[NTLK] OT: Microsoft Courier officially cancelled

[Forrest]

Dan:
Actually here on NewtonTalk we did write about the Edge quite a bit, back when the iPad was first announced. I myself wrote a response to someone who commented on it back then...since it's again topical to discuss the Edge (after the Microsoft Courier announcement), I've published a somewhat revised version of that post on NewtonPhoenix (http://www.newtonphoenix.com ).

Thanks,
--Forrest
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"You got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." --Yogi Berra.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Jagendorf <bufoamer at nyct.net>
Date: Sat, 01 May 2010 01:48:33 
To: <newtontalk at newtontalk.net>
Subject: Re: [NTLK] OT: Microsoft Courier officially cancelled

What, the macalope's conversation with the winotaur about the latter's realization of it's addiction to platforms is true?  

The hardware of the courier may have been prototyped within one department at MS, but has anyone ever seen MS produce an OS that could do the graphical work shown in the CG video?  Isn't the graphics load part of what sank Vista?  Capacitive screens can't handle what was shown in the videos, the courier looked like an extension of the newton idea?  How?  The pen is one point on a screen, the finger is a bunch of points, what is visualized under the point is a video interpretation of actions, a visual direction to what is intended.  MS has always been uncomfortable with visual environments.  It's success lay in giving a linear approach to business types (aside from it's skills at theft and intimidation), the start button leading to a list of appropriate actions leading to a list of programs.  How does that lead to icons doing funky things to induce you to pick them over other icons doing their own funky thing?  How would that help a business type decide what to do?

HP is going to produce a race to the bottom tablet now that it's got WebOs? Does WebOS work without a physical keyboard?  Can HP overcome it's dedication to planned obsolescence?  (I'm still paying for a printer that went brain dead twice in 3 years, thanks HP).

None of you are writing about the Entourage Edge, an actual product that you can buy, right now, honest!  Is it more important to hate Apple by speculating on vaporware than to work with what is?  The Edge is a big fat android tablet, it's got both a color and an eInk screen, and it runs the latest phishing apps, how could you not love it?

Enough of my rant.  I was trying to write about the newton after my iPad posts and I think I've found my hook.  More to come.

Thanks and apologies,
Dan J


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