Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!sundc!hadron!netxcom!ewiles From: ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Flat Displays and Portable Computers Message-ID: <275@netxcom.UUCP> Date: Wed, 21-Jan-87 09:06:18 EST Article-I.D.: netxcom.275 Posted: Wed Jan 21 09:06:18 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 22-Jan-87 06:31:22 EST References: <1191@ucbcad.berkeley.edu> <191@its63b.ed.ac.uk> <38@cerebus.UUCP> <1052@ius2.cs.cmu.edu> Reply-To: ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles) Organization: NetExpress Communications Inc. Vienna, Va. Lines: 37 In article <1052@ius2.cs.cmu.edu> ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre) writes: >In article <38@cerebus.UUCP> ronc@cerebus.UUCP (sysadm) writes: >>In article <191@its63b.ed.ac.uk> bob@its63b.ed.ac.uk (Bob Gray) writes: >>>Make it with a touch sensitive screen, Throw away the >>>keyboard and the pointer (mouse)... >... >>Ickkk! I have a small problem with this. I can not write. >>I can at best print slowly and painfully. >... >How about adding a connector for a optional keyboard and pointing device >on the side of the machine? Mechanical support for attaching it (directly >or with a detached cable) would be straightforward. ... No, don't add a keyboard on the end! It was designed with the idea in mind that it would be about the size of a notebook. If you add an auxiliary keyboard you defeat the design intent. If you need a keyboard, then use the touch sensitive screen to create one. I seem to remember that with the resolution given in the original design, and with the room available on the surface of the screen, you could have a full 80x24 character screen, and still have enough room for a keypad. The key layout would be entirely programable, since it is displayed on the screen! This would allow everyone to customize the keypad into a form that they want, instead of being stuck with whatever the manufacturer wanted to give them. Keep the idea of an 'electric pencil', since it is rather difficult to type graphics into the screen. This would allow you to type or write notes, since you have either form of data entry, and would keep the capability to sketch all those pretty pictures that professors are so fond of drawing! What do you think? -- Edwin Wiles seismo!sundc!netxcom!ewiles Net Express, Inc. 1953 Gallows Rd. Suite 300 Vienna, VA 22180