From: Ed Kummel (tech_ed_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 19 2005 - 16:23:58 PDT
Not to denegate your capabilities and knowledge, but
you fall into the same trap that people in a technical
background usually fall into.
From a purely technical standpoint, you are correct in
knowing the difference between a filebased and
soupbased system and that technically, and it's flow
of data that allows one system to be superior to
another system. But your understanding of the intimate
intracies of the underlying system is not what 99.999%
of all *non* technical users understanding. From a
purely human interface understanding, the Newton gives
the distinct impression of a unique awareness, however
it is technically manifested, that other PDAs lack.
Sure, data is data, but data is only data to technical
people. To the end user who has no concept of data,
this data can be interfaced with the user in a way
where the underlying mechanical flow of bits and bytes
is completly invisible. To the user, "it just works".
And for the Newton, this interaction with the
interfaced data can be interpreted by the end user as
a type of cognizent awareness of the user. Regardless
of if the machine is sentient or not (wouldn't that be
nice though) I would dare say that the Newton's
manifestation of awareness and intelligence could be
compared to a rudimentary Turing machine. But not so
much in that the user couldn't discern the difference
between the newton as a machine and the newton as a
sentient being, but more in the way that the Newton
can create an attachment to the user where the
Newton's manipulation of data and the manner in which
it interfaces this data to the end user makes it not
just an indespensible tool, but more like a data
appendage. A spare brain, as I call my Newton.
Certainly, other devices can store and display their
data just as efficiently, but not in as seemless a way
that makes the user forget that there is a barrier
interface between him and his data.
This is what I mean when I say "awareness". Not so
much in that the newton is cognizant of it's
surroundings and responds to stimuli, but more in the
way that the Newton is aware of it's internal universe
of applications and how it responds to the user's need
to access the data held, created and modified by the
user.
Ed
web/gadget guru
Download Newton packages directly onto your Newton:
http://newton.tek-ed.com
--- Marcus Hammerschmitt
<Marcus.Hammerschmitt_at_t-online.de> wrote:
> At 22:23 19.08.2005, you wrote:
> >And it's not just a dynamic link to
> >another database like it is in other PDAs, but it
> is
> >an *awareness* of the other application's ability
> to
> >share data.
>
> Well, that be might just a perfect example for what
> Muniz and Schau call "anhtropomorphization" of the
> Newt by its owners.
>
>
http://userinnovation.mit.edu/papers/MunizSchauNewton.pdf
>
> "Awareness" - now give me a break. I know by know
> about the very real differences between a file-
> a soupbased system, I can see that Larry Yaeger is a
> genius and all
>
>
ftp://ftp.apple.com/research/neural/larryy/ANHR/AIMag/Yaegeretal.AIMag.pdf
>
> but "awareness" - come on.
>
> >(I don't know enough
> >about the Palm to know if they do this)
>
> It won't help to tell you that my Palm IIIc installs
> apps & files and syncs via infrared like a charm,
> will
> it?
>
> >It's this level of autonomous existance (...)
>
> Here we go again ...
>
> Best,
>
> Marcus
"I'm not an expert, but I *did* stay at a Holiday Inn Express once..."
--Holiday Inn Commercial
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