Xref: utzoo news.groups:31808 comp.sys.handhelds:7644 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!rice!hsdndev!husc6!popvax!conrad From: conrad@popvax.uucp (M20400@c.nobili) Newsgroups: news.groups,comp.sys.handhelds Subject: Re: RFD: comp.sys.handhelds.hp48 and comp.sources.hp48 moderated Summary: Let's split up... Message-ID: <6724@husc6.harvard.edu> Date: 10 May 91 03:23:46 GMT References: <1991May7.223538.10367@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> <1991May8.152836.4536@roundup.crhc.uiuc.edu> <8c_IULi00Uh7E0qYpT@andrew.cmu.edu> <1991May9.221044.18340@mercury.cair.du.edu> Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu Organization: Harvard University, Office for Information Technology Lines: 72 In article <1991May9.221044.18340@mercury.cair.du.edu> bdahlen@zephyr.cair.du.edu (Robert L. Dahlen - U. of Denver USA=) writes: >In article <8c_IULi00Uh7E0qYpT@andrew.cmu.edu> paul+@andrew.cmu.edu (Paul J. Dujmich) writes: >>If it ain't broke....don't fix it! (Use the 'N' key..thats what it's for). > >It is broken. So let's fix it. > >I like the c.s.h.calcs, c.s.h.palmtops, etc. >I just don't care about calcs and I tire of pushing keys in general. >Casual users of "handheld" computers ar sick of 48.this, 48.that, etc. >-- Hmmm. I think there might be some merit to this. No matter what people say and no matter what the facts, I still think of machines like the HP41, HP28 and HP48 as "calculators". Yeah, I know that they really are "computers", but who actually thinks that way? I agree with Robert but from a different perspective. I personally am excited only by the "calculators" at the moment. What excites me is all the built in power for the engineer. And yet there is still the generality and flexibility to program more general things like personal information managers and such.... I can't imagine anything more tiresome than a PeeCee compatible palmtop.... (I am both a 41 hacker from years past and a Mac owner (though by no means ignorant of PeeCee technology).) I guess what struck me in Robert's suggestion was the sound of his newsgroup names. I think the distinction that I (and others?) enjoy IS the "calculator" or "not calculator" one. I guess I would extend "calcs" to "calculators" just to be more descriptive. I think then that what we have left, "calculators" and "palmtops" is a nice clean break. There are definitely two different types of machine in there (IMHO). Now, of course, it seems obvious to drop the "hand- helds" portion of the name. It seems like there is a "jagged continuum" from mainframes to minis to workstations to desktop machines to luggables to port- ables to laptops to palmtops to calculators. Yeah, I know, there are some holes in this. Like that the parts of the Howard Hathaway Aiken/IBM Mark I Sequence Controlled Calculator that we have here at Harvard dominate the lobby of the computation laboratory. But I think that most of us think of a small machine that can be held in one hand and operated by the other when we hear the word "calculator". I guess it seems that c.s.p and c.s.c would fit in well with c.s.laptops. And the resultant names wouldn't be that long.... It sounds like HP28 owners earier expresed a lack of interest in HP48 stuff? I know that I am interested in ALL of the calculator information. I don't own all of the models but am still very interested in them all. Are there others who feel this way? HP28 owners aren't jealous are they? I guess someone got it earlier when he alluded to the "hack value" of something like the HP48. Personally I think a souped up calculator on steroids is much cooler than a palmtop. A palmtop is just a wimpy laptop as far as I can tell. And a laptop tries very hard to be a desktop computer but usually fails. Does anyone else out there agree with the calculator/laptop distinction? And that the handhelds bit could be dropped? I have intended to be somewhat ;-) inflammatory in this posting, as I am trying to promote a split on these lines. I think that this distinction is a more real one than religious manufacturer divisions. I like calculators. If it can't _really_ calculate it's just a palmtop information manager or computer.... I hope nobody takes grave offense at this! I really love ALL of this stuff! >------------------------------------------------------------------- >Robert L. Dahlen - Director, Information Systems & Technology >University of Denver - Denver, Colorado 80208 (303) 871-4385 >INTERNET:bdahlen@du.edu BITNET:bdahlen@ducair +---- C o n r a d C . N o b i l i ----+ | | | Harvard University | Internet: conrad@harvarda.harvard.edu | | Office for Info. Tech. | conrad@popvax.harvard.edu | | Information Services | BITNET: CONRAD AT HARVARDA | | Technical & User Services | CONRAD AT HARVSPHB | | 1730 Cambridge Street | voice: (617) 495-8554 | +---- Cambridge, MA 02138 | fax: (617) 495-0715 ----+