There's a significant difference between BOB and Magic Cap. BOB was a top=
=20
level GUI, as soon as you wanted to do anything at the file or config lev=
el,=20
you had to go back to the typical Windows interface.
Magic Cap, though using a representational GUI like BOB to some extent, t=
he=20
ease of use interface was applicable down to all levels of interaction ex=
cept=20
for programming.
The first devices were OEMed by Motorola (the Envoy and the Marco and inc=
luded=20
a built in Ardis antenna). Sony OEMed the Magic Cap OS for their PIC-1000=
and=20
PIC-2000. The 1000 was lame, but the 2000 was pretty good and competed=20
directly with the Newton.
However, neither of these devices sold very well in the consumer market a=
nd=20
they weren't particularly "sync" friendly like the Newton. The developmen=
t=20
assumption was that this would be a digital device that connected to a=20
proprietary network (AT&T and NTT). Not much thought was put into syncing=
=20
with a desktop...in fact Magic Cap for Windows, the GUI encapsulation of =
the=20
Magic Cap OS never synced together.
Later, when the consumer side of General Magic collapsed, a small group=20
refouned the next gen Magic Cap device for vertical markets. So the DataR=
over=20
840 came into being with a focus on selling into Utilities, Transportatio=
n,=20
and Health Care. It had quite a bit of speed for a handheld, IRDA, two PC=
=20
Card slots and drivers for things such as standard modems, wireless cards=
,=20
and connections (through serial) for Ricochet modems.
It sold okay, but ultimately the business was unsustainable and so about =
a=20
year ago, the spinout from General Magic, Icras, closed its doors and wit=
h it=20
ended Magic Cap.
jeb
On Saturday 13 April 2002 09:46 am, John Charlton wrote:
> >Essentially, this OS eschewed all aspects of computing
> >and instead offered an interface most people were
> >familiar with...an office.
>
> Sounds like the reviled 'Microsoft Bob'.
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