Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn!rochester!yamauchi From: yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Electronic Newspapers Message-ID: <1989May14.155500.4556@cs.rochester.edu> Date: 14 May 89 19:54:59 GMT References: <8905141355.AA20864@s4.Tau.Ac.IL> Reply-To: yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) Organization: U of Rochester, CS Dept, Rochester, NY Lines: 26 In article <8905141355.AA20864@s4.Tau.Ac.IL> writes: >In article <1582@zen.co.uk>, Frank Wales said: >>Why? Don't assume that a portable computer has to be the size of a >>Compaq, or mains powered. I currently have a Z88, which is the size and >>weight of an A4 folder. I can carry it most places without trouble. > >Sure, I didn't mean that a computer is too big to sit with it near the caffee >table; I simply said that my picture of drinking coffee and reading a newspaper >in the caffee is ruined by the entry of this device. A sort of breaking >the romantic atmosphere. Maybe its just something we'll have to get used to >in the future. I think the definition of what composes a romantic atmosphere will change in the future to include whatever technology we develop. For example: at the beginning of the 20th century I doubt many people would have found cars romantic, yet the automobile has become part of the contemporary American aesthetic. Actually, I think this is already happening. Take a look at William Gibson's novels and short stories for a good example. _______________________________________________________________________________ Brian Yamauchi University of Rochester yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu Computer Science Department _______________________________________________________________________________