anand@amax.npac.syr.edu (Anand Rangachari) (01/22/89)
I have been reading about these walkman computers with some interest.
Does anyone realize that we almost have one available now. I believe
it is called a Psion Organizer. It is the size of a largish pocket
and has a remarkable ammount of storage (about 256k). It is possible to
download info froma PC and then you can peruse the info while on the
move.
Recently I bought a Casio digital diary myself. This is more restricted
than the Psion unit but has a substantial memory (32 k). It holds
telephone numbers, memos and schedule information. I have had it only for
two weeks now but already find it invaluable. This little marvel has
a touch sensitive keypad and is laid out in the standard qwerty manner.
The display is a 16 by 16 character size but is not always as legible
as desirable.
In the book Imperial Earth by Clarke, a gadget called "Minisec" is
described. As the name suggests it is a mini seceretay and is a
combined audio recorder, diary and computer in a package the size of
a calculator. We seem to be a lot closer to that than I anticipated
when I read the book for the first time 10 years ago.
R. Anand
Bitnet: ranand@sunrise
Internet: anand@amax.npac.syr.edu
#! rnews throopw@xyzzy.UUCP (Wayne A. Throop) (01/25/89)
> anand@amax.npac.syr.edu (Anand Rangachari) > [...] called a Psion Organizer. It is the size of a largish pocket > and has a remarkable ammount of storage (about 256k). It is possible to > download info froma PC and then you can peruse the info while on the > move. Does it have a built-in clock? You see, I hate wristwatches, and am now using a quartz pocketwatch. While I can get a wristwatch with a calculator, memo pad w/8K characters storage, and even phone autodialer, I can't seem to find the same thing packaged for pocket use, and with a PC interface for up/down-loading. The closest thing I found to what I want was packaged as a laptop with a full-sized keyboard. Looking at the inside of the thing, the electronics took up a chip or two, and the mechanics of the keys took up the rest. I'm convinced that it is well within current technology to build what I want, but nobody seems to actually do it. Either it is packaged as a wristwatch instead of a pocketwatch and lacks an rs232 or other PC link, or it is packaged as a pocket device with PC link, but lacks a timeclock mode. (Multiple tagged alarm times would be nice too, but nobody seems to have that in any packaging at all.) Most frustrating. I wonder if I'm just doomed as doomed can be, because my needs form too small a market segment for anybody to pay attention to me. That would be sad, I must say. -- Classic: a book wich people praise and don't read. --- Mark Twain -- Wayne Throop <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti!xyzzy!throopw
aem@ibiza.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg) (01/25/89)
In <3055@xyzzy.UUCP>, <throopw@xyzzy.UUCP> wrote: >Does it have a built-in clock? You see, I hate wristwatches, and >am now using a quartz pocketwatch. While I can get a wristwatch >with a calculator, memo pad w/8K characters storage, and even >phone autodialer, I can't seem to find the same thing packaged >for pocket use, and with a PC interface for up/down-loading. >[...] >Either it is packaged as a wristwatch instead of >a pocketwatch and lacks an rs232 or other PC link, or it is >packaged as a pocket device with PC link, but lacks a timeclock >mode. (Multiple tagged alarm times would be nice too, but >nobody seems to have that in any packaging at all.) You buy the wristwatch version of what you want. You drive over to a jeweler or watchmaker, and you give them money. They convert the case into a pocketwatch. You drive over and pick it up. Sounds easy to me. aem a.e.mossberg aem@mthvax.miami.edu MIAVAX::AEM (Span) aem@umiami.BITNET (soon) All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume. - Noam Chomsky
throopw@xyzzy.UUCP (Wayne A. Throop) (01/31/89)
> aem@ibiza.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg) >> <throopw@xyzzy.UUCP> wrote: >> [...I'd like features I find in some wristwatches >> packaged as a pocket device...] > You buy the wristwatch version of what you want. You drive over to a > jeweler or watchmaker, and you give them money. They convert the case > into a pocketwatch. You drive over and pick it up. Sounds easy to me. Yeah, I considered that. Problems I encounter: - Costly hand labor. End up taking <30$ worth of electronics and packaging it in a 120$ case (unless you have facilities and tools to do the work yourself). (Or, as David Leterman says.... VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME!!!) - On nice thing about pocket devides is that they can afford slightly larger screens and keyboards. This route obscures that advantage, and one is stuck will little munchkin keys for which one has to cary around a toothpick or three. Yuck. - Finally, even wristwatch devices with all the other features I'd like don't seem to have "download calendar" (or other data) features. But thanks for the thought. -- Wayne Throop <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti!xyzzy!throopw