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From: bson@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu (Jan Brittenson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: ONE WEEK TO CALL FOR VOTE
Message-ID: <13736@life.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 6 Mar 91 01:10:59 GMT
References: <1991Mar5.030117.17209@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <6465@rex.cs.tulane.edu> <1991Mar5.163032.21537@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
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In a posting of [5 Mar 91 16:30:32 GMT]
   rsholmes@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Rich Holmes) writes:

 > it will look damn silly a year or so down the line when the industry
 > goes the way of all industries and the 48 is just another blip on the
 > curve.

   I don't think this is really true. I replaced my HP-41 with the
HP-48 because it was a better calculator than the HP-41, it was at
least as versatile (for me; I don't really miss HP-IL, but I can
picture a lot of people do), and has the same software functionality
plus a lot more. I had my HP-41 for almost 10 years and put it into a
lot use, and when I bought it relatively few people had even heard the
word NEWS, less had any chance of reading it. Even less so when it was
released. I know only one person who sold his HP-41 and bought an
HP-28 when it came out; he soon bought a new HP-41. None of the HP-15,
HP-16, HP-28 and others that were released to any extent replaced the
HP-41. Sure, many people had a second calculator, usually an HP-16, or
HP-28. Today, everyone I knew who had an HP-41 (and have met or talked
to recently) has an HP-48. Everyone! I'm confident that the peripheral
market for the HP-48 will mushroom, and that this thing is here to
stay at least for another 10 years. Either the HP-48 or some direct,
fully compatible, descendant which we'll stick into the same
newsgroup.

   Secondly, even if the HP-48 turns out to be a 2-year fad, we'll
just discuss and vote on terminating the .hp48 newsgroup. Not very
complicated. No one who finds it overly burdensome has to participate.

   The only problem I can think of with the proposed split that people
who are exclusively interested in the HP-48 only may have to read
.handhelds also, just so they don't miss out on anything interesting
posted there by accident. Personally, I intend to read both since I
have interests in both groups. In fact, the split will probably just
make it easier for me to ready news since .handhelds will rarely carry
much of interest to me, and the articles will get collectively killed
after a quick glimpse through the list of subjects.

   Finally, I will vote for the split unless compelling arguments are
brought forth why no such split should take place. Not because I
benefit from it, which is debatable, but because I consider it rude to
impose myself on others and tell them to leave if they don't like it.

And, yes, no newsgroup moderation please.

						-- Jan Brittenson
						   bson@ai.mit.edu

					   Read my lisp: no new classes!