Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!bagate!cbmvax!cbmehq!cbmdeo!lenler!antje!plenler From: plenler@antje.UUCP (Peter Lenler-Eriksen) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: They'll Look Like Toys? (Was: The Amiga's Future) Message-ID: Date: 16 Jun 91 04:35:35 GMT References: <5068@orbit.cts.com> <16647@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <#g1H3+$o@cs.psu.edu> <22340@cbmvax.commodore.com> <1343@cbmger.UUCP> Lines: 78 >In article <1343@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: >In article <22340@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes: >>In article caw@miroc.Chi.IL.US (Christopher A. Wichura) writes: >>>In article <#g1H3+$o@cs.psu.edu> melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) writes: >> >>>>You Amiga users are going to have to try and understand that the A3000 >>>>is probably not the last computer that you are ever going to own, >>>>In a couple of years(I say two) that A3000 is going to look like a toy. >> >>They aren't going to look like toys, and the reason for this is that computers >>are catching up to humans. They have been for awhile, and they have a ways to >>go, but they're getting close to being able to serve most people as well as >>they need to be served. Human expectations about computers have been changing >>over the years, but humans themselves haven't been. > >Well, but there are still goals. Only think about speech control/recognition. >I think this will be one of the last steps in principal computer develop- >ment. On the other hand I don't give much future to that Pad technology >with handwriting recognition. I fear a normal keyboard serves you better >and more comfortably, but this is a personal guess. But to implement things There certainly are still goals! We are only at the beginning. But I agree, that we are at a stage, where the evolution has reached a plateau. On the plateau a major goal will be to refine the interfacing methods. The keyboard as we know it to day, is actually designed, as it is, to slow down the typist! It is a sad example how an inferior design, by unscrupulous marketing, can beat a superior design!! On a "Malling Hansen typewriter" from before 1900 you can write a letter 2 to 3 times faster than on a modern typewriter! Handwriting recognition and with that speech control/recognition will not be of any common interest before the next generation of computers, being more general tools of communication-information-organizing-accompaning serving many more purposes than the computers to day. The other interfacing methods (mouse, joystick) can easily be improved! In collaboration with engineers from Cambridge Engineering Center we have developed a new interface replacing both mouse and joystick, the SIC-interface, designed for users with muscular atrophy. This interface proved to be superior in use for normal people also and it will be a general replacement for the mouse, I hope. ( In fact I have offered the project to Commodore, but in spite of Commodore Denmarks enthusiasm (JN) we never got any answer, not even a "No, thank you!" via mail! A pitty because others in the project are very eager to let it be finished for the Mac or (Horrors!) for the IBM-compatible first.) >like speech recognition you will sure have to add some steps in processing >power. And I fear you need big steps. The computers developped through >this will sure let our today's ones look like toys. But I believe it will >be more than 2 years, 5 at least. (Yes, I saw that IBM prototype in an AT >on a fair, but it had a very limited vocabulary, still needed heavy training >for the speaker, and I think the effort will increase exponentially when >they're going to expand these mentioned limits.) > >> And at this point, just >>about anyone can sit down and use a computer without knowing much about it. I >>don't think we have much farther to go, any other major improvments are just >>gravy. > >Hmm, see above. > >>At least until we get to the direct brain interface. > >Yes, that would be the next step. And the last will be that computers >take over and integrate us into their brain. But I think I won't >experience that... > If you by "direct brain interface" mean bypassing the normal input/output filters in the brain it will be somewhat of a task! Neither I expect to experience that. The brain is very different from the computer in its way of working - very different indeed! Best regards ! -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Peter Lenler-Eriksen ..cbmehq!cbmdeo!lenler!plenler | o O o | Kildevej 2 | | I | | DK-7470 Karup J | \!/ | Tel: +45 97 10 27 66 " for IDUN-Soft - the individual solution is standard - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------