NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/comp/sys/mac/misc/13571

Text File | 1992-07-21 | 3.1 KB | 64 lines

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Path: sparky!uunet!decwrl!access.usask.ca!ccu.umanitoba.ca!umcho000
From: [e-mail] (Connie Cho)
Subject: Re: a non-techie view of Newton
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 03:24:26 GMT
Lines: 53

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Travis Grundke) writes:
>
>In a previous article, [e-mail] (Connie Cho) says:
>
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mark Lomas) writes:
>>>
   [comments on Newton's usefulness deleted]
>>>A pen-based computer such as Newton may be very useful while you are in the
>>>office or stationary but I would be interested to see how it performs while
>>>you are travelling.  I suggest that a keyboard-based machine is much more
>>>suitable for somebody who likes to work while on the move.
>>
>>I agree, esp. if you are the type who hates wasting all thattime
>>sitting in a train :). But those teeny keyboards are a joke; I swear,
>>some men's fingertips are wider than the key and space! But, why can't
>>the pen be used sometimes, and used other times to punch keys?  Or an
>>"touch screen" like keyboard could be used, too. As someone noted,
>>Newton is the beginning; there's bound to be lots of improvement over time.
>>
>>CKC
>>
> Ah yes, but you evidently don't know that Newton doesn't care how crooked
>your handwriting is- its "Smart reading". If you scribble all over the
>screen "JOE FOR LUNCH", Newton will plop up, on one neat little line in
>12 point Helvecta "Joe for Lunch". If you draw a square which is crooked,
>or sloppy, Newton gives you a perfect square. See the August MacUser for
>more on this.
>--

Unless Apple's Newton is many times smarter than it's human namesake,
(and even then) I remain skeptical about your implication above
that Newton can decipher anything. FOr example, "Joe for lunch"
could easily look like "Jac tar lunch", with God knows what
implications for the situation. A written e that isn't fully
closed looks very much like a stylized c. What I envision is that
people will write slower than they would on a notepad, wait
a few moments to verify that Newton had got it right, then go on
to the next thing. I can also see some people getting frustrated
as at some crucial point Newton helpfully translates into gibberish
some technical stuff, which must then be hastily corrected. Don't
get me wrong, I think it's a cool machine, but I think people
shouldn't expect miracles out of it. I don't think it's very useful
for quick notes that you won't keep because during notetaking
you won't save any time; however, it will save scads
of time on any info that has to be shared, filed away, etc.
I only skimmed the articles on Newton, but will it only recognize
a standard circle, square, triangle, etc? I guess you have to
put in that limitation, but that means that specialized shapes
are a wash, then.

CKC