Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!garnet.berkeley.edu!markxx
From: markxx@garnet.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Trend toward personal management
Summary: Some ideas re: daytimer vs. Wizard
Message-ID: <22771@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 8 Apr 89 00:30:15 GMT
References: <2190001@hp-ptp.HP.COM>
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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In article <2190001@hp-ptp.HP.COM> garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson) writes:
[intro regarding using technology to manage personal information deleted]

>Here are my questions:
>
>  1) Is this really a trend, or will technology stop short of getting 
>     this kind of toe-hold in our personal lives?
>
>  2) Why do the Japanese use these personal managers more than Americans?
>     What would it take to get non-techies, especially executive types, to
>     use a small (very 'personal') computer to keep themselves organized
>     (as opposed to the paper-based methods they're using now)?  What 
>     would it have to look like?
>
>  3) How long before we see personal managers (integrated into larger
>     systems) a common appliance (like the paper-based managers (Time 
>     Manager, Day Timer, Geodex, Day Runner) are today)?  What will be
>     the steps to get us there?
>
>Gary Ericson - Hewlett-Packard, Workstation Technology Division
>	       phone: (408) 746-5098  email: gary@hpdsla9.HP.COM

	I don't know about question number 1, but have been wrestling with 
questions 2 and 3 for awhile myself.  I think that if the ease of use and 
information density that is embodied in something like a Daytimer (which
is what I use) can be produced in a equally easy to use and information
rich small computer/personal manager, their usage would only then become
as pervasive as other Daytimer-like systems.  

	I have looked at the Wizard and the Casio personal managers (PM's)
and while they were fun, and fairly well thought out (except for the
Wizard's non-QWERTY keyboard) I just can't see getting one.  My reasons 
(which I think others may share) are as follows:

	1) The computerized PM is harder to use than my Daytimer.  To use the
Daytimer I just open it up, flip to the page I want (which is indexed with
tabs) and read/write what I need to.  To use the Casio for example, I have
to open it up, hit the key for the calander, cursor to the correct month
(if it is other than the one I am in), cursor to the correct day, hit
schedual, and then page through the info I need, looking for what I need.

	2) This brings up the second (and bigger) problem.  The information
density of a "week-at-a glance" Daytimer is MUCH higher than the 
electronic PM's. On the electronic PM I can only see a few words, while
on the Daytimer I have as many as I want, depending on how small I write.
In addition, I can quickly flip around and scan more information, and 
draw lines to other areas or otherwise highlight important info.  

	Until the above two problems (especially #2) are somehow addressed,
I am afraid that I'll stick to my low tech Daytimer. (And I haven't 
even gotten into the problems of connectivity.)  For now, pop-up
calanders and pocket PC's are nice, but not really usefull if you
are away from a PC, or need to access info quickly.

Mark
markxx@garnet.Berkeley.EDU