Bicycles for the mind - minimax

Steve Jobs is often quoted about computers being the bicycle for the mind or something similar, as computers further enhance our present capabilities just like a bicycle uses our energy to propel us further. In a blog post that was shared on lobste.rs, Xe uses this quotes to introduce the breakthrough that Apple Intelligence would be, provided it works it course.

It's a quote that's been used over and over again in the last two decades but what I'm more interested in comes from the comments. Lobste.rs user minimax extends the bicycle analogy:

You can build a bicycle from spare parts, because the parts are standardized

You can learn to build and maintain many bicycles by simply observing the mechanisms

Cheap bikes work nearly as well as expensive ones for non-competitive riding

Bicycles don’t attempt to do your work for you, rather they channel and direct your energy

You need to learn to ride a bike; most able-bodied people can do it, but it’s not trivial

You need to learn additional skills, including some discretion, to ride safely in traffic

My takeaway? Computers need to be even more like bicycles.

Discovered via makeworld on Mastodon.