Books

Books : reviews

Alan Dix, Janet Finlay, Gregory D. Abowd, Russell Beale.
Human-Computer Interaction: 3rd edn.
Prentice Hall. 2004

Much has clhanged since the first edition of Human-Compater Interaction was published. Ubiquitous computing and rich sensor-filled environments are finding their way out of the laboratory, not just into movies but also into our workplaces and homes. The computer has broken out of its plastic and glass bounds providing us with networked societies where personal computing devices from mobde phones to smart cards fill our pockets and electronic devices surround us at home and work. The web too has grown from a largely academic network into the hub of business and everyday lives. As the distinctions between the physical and the digital, and between work and leisure start to break down, human-computer interaction is also changing radically.

The excitement of these changes is captured in this new edition, which also looks forward to other emerging technologies. However, the book is firmly rooted in strong principles and models independent of the passing technologies of the day; these foundations will be the means by which today’s students will understand tomorrow’s technology.