Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!tness1!sugar!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: The 3G Machine
Keywords: user-interface bandwidth
Message-ID: <2028@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 26 Oct 88 21:37:11 GMT
References: <470@oracle.UUCP>
Organization: SCADA
Lines: 61

In article <470@oracle.UUCP>, csimmons@hqpyr1.oracle.UUCP (Charles Simmons) writes:
> [Bizarre example:  we might say that a Mac+ has a .25Megapixel
> display, and that the mouse is equivalent to .1 Megapixels of
> user interface, and that the keyboard is equivalent to .01
> Megapixels of user interface, and that the 4-voice not-overly-great-
> quality sound-synthesizer is worth an additional .2 Megapixels
> of user interface; giving us a total of .56M.]

Well, let me pick one little nit. The mouse is nice, but I think you would
have trouble entering text without the keyboard. Windowing interfaces that
work without the mouse... even that work well... are possible. Look at
Microsoft Windows, for example. Not only can you do anything you want to
with the keyboard, but it's actually convenient! Give the keyboard at
least as good an I/O rating as the mouse.

> The real purpose of this posting, however, is to see if I can get
> people to fantasize about what kind of user interface the 3G machine
> will have.  Any takers?

NASA's VIVED system looks like a good start. 3-d high-res display, using the
dataglove as feedback. Two gloves, at least, with IR links to the headset.
Replace the CRTs with see-through LCDs so you can concentrate on the real
world without taking the headset off. At least 16 channels (8 for each ear,
via the headset) of 16-bit stereo sound. Leave the keyboard in place, but
attach a touch tablet for precision input work (I suspect drawing with the
dataglove is like drawing with a mouse).

Note that there is no seperate screen. If you don't care for feedback, or if
you can get feedback from the dataglove, you don't need a keyboard either.
An office full of people gesturing at the air or typing on their desks
would be weird. If your headsets are hooked together, the computer could
show you some indication of the cloud of data around each person... you'd
never want to take it off at work. Walk down the hallway reading a listing.
Nothing to tie you to a desk.

I'd think that you'd need well over your 2K by 2K resolution to simulate
virtual screens floating in the air. 8K by 8K with a couple of bits of
antialiasing would be more reasonable. For fine work you could drop shades
over the LCDs and shut out reality. Simulate reality in wireframe so you can
still move around without being distracted. Antisocial behaviour (nerdishness)
could end up being strongly enforced.

Oh yeh, voice input. Whether it's used for deata input or just used to talk
to people, it's useful.

	"Computer"
		"Yes, Captain"
	"To Charles Simmons"
		"You mean csimmons@hqpyr1.oracle.UUCP"
	"Yes"
		"OK"
	"Check this out. End."
		"Ready"
	"Attach file" (point to /usr/spool/news/comp/arch/176)
		"Ready"
	"Send"
		"Yes, Captain"
-- 
Peter da Silva  `-_-'  Ferranti International Controls Corporation
"Have you hugged  U  your wolf today?"     uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter
Disclaimer: My typos are my own damn business.   peter@ficc.uu.net