Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!limbo!taylor
From: gast@CS.UCLA.EDU (David Gast)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Age of the Hand Held
Message-ID: <1523@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 6 Dec 90 01:51:05 GMT
Sender: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 19
Approved: taylor@Limbo.Intuitive.Com

Bob Gautier writes:

> I think the age of the handheld *computer* will be very short.  We are
> just beginning to see reasonably powerful machines which can be hand held
> (e.g. the PalmTop).

One problem with small machines is that it is difficult and slow input
data.  Yes, that will change when we can speak or scan to input, but
in the meantime those small devices are just too impractical.

> But we are also beginning to see the introduction of very widespread and
> fast digital communications, which I think will in the end remove the
> necessity for local computation.

Well, from a privacy standpoint, we should prefer local computation.  
There are good economic arguments to made for either local or central 
computation.  The cost of communication is just one variable.

David Gast


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