From: sokay@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
Subject: Re: HP95LX or Sharp PC 3000 ? Available in the SF Bay area ?
Organization: Mitre Corporation, McLean, VA
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 21:20:52 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.173703.29519@src.honeywell.com> kanefsky@src.honeywell.com (Steve Kanefsky) writes:
>In article <1992Jul28.144241.7520@linus.mitre.org> sokay@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay) writes:
>>
>>My take on the current Newton flap:
>>It sounds great, and the picture of it I've seen are horribly horribly
>>slick and way cool. But the lack of a keyboard and lack of immediate
>>cursive recognition have kind of put me off. I just can't block write
>>with any speed and until it'll recognize my script, or come with a keyboard
>>attachment, I'll stick to my 95. I can two-finger much faster than I can
>>block write.
>
>I don't know about you, but most of the typing I do on my 95LX isn't text
>that I want saved -- most of the keys I press are to start up programs,
>maneuver around lists of files or within documents, type in commands, etc.
>The Newton will certainly do all of those things more efficiently with pen
>gestures than the 95LX does with keyboard commands.

We probably have different uses then. My primary use is for typing in short
text notes to myself and others and uploading/mailing them to people on our
net here.  I make fair use of the PIM functions, and a touch-sensitive screen
would be cool for scribbling or drawing, but about 80% of my usage comes from
note-taking/mailing.  And they're not huge text files, usually only a couple
hundred bytes each or less, but there's lots of them. I wouldn't write a 
paper on it though, 'cause thats just too much to type on so small a screen.
I've found about 3K to be the maximum tolerable lengthfor any one particular
document I'd write on the 95. 

>>             The modularity of it and the way its being designed around
>>the Mac architecture is definitely the way to go though.
>
>The Newton isn't really designed around the Mac architecture.  It's new
>from the ground up.  They both use a graphical user's interface, but the
>Newton is optimized for a small screen, limited memory and (most
>importantly) pen-based input.  It also has preemptive multitasking while
>the Mac OS does not and it uses an RISC processor, unlike any current
>Mac (which all use Motorola 680x0 CISC processors).

Perhaps I didn't quite phrase it right. I wasn't speaking so much of the
CPU architecture of the Mac as I was the typical Mac environment that seems
to exist today. As in, being able to hook your Newton right into Appletalk
and do file-sharing and intergrated email between the Mac and the Newton.
Being able to tack it on the back of a Laserwriter to print something, etc.
Not so much using the same internals as the Mac, but just dovetailing
nicely in with the mac "world". I think it will be a short time before we 
start seeing Macs and other machines with docking ports/boxes for their respective
picosystems. 

The question is, will we revert back to the trend of the late '70s/early '80s where
everybody's peripherals only worked with their computers?---I'd hope not, but the
temptation is there in that if you can get somebody to use your palmtop, they'll
be a lot more likely to buy your larger systems. This is really projecting, but
if done right, this could be a really good way for somebody to foster true
cradle-to-grave brand loyalty in computing....

---Steve
-- 
Stephen Okay  sokay@mitre.org
"Welcome to the Politically Correct States of America. Please turn your mind
in to the nearest oppressed minority pressure group. It will be returned to
you once we've decided what you can think"
Newsgroups: comp.sys.palmtops