Re: [NTLK] Ten years later, oregano is in the air

On 3/7/06, Ed Kummel <tech_ed@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> For further reading on Origami, check out here:
> http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsIDr18

Ed-

I'm not posting at you or anything. I'm just piggybacking on your post, and
its article. So, please, don't take anything personally--which I know you
won't, but thought I should say it up front.

This article is interesting as it reveals something about the Oragami
project, namely this:

(and I quote)
"Microsoft is expecting that people will use the small computers for things
like looking at photos, watching movies, finding driving directions and
checking e-mail. For now, at least, they will not have the advanced
entertainment capabilities found in computers running the "media center"
version of Windows, this person said, such as record television."

It strikes me that Microsoft really doesn't know what they are aiming for.
it's more "me-too" marketing, maybe trying to piggyback on the Nokia device?
or maybe on parts of the rumored video iPod? or???

The truth is, it is yet another repackaged tablet PC/ultraportable
PC/handheld computer, which, in various iterations, from various angles,
etc. has _yet_ to catch on with the general public. The Newton is only one
of the more spectacular failures to catch the general public's imagination.
The whole search is for a "holy grail" of sorts, that just does not exist. I
think the dirty truth is that the "general public" is not really interested
in such a device! In fact, I don't believe there is such a market as the
"general public"! There has been so much effort extended and so much money
spent on this search over the past decade-plus, that it's hard to imagine
that people are still trying! Psion never caught on, the Wizard didn't, the
Newton didn't, the Palm didn't, neither did Windows CE, or whatever it's
called nowadays. Sure, there are people like me, and, I presume, all of us
on this list, who love their handhelds, etc. but for some reason, such
things appeal to a relatively small segment of the population--now phones,
on the other hand.... they do seem to be selling a lot of "smart" phones,
but I fear that is another front-loaded sellout, that will fizzle when
people start to realize they spent a lot of money on something they don't
use 1/10th the functionality of, and that they will go back to rather boring
phones--with maybe mp3 capability and cameras built-in, but not much more.

I don't know what the solution is, as I'm all for these wonderful things,
and can't wait to get my BlueTooth phone and head set that will work with my
Tungsten, but then again, I started using the Newton back in 1995, too. ;-)
I am willing to take the effort to learn my tools, and eke every last bit of
functionality out of them that I can use--but--I must add, no more than I
need, or find useful for myself. I'm still wondering if there is such thing
as a killer app for handhelds, besides, maybe the ability to play music. I
don't think that video is where it's at, unless you can quickly create, or
move content onto these devices. I tried to take my own video presentation,
and make it work on my Tungsten, and it took _hours_ to convert a 10 minute
presentation to a Tungsten-sized video--and then I had done the audio wrong,
and had to do it again!!! argh. Until it's painless and fast, it won't be
popular (like mp3s are)

Well, I've rambled enough. I'm curious if I'm alone in my thinking.

--
-Jon Glass
Krakow, Poland
<jonglass@usa.net>
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