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From: masaru@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Masaru Sugai)
Subject: Re: Sony's CD-ROM Data Discman
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.080223.7522@news.media.mit.edu>
Sender: news@news.media.mit.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: MIT Media Laboratory
References: <1991Jun12.195305.27625@cs.wayne.edu> <1991Jun13.020127.28269@ncsu.edu>
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Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1991 08:02:23 GMT

In article <1991Jun13.020127.28269@ncsu.edu> kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) writes:
>jal@artemis.cs.wayne.edu (Jason Leigh) writes:
>>
>> In a brief segment in the new issue of Fortune, there is a description
>> of Sony's portable CD-ROM player.  It's about the size of an old Sony
>> Discman and unfolds to reveal a small QWERTY keyboard, joystick and
>> LCD screen.

  I played with the first DiscMan nearly one year ago when they showed
off at Tokyo Business Show. I didn't pay much attention to it as they
demoed only several dictionary software. I looked like a palmtop webster
and one of dictinaries was an non-abbridged English/Japanese dictionary
with original illustrations. 

  As far as I remeber, there was no joystick though You might be talking about
the latest version or paddle switches.

>Oops.  Did you mean about the size of an old Sony _Walkman_? :-)

  It's much thicker than Disc WalkMan, and heavier than DAT WalkMan.
BTW, I thought they were called WalkPerson in USA :)

>Sounds neat.  What'd they say the purpose of it was?  Originally the
>Discman was for books and so on.  I guess for reading manuals tho,
>a keyboard would be handy for getting at the index or navigation.

  I had no idea who used such gadgets as it was quite cumbersome to browse
over entire dictinary with a small LCD screen.  Also I could not put any 
scribbles nor earmarks on dictionaries :)

>> Interesting... would be really interesting if the put a color LCD display
>> on the unit and made it even smaller...  >
  I am really amazed at high density mount technology these days, but 
dynabook is still a decade ahead, i guess.  

>No connection really, but if you want to see what a CD-I handheld looks
>like, see page 41 of the Jan '91 Popular Science.

  I'm also throwing in an unrelated issue. I believe wireless LAN and
packet broadcasting/simulecasting is the way to go for portable data 
archiver in 90s. Even if you could get GIGA dictonaries handy, world is
changing quickly. For the interest readers, I suggest you to take a 
look at PenPoint and an experimental car navigation system in Japan.
-- 
-- Masaru Sugai:Use disclaimer. CIS 72050,2141:NeXT + A3000 = money-eater
NEC Corporation:sugai@ccs.mt.nec.co.jp DORMANT:hardwired logic,machine language
MIT R.Affiliate:masaru@media-lab.media.mit.edu:  "Silicon on Sapphire" by CLASH