Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-lcc!rutgers!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!ic.Berkeley.EDU!edjames From: edjames@ic.Berkeley.EDU (Ed James) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Flat Displays and Portable Computers Message-ID: <1223@ucbcad.berkeley.edu> Date: Wed, 14-Jan-87 20:40:33 EST Article-I.D.: ucbcad.1223 Posted: Wed Jan 14 20:40:33 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 15-Jan-87 18:57:56 EST References: <1191@ucbcad.berkeley.edu> <191@its63b.ed.ac.uk> Sender: news@ucbcad.berkeley.edu Reply-To: edjames@ic.Berkeley.EDU (Ed James) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 29 In article <191@its63b.ed.ac.uk> bob@its63b.ed.ac.uk (Bob Gray) writes: >Make it with a touch sensitive screen, Throw away the >keyboard and the pointer (mouse), and use a stick for making >notes on the screen. > >A handwriting analyser would be nice, to clean up my writing >and reduce storage needs, but a bit beyond current software. > >All the advantages of a real bit of paper plus the computer >power of one of todays bit-mapped workstations with a mouse. >It gives a whole new meaning to writing a program. > Bob. > ERCC. Ug! Touch sensitive screens? I have enough trouble keeping *other* people's grubby finger prints off my screen. :-) I can type much faster than I can write. My hand gets stiff after an hour of writing, but this rarely happens when I type. As for writing on a screen, did you every use a ball point pen on a solid surface? Paper 'gives', a screen surfaces doesn't. The writing surface would have to be slightly soft, but this would probably shorten it's useful life greatly. It's a really fun idea, and potentially incredibly useful. I am even beginning to believe it's within current technology to produce one that was fairly cheap (~$1K). So who's gonna build it? :-) --ed