[NTLK] NewtonTalk Digest, Vol 67, Issue 5

[Maury Estabrooks]

> From: "L.W. Brown" <lwb at mac.com>
> To: newtontalk at newtontalk.net
> Subject: Re: [NTLK] David Hoffman "Road Warriors" Movie (MagicLink)
> 
> I may even still have a device that ran some version of M.C.!
> IIRC, it wasn?t worth futzing with!
> 
> Sent from ProPad

I have a Sony Magic Link PIC-1000 running Magic Cap 1.0.

I have a Sony Magic Link PIC-2000 running Magic Cap 2.x.

I just picked up an Oki DataRover 840 running Magic Cap 3.1. I prefer the DataRover 840 as the updated OS is cleaner with a few added items. I’m left handed, so I flipped the screen via OS option to hold the bulky end with my right hand. 

I saw the General Magic documentary. I liked it, but it could easily be called ‘The Early Career of Tony Fidell’. Nothing wrong with that as we comes across as a great story teller.

The doc focused too much on a who’s who and where they ended up in their respective careers. It misses the mark on these points

1. Marc Porat as visionary with little harnessing of talent under his leadership. It’s evident, but Marc lets it happen. Bankruptcy was the only accountability seen.

2. The goal was apparently Pocket Crystal, but the doc stops way short at Magic Cap on the Sony Magic Link being handed out in retail boxes to the team. Nothing shown from the other major partner, Motorola.

3. Little was said on the goal of software leading to the PIC leading ultimately to the Pocket Crystal. We get a good minute or less of Andy using the Pocket Crystal Prototype. Many prototype discussions on early Magic Cap itself.

4. No info from Bill Atkinson. He provided footage he shot on a newly acquired video camera, but little to no camera time or storytelling as we had with Andy Hertzfeld. 

It has a good story arc with many of the magicians landing great gigs. 

If you are interested in who’s who and you don’t care for technical story arc on Magic Cap itself as an OS, it’s an ok ride. 

It was no Love Notes to Magic Cap.