garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson) (03/26/89)
I was reading a master's thesis the other day that discussed the architecture
of a Personal Support System. In the introduction, he postulated an
environment which would allow a person to better manage information and
resources. His ideas echoed something I've been thinking more and more about
lately, and that is this: I think there is a trend afoot which is working to
provide an individual with tools that will allow him/her to merge all the
information (and certain other resources) in his/her life into a cohesive
whole.
There is work being done to link systems together with networking and optical
media is bringing once paper-bound info on-line. But the area I'm thinking
about is the realm of personal information that I need every day, and that I
need with me wherever I am: calendar, time, names, addresses, phone numbers,
other personal pieces of info, and specific chunks of data that I need to take
with me for specific reasons (such as needing a specific set of reports for a
project meeting - which reports I need depends on the focus of the meeting).
How can an individual manage such bits and pieces of things, and, more
importantly, how can these be linked to the other information managers he/she
uses (such as his/her desk-bound workstation)?
Some people use a portable computer for things like meetings and on trips. But
I think we need something even smaller, something I can carry into a phone
booth or use on a bus - something I can take with me *wherever* I need the
information.
There are a flood of personal managers produced today, used a lot more in Japan
than here. I'm thinking of Casio's data diaries, gadgets by Seiko, and Sharp's
Wizard. They are fine for portable data, but in general they are isolated
devices. The Wizard breaks through here because of the way you can link it to
a PC to upload/download data. And this is where I see the trend: personal,
portable electronic organizers, connected in a fluid way with the bigger
desk-bound information managers, designed to help individuals manage the whole
spectrum of information they have to deal with. I think the coming flood
(we're seeing a trickle, I predict a flood within the next year or so) of
"pocket PC's" is a step toward this trend, putting now enough power in your
hand to perform tasks like these.
Here are my questions:
1) Is this really a trend, or will technology stop short of getting
this kind of toe-hold in our personal lives?
2) Why do the Japanese use these personal managers more than Americans?
What would it take to get non-techies, especially executive types, to
use a small (very 'personal') computer to keep themselves organized
(as opposed to the paper-based methods they're using now)? What
would it have to look like?
3) How long before we see personal managers (integrated into larger
systems) a common appliance (like the paper-based managers (Time
Manager, Day Timer, Geodex, Day Runner) are today)? What will be
the steps to get us there?
Gary Ericson - Hewlett-Packard, Workstation Technology Division
phone: (408) 746-5098 email: gary@hpdsla9.HP.COMmarkxx@garnet.berkeley.edu (04/08/89)
In article <2190001@hp-ptp.HP.COM> garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson) writes: [intro regarding using technology to manage personal information deleted] >Here are my questions: > > 1) Is this really a trend, or will technology stop short of getting > this kind of toe-hold in our personal lives? > > 2) Why do the Japanese use these personal managers more than Americans? > What would it take to get non-techies, especially executive types, to > use a small (very 'personal') computer to keep themselves organized > (as opposed to the paper-based methods they're using now)? What > would it have to look like? > > 3) How long before we see personal managers (integrated into larger > systems) a common appliance (like the paper-based managers (Time > Manager, Day Timer, Geodex, Day Runner) are today)? What will be > the steps to get us there? > >Gary Ericson - Hewlett-Packard, Workstation Technology Division > phone: (408) 746-5098 email: gary@hpdsla9.HP.COM I don't know about question number 1, but have been wrestling with questions 2 and 3 for awhile myself. I think that if the ease of use and information density that is embodied in something like a Daytimer (which is what I use) can be produced in a equally easy to use and information rich small computer/personal manager, their usage would only then become as pervasive as other Daytimer-like systems. I have looked at the Wizard and the Casio personal managers (PM's) and while they were fun, and fairly well thought out (except for the Wizard's non-QWERTY keyboard) I just can't see getting one. My reasons (which I think others may share) are as follows: 1) The computerized PM is harder to use than my Daytimer. To use the Daytimer I just open it up, flip to the page I want (which is indexed with tabs) and read/write what I need to. To use the Casio for example, I have to open it up, hit the key for the calander, cursor to the correct month (if it is other than the one I am in), cursor to the correct day, hit schedual, and then page through the info I need, looking for what I need. 2) This brings up the second (and bigger) problem. The information density of a "week-at-a glance" Daytimer is MUCH higher than the electronic PM's. On the electronic PM I can only see a few words, while on the Daytimer I have as many as I want, depending on how small I write. In addition, I can quickly flip around and scan more information, and draw lines to other areas or otherwise highlight important info. Until the above two problems (especially #2) are somehow addressed, I am afraid that I'll stick to my low tech Daytimer. (And I haven't even gotten into the problems of connectivity.) For now, pop-up calanders and pocket PC's are nice, but not really usefull if you are away from a PC, or need to access info quickly. Mark markxx@garnet.Berkeley.EDU
garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson) (04/15/89)
> I think that if the ease of use and > information density that is embodied in something like a Daytimer (which > is what I use) can be produced in a equally easy to use and information > rich small computer/personal manager, their usage would only then become > as pervasive as other Daytimer-like systems. I completely agree. That's why I'm still using my Geodex (like a Daytimer). Electronic Personal Managers *should* be more powerful than a paper version (isn't a computer always better than paper? 8^), but they aren't perceived to be - actually, they *aren't* in their current form. You brought up two good points: ease-of-use and information density. It got me to thinking about other differences. These are just stream-of-consciousness lists. Paper version advantages: can pick up and use very naturally and intuitively interface is already mastered by most people (handwriting) direct manipulation interface (flip pages by hand, write on the surface) instant response to writing and erasing high information density - writing small or drawing pictures can see more than one section at a time (by pulling pages out) instant hardcopy (pull page out) pre-printed forms can have smaller legible text (higher 'pixel' density) Electronic version advantages (these *should* be the advantages with current technology, whether or not they exist in a single device): neat, orderly display (no messy handwriting that's hard to read) cross-referencing of data by keywords or other methods automatic sorting automatic data propogation (appointment entered in day field appears in month, week, year displays) available functions such as clock, calculator, etc. data organized, re-organized, copied, deleted quickly infinite calendar (don't have to load next month's daily forms) Basically, the electronic version manipulates the data more quickly and easily and provides computer-like functions like clock, calculator, currency conversion, language translator, etc., etc., while the paper version has a much more natural, intuitive, easy-to-use, direct manipulation interface. What if... (am I from HP or what? 8^) a device had an interface that was as good as the paper version and still retained all the other great features of the current electronic devices? And it was in nearly the same price range (my Geodex system costs approx. $200 the first time and maybe $30-$50 a year to replenish all the forms). I'd buy it in a second. The trick is that it has to be *better* than the paper version. Make the interface the same only better - extend the interface to allow the user to go beyond what he/she could with the paper version. What would that interface be like? Gary Ericson - System Engineering, Workstation Technology Division phone: (408)746-5098 mailstop: 101N email: gary@hpdsla9.hp.com
janssen@titan.sw.mcc.com (Bill Janssen) (04/17/89)
In article <2190002@hp-ptp.HP.COM>, garye@hp-ptp (Gary_Ericson) writes: >The trick is that it has to be *better* than the paper version. Make the >interface the same only better - extend the interface to allow the user to go >beyond what he/she could with the paper version. What would that interface be >like? Digital paper? BYTE had an article recently on floppies that could store in WORM fashion, a gigabyte per one 5 1/4 inch floppy, using a new plastic laminate as the floppy material. The laminate is called digital paper. But perhaps the *real* digital paper would be a plastic laminate that had millions of tiny flexible LCD pixels in matrix, with piezoelectric sensors to detect the touch of a stylus, with a "communication dot" in one corner that would allow a clip on the end of a wire from a PC to connect to it. Imagine that the (latest) image could be preserved when power was removed. Perhaps the real computer advances are waiting to be made by chemists and plastics engineers. Bill
garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson) (04/20/89)
More electronic version advantages:
all possible "forms" are imbedded in the device
Last night I was trying to do some planning with my Geodex and there's one
particular form that I like to use for this task. Of course, I had no copies
of the form with me - they are stored in a box at my desk at work. I have to
carry samples of every form I have if I want to take my Geodex with me away
from the office, and I have to remember to replenish this stash when I use
them. Yuk! I CAN'T WAIT for an electronic version that will have the skeleton
of every form I use internally (and none that I don't use).
Gary Ericson - Hewlett-Packard, Workstation Technology Division
phone: (408)746-5098 mailstop: 101N email: gary@hpdsla9.hp.com