sdm@cs.brown.edu (Scott Meyers) (09/28/89)
An article by William W. Gaver in HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (1989, volume 4, pp. 67-94) describes an auditory finder for the Mac called the SonicFinder. According to the article, this finder received limited distribution within Apple, but Gaver is no longer there. I would very much like to get a copy of this finder, if it's possible. If you know of any way (FTP, email, floppy, etc.) that I could get a copy of the SonicFinder, I would appreciate it if you'd let me know. Please send responses by email, because I do not read this newsgroup. Thanks, Scott Meyers Brown University sdm@cs.brown.edu sdm@browncs.bitnet
mnkonar@manyjars.SRC.Honeywell.COM (Murat N. Konar) (09/28/89)
In article <16473@brunix.UUCP> sdm@cs.brown.edu (Scott Meyers) writes: >An article by William W. Gaver in HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (1989, volume >4, pp. 67-94) describes an auditory finder for the Mac called the >SonicFinder. According to the article, this finder received limited >distribution within Apple, but Gaver is no longer there. I would very much >like to get a copy of this finder, if it's possible. If you know of any >way (FTP, email, floppy, etc.) that I could get a copy of the SonicFinder, >I would appreciate it if you'd let me know. Please send responses by >email, because I do not read this newsgroup. I am also interested in this. I saw a video of the SonicFinder at a talk given here by SRC alumnus S. Joy Mountford, now Head of Human Interfaces at Apple (not her exact title, I'm sure) and it looked (sounded!) really cool. The trash can clanked when you threw something away, selecting a file would cause a clicking sound whose pitch was proportional to the size of the file! Dragging files resulted in a scraping sound (what feedback this was supposed to give the user other than enhancing the direct manipulation illusion I don't know), and the scroll bars made a clicking sound that changed in pitch depending on which way you were scrolling. ____________________________________________________________________ Have a day. :^| Murat N. Konar Honeywell Systems & Research Center, Camden, MN mnkonar@SRC.honeywell.com (internet) {umn-cs,ems,bthpyd}!srcsip!mnkonar(UUCP)
erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) (09/28/89)
>In article <16473@brunix.UUCP> sdm@cs.brown.edu (Scott Meyers) writes: >An article by William W. Gaver in HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (1989, volume >4, pp. 67-94) describes an auditory finder for the Mac called the >SonicFinder. According to the article, this finder received limited >distribution within Apple, but Gaver is no longer there. I would very much >like to get a copy of this finder, if it's possible. The guy who is currently writing SonicFinder now works at Xerox Europarc in Cambridge (England). Unfortunately sonic finder is proprietry and you can't get a copy (I've tried :-(). I don't knowe if they have any release plans in the pipeline but when I next talk to my 'mole' in the company I'll try and find out. Tony "Furthur!"
alistair@minster.york.ac.uk (09/29/89)
In article <16473@brunix.UUCP> sdm@cs.brown.edu (Scott Meyers) writes: >An article by William W. Gaver in HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (1989, volume >4, pp. 67-94) describes an auditory finder for the Mac called the >SonicFinder. According to the article, this finder received limited >distribution within Apple, but Gaver is no longer there. I would very much >like to get a copy of this finder, if it's possible. Bill is indeed no longer with Apple - but Xerox Europarc in England. To the best of my knowledge SonicFinder is still not available outside Apple - nor is it likely to become so. Alistair Edwards | Janet: alistair@uk.ac.york.minster Department of Computer Science | phone: (UK) (0904) 432775 University of York | (international) +44 904 432775 Heslington, York | England YO1 5DD |
a_dent@vaxa.uwa.oz (Andy Dent, ph: 09 380 2620) (10/14/89)
In article <623082165.13431@minster.york.ac.uk>, alistair@minster.york.ac.uk writes: > In article <16473@brunix.UUCP> sdm@cs.brown.edu (Scott Meyers) writes: >>An article by William W. Gaver in HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (1989, volume >>4, pp. 67-94) describes an auditory finder for the Mac called the >>SonicFinder. According to the article, this finder received limited >>distribution within Apple, but Gaver is no longer there. I would very much >>like to get a copy of this finder, if it's possible. > > Bill is indeed no longer with Apple - but Xerox Europarc in England. > To the best of my knowledge SonicFinder is still not available outside > Apple - nor is it likely to become so. I have seen a copy of the Sonic Finder and raised these questions with Apple. The bottom line is that the hardware is not yet powerful enough to make the Sonic Finder features applicable across ALL Mac applications (ie: transparent to applications), due mainly to the storage requirements and amount of background processing required. Sonic Finder was a tool to investigate certain concepts and remains buried within the Advanced Technology Group. Mind you, it WAS impressive!