RE: Gates on CSPAN

CobraBoy (tbyars@earthlink.net)
Thu, 1 May 1997 12:10:32 -0700


Someone named Joe Barrera at 11:33 AM -0700 on 5/1/97, wrote the following :

* > From:CobraBoy [SMTP:tbyars@earthlink.net]
* > Someone named Joe Barrera at 9:41 AM -0700 on 5/1/97, wrote the
* following :
* >
* > * So what's your guess of the future? Keyboards and mice and monitors
* > * forever?
* > *
* > * - Joe
* >
* > Well in a word yeah. Of course I also believe that a car will always
* have
* > four wheels just like that old horse and buggy grandpa used to use.
* Call me
* > crazy.
*
* I won't call you crazy (last time I checked, I win on that count, at
* least by the metric of number/potency of meds to keep me sane), but I
* WILL call you way too conservative and focussed on the short-term.

**** ATTENTION **** **** ATTENTION ****

I have just been called conservative! Mark this day in your calendar!!

**** ATTENTION **** **** ATTENTION *****

* > Let's break this down 1 by 1;
* >
* > Pen based.
* >
* > Have you tried to write a letter longhand lately? It's a pain.
* Anything
* > more than signing my name and I'm out of there.
*
* Sure, I'm the same way. I won't start writing email with a pen. But...
*
* 1. Believe it or not, there are lots of folks who don't type 100+
* wpm.

So? More money for Mavis Bacon software.

* 2. Even fewer know how to type Chinese at 100+ wpm. (And China is a
* big market.)

But I don't feel like adapting based on third world economics.

* 3. A pen is more convenient for taking down short notes mixed with
* pictures and arrows, e.g. drawing little maps when someone gives you
* directions over the phone. Drawing with a mouse just sucks.

Some boys in Cupertino at the Newton division couldn't agree more.

* > Also, let's not even
* > mention recognition problems. Ever use a computer after a few drinks,
* or
* > when you were really really tired? Ms can throw in quad P-PRO II
* mmxFXZx
* > Squared and I don't think they are going to overcome the problems.
*
* Think long term. Think 10-15 years. Think Moore's law.

Oh hell, I'm just trying to get to 2000.

*
* I've seen steady progress in handwriting recognition over the years,
* enough progress to indicate to me that it's largely just a problem of
* MIPS...

ah -huh. So were going to need a 100 giga CPU and a gig of software loaded
into these little boxes?

* > Little Voice dictation boxes.
* >
* > ??? huh ??? Ever record yourself? Ever hear what you sound like?
* Pauses,
* > time out to get your thoughts together etc. I mean look, we have
* really
* > really nice Cray's (or SGI's) with university people sitting around
* with
* > nothing better to do than get this stuff working and I still haven't
* seen a
* > good real world demo of this technology.
*
* But again, there's been steady progress. And don't forget that today's
* Cray is tomorrow's junker PC-XT.

maybe...

*
* > So you ask "Oh great CobraBoy sage of FoRK what do you see?"
* >
* > Well what I would like to see it more connectivity.
*
* Yeah, but of *course* we'll have this. Everyone already *knows* that
* we'll have this.

No I don't agree. I don't believe people are looking at it correctly.
Everybody has there own version and it isn't being driven by the free
market. Well at least not since Ms joined the party.

* > Have you even seen Now
* > Up to Date? (www.nowsoft.com) This is what I want. I want everything
* that I
* > own connected. I want to have a browser as the frontend to all I do.
* If I
* > have to program my VCR for Millenum I just want to drag a little
* record
* > icon over to my VCR interface timeline and be done with it. Then if
* the
* > tape isn't in it I want it to tell me.
*
* But wouldn't it make more sense to just say, "tape Millenium for me?"

No Picard it doesn't. I want a visual representation of what is going on.
Maybe I want to tape something else while I'm dragging my little VCR icon.
Maybe my ESPN subscription that is sending down VCR programming for F1
(This could even be Active-X YEECH!) maybe I want to see visually when the
next race is going to be on. Maybe I don't want to say, "tape Millenium,
and oh by the way when is the next F1 race, I'm sorry computer, Formula
One, ooops, computer please inform me of the next scheduled Formula One
race." Maybe just maybe looking at a calendar of scheduled events was
quicker and easier.

* (BTW I see from the paragraph above and your sig below that you have
* excellent taste not only in music and movies, but in TV as well.)

Of course isn't that one of the requirements of FoRK?

* > I want my car to notify me either on my Pilot or Newton or desktop
* machine
* > that my oil needs changing. Then I want it to look at my schedule, see
* > choice of openings contact Jiffy Lube, confirm those and give me a
* choice
* > of when to do it. Then I will be reminded of that.
*
* Nah, I want my car to drive its own damn self to the shop when it needs
* to. I don't have time to deal with its stupid problems. (Which is why
* I'm been driving on a mini-spare for the last two weeks...)

I don't want the Cobra to drive me anywhere. I have too much fun doing it
myself.

* > If I'm going to Downtown LA at 9:00 I want my desktop machine to
* understand
* > that and monitor traffic and tell me before I leave if there are any
* major
* > problems.
*
* Doesn't needing to drive to downtown LA at 9:00 count as a major problem
* in itself? :-)

Well yes but that is besides the point.

*
* > I DON'T want a computer to talk to me, and I don't want to talk to a
* > computer. Likewise I don't wish to emotionally bond with my computer.
* The
* > little smiling Mac face is about as much as I'm comfortable with.
*
* I hate to say this, but you sure sound like an 80's DOS-head when you
* say things like that... "I don't want to have to push a mouse around and
* deal with stupid menus and garbage cans, dammit. I already *know* how to
* use a computer. If I want to see what files I have, I just want to type
* "dir", I don't want to have to pop up the right window, then click down
* to the folder I want, then try to figure out what all the little file
* icons are supposed to mean, and scroll around because the icons take too
* much space..."
*
* Besides, who's asking that you emotionally bond with your computer?
* That's quite a step from just talking to it.

Oh is it? You mean like the little smiling paper clip in Word 97? Do you
honestly believe given Microsofts unique ability to "dumb down" the user
interface (IE: Bob, Word 97 paper clip window) that they won't have little
happy smiling creatures talking to you to implement all this wonderment?

Tim

-

"For the record you're no loser"

"Yeah, but I'm no Eddie Van Blunhdt either..."

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