Xref: utzoo comp.society.futures:1734 comp.sys.laptops:533
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From: brendan@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Brendan Mahony)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures,comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Sony Palmtop w/char recognition - Ultimate Laptop?
Message-ID: <3223@moondance.cs.uq.oz.au>
Date: 11 Apr 90 00:06:56 GMT
References: <18720@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <1463@uvm-gen.UUCP> <19307@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <54020@microsoft.UUCP>
Sender: news@moondance.cs.uq.oz.au
Reply-To: brendan@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au
Followup-To: comp.society.futures
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garye@microsoft.UUCP (Gary ERICSON) writes:

>>Not to mention the even larger marketplace of poor typists throughout
>>the world!

>are decried because they are too small.  Why?  Because it's too difficult
>to type on a keyboard so tiny.  And then when a new palmtop comes out with
>a non-keyboard interface, it's only discussed from the point of generically
>comparing a keyboard and handwriting interface.  And then, of course, the
>handwriting interface is pushed off in some specialized corner because, of
>course, typing is much more efficient than writing by hand.

If typing is so much more efficient why were there so few typists prior
to the "computer revolution". People use computers because being able
to "edit" what you write is more efficient than not being able to.
People use keyboards because that the only way to get to a computer.
Most of them never get much beyond pecking with two fingers. Sure it's
possible to type at 200 words a minute, but can you think at 200 words
a minute. For me and most I think a keyboard only gets in the way. It
fill up my desk and cramps my fingers.

This handwriting interface is going to put keyboards back in the typing pool
where they belong.

Brendan

--
Brendan Mahony                   | 
Department of Computer Science   |
University of Queensland         |
Australia                        |