to validate those principles.

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Vision

• An appliance computing world is one in which
  people move data effortlessly among devices and
  other artifacts to accomplish a variety of tasks.

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A1 People move data using artifacts
Move this picture from my camera to my Web page
Display the notes taken on my PDA on this wall
monitor
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Problem The world is computer centric
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Principle 1

• Bring devices to the forefront
• Push the experience of using computers into the
  background
• Eliminate user-visible files (e.g., formats and
  locations)
• Eliminate software installation and configuration.

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A2 Devices are simple and single-purpose
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Problem Devices are too complex

• Reality
• Users cant even perform the simplest tasks
• Too many features

• Design Goals
• Easier to use
• Powerful

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Principle 2

• Minimize user-controllable features
• Pushing functionality on the device isnt the
  solution.
• Devices have already become hard-to-use, complex
  mini-PCs

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A3 People perform a variety of tasks
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Problem Where to place functionality?

• There is a tension between providing
  functionality and providing a usable experience.
• On the device makes devices complex
• On the users PC forces users to deal with
  software installations, configurations, and
  upgrades

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Principle 3

• Take an infrastructure-centric approach
• Place the software required to accomplish tasks
  in the network infrastructure.
• Take advantage of infrastructure services

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Test-bed ADS Application Framework
A1 People move data using artifacts A2 Devices
are simple and single-purpose A3 People perform
a variety of tasks
ADS Application Framework
P1 Bring devices to the forefront P2 Minimize
user-controllable features P3 Take an
infrastructure-centric approach
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Appliance Data Serviceshttp//ads.stanford.edu

• Andy Huang, Ben Ling, John Barton, Armando
  FoxStanford University, Hewlett-Packard
  Laboratories