Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!emory!mephisto!mcnc!rti!sunpix!keith
From: keith@sunpix.East.Sun.COM ( Sun Visualization Products)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Too much computing is detrimental
Summary: it all depends on your perspective
Message-ID: <2896@sunpix.East.Sun.COM>
Date: 28 Jun 90 15:42:06 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 106

Distribution: na
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Research Triangle Park, NC

In article <7723@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM# toma@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy) writes:
#Things computers are useful for:
[  Things Tom finds useful]
#
#Things computers are not useful for:
#1. "Electronic Desktop" -- see below
#2. Personal databases (recipes, record collections, Christmas card mailing
#   lists) because you spend far too much time setting them up than using
#   them.
#3. Making/keeping notes (even with a "lap-top")
#4. Dealing with photographic images or US Mail.
#5. On-line, "hypertext" documentation (garbage, IMHO)
#6. Many others.

I think the key is that "One man's garbage is another man's treasure."
I'll illustrate by showing my reactions to each of your "useless computer
features".

#
#The "Electronic Desktop" is part of the paperless office nonsense. Back
#before personal computers I attempted to keep my appointment calendar on
#a computer. This didn't work because 1) not always at the terminal, 2) terminal
#not always logged in 3) computer not always "up".
 
As a software developer, I'm at my workstation much more often than I can
find that stupid paper calendar.  Also, it lets me set the weekly meetings
in with a few keystrokes instead of a very repetitive writing exercise.
In addition, I have a tendency to lost track of time when I'm working,
so the fact that it beeps at me when I have a meeting is a definite 
advantage.

#I've used several different PC desktops: Sidekick, WordPerfect Library, 
#PC Tools Desktop, a couple of shareware packages, and discarded them all
#quickly. Why?
#
#Calendar functions: in trouble if not by machine. To use at home or office
#requires dragging a floppy disk (with the calendar file) back and forth,
#copying the file twice a day. And what if I'm at a meeting, in the car, etc?
#Honestly, I have a DayTimer (tm) and have been using it for 10 years. I don't
#plan to stop. It's always with me. Has quick access time, and is easy to
#make new entries.

For me, the same comments apply as for the appointment calendar.

#
#Calculator functions: the latest PCTools has a calculator which mimics my
#HP-16C. I'll continue to use my HP-16C, thank you! Has anyone ever compared
#ease of operation of a real calculator vs one of these simulations? Ugh!
#And the HP calculator is far more portable than my PC. I can "pop it up"
#over absolutely any application, character based, graphic, even non-computer,
#and it always works!

Ah, but I sometimes have trouble finding the calculator (Let's see, is it
here under K&R, or what...)  In addition, I can drag those 8 digit hex
numbers from one application into the calculator with a lot less chance
of error and more quickly than typing in on the calculator.  Then, when I'm
finished, I can take the calculated number and put it back in my application
or program faster than I could retype it from the calculator screen.

#Address book: Mine is written down. I always have it -- even can use it
#to look up a telephone number in a phone booth. My finger is capable of
#dialing or tapping out a phone number, no telco jack required! I can also
#print a mailing address on an envelope faster than I can switch my printer
#from continuous feed paper to single feed envelopes. (Note, for frequently
#used mailing lists, the computer is just fine!)

I'm not using an automatic dialer where I work now, but when I had a PC
at work, I would often use Sidekick to dial those 20 digit access code
and phone number combinations much easier and quicker and err-free than I could
look up a rolodex or address book and then dial by hand.

#Other Databases: Take more time to enter the data than I'd ever spend
#accessing the data.

Depends on how much analysis I need to do on the data.  Also, we finally
put our record collection in a database after the third time we went
to a album closeout sale and either bought records we already had or
didn't buy a record we wanted because we thought we already had it. 
Putting it in the computer took no more time
than it would have to write it all down or type it out, but allows
it to be sorted for easier reading.  Also, when we lose the printed
copy, as we did when we moved, its easy enough to print out another one.

#Notepads: Postit Notes (tm), real paper and pencil, do a better job for
#most things. Sometime I even want to add some comments to some printed
#material. I suppose the modern technique would require I get a scanner
#and suck in the document, then add comments using a drawing program??
#For serious use, I prefer a topnotch programmer's editor or word processing
#package.

I agree for some things, but when you have handwriting as bad as mine... #)
Also, I type faster than I write, so sometimes that can come in handy.

#Clock: Computers are about the world's most expensive timepiece. And my
#$20, 6 year old Casio keeps better time than my Everex Step 25.

Perhaps, but when my Seiko needed a new battery, my Sun kept on ticking.

#ASCII Table: One is posted on my wall. Always visible.

I don't consult it often enough to clutter my wall with it, but on the
PC, it was nice to able to see what graphics characters corresponded to
what codes, and now when I need it, I just use "man ascii".