Not a SUPER Computer, a SIMPLE Computer!

Posted 23 Sep 2002 at 17:00 UTC by mglazer Share This

What programmers want is more power what users want is less.

How do we find a happy medium? We create a happy framework to meet these needs!

The next PC breakthrough will look, feel, and even smell like a newspaper but allow for simple interactive functionality such as a text search.

Users want smaller, more unobtrusive computers that do one, two, or even three things very well, in a self-contained way that requires no maintenance.

People do not like cars for one reason; it requires maintenance.

While people do like simple functional tools such as a hammer.

A hammer is self-contained, it does not require maintenance, and it does what it is made for very well. It doesn't attempt to do everything and if it breaks you can simply get a new one because they are relatively inexpensive.

Programmers want to create functionality once that can be delivered to any type of computing device or PC.

Imagine printable paper that can be given a program to run.

Now think about computerized greetings cards and visual holograms on paper.

We are talking about a computer so thin it can bend, be ripped, and folded over just like a newspaper. Regular printing paper that contains computer running components that reads one program and runs it when initialized.

A simple example might be a newspaper with a touch text search initializer that pops up a hologram layer that enables a word search of the text and returns a column and paragraph number in which the matching text has been found in.

There is a race on to see who can be the first to create a all-in-one, self-reliant computer that looks and feels like a real newspaper.

The PC's handicap is the PC itself. Taking the computer out of the computer will bring the computer to everyone.

Imagine real printable paper that was made with a stand-alone computer shell that can be preprogrammed with very simple user functionality.

Simple computers, small enough to not be noticeable or cumbersome and useful enough to make something common much more useful and easier to use.

The largest most obvious hindrance to accomplish the above mentioned goal of super-thin computing is the issue of a power source.

Will the power source be embedded within itself? What form of a power source will it use; solar, cellular, wireless, electric, batteries..? Is a power source even necessary for extremely simple functionality? Will providing a built-in power source need to be recharged, how so, and at what cost? Will a built-in power source cause consternation and fears (privacy etc.)?

This would be a true breakthrough and user-friendly implementation that bespeaks the purpose of computers in helping us all.


The good news is..., posted 23 Sep 2002 at 17:27 UTC by tk » (Observer)

...it has happened. The not-so-good news is...

Anoto was one of two finalists for a Best of Show award, though interestingly, it lost to the Tablet PC, Microsoft's platform that supports handwriting.

The good news is..., posted 23 Sep 2002 at 17:28 UTC by tk » (Observer)

...it has happened. The not-so-good news is...

Anoto was one of two finalists for a Best of Show award, though interestingly, it lost to the Tablet PC, Microsoft's platform that supports handwriting.

Drugs?, posted 24 Sep 2002 at 03:21 UTC by deekayen » (Master)

You should probably not take anymore hallucinogenic narcotics before posting to advogato.

errr, posted 24 Sep 2002 at 05:27 UTC by zenalot » (Journeyer)

I can't believe I almost read the whole thing, but you need some serious writing skills for expressing your random thoughts. Anyway take a look at this *LED displays

Not a SUPER man but a simple and beautiful mind..., posted 24 Sep 2002 at 14:57 UTC by badvogato » (Master)

who calculates weiqi/go/baduk moves, appreciates haiga , but advocates NOTHING except be ing himself .
He is Simpson, Godzilla and Crackdonkey all in ONE!

generality, posted 25 Sep 2002 at 03:56 UTC by djm » (Master)

Computers are useful because of the generality, take away that generality and you may gain some usability but at the cost of that usefulness.

RE:, posted 28 Sep 2002 at 12:16 UTC by bytesplit » (Journeyer)

I admit that this article was difficult to read. Putting the article into paragraph form would have been MUCH form. This "digital newspaper" stuff has been talked about for possibly years.

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