Comments on: My Pen! He took my pen! http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen The Journal of Poorly-Explained Phenomena Sun, 20 May 2012 20:48:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Chuck http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen/comment-page-1#comment-589 Chuck Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:59:06 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=1687#comment-589 It's because of the cost. <a href="http://daringfireball.net/2010/01/the_original_tablet" rel="nofollow">John Gruber's post</a> points out that one of the reasons the Palm Pilot won over the Newton was because it was priced a lot cheaper. If you're charging $800 a pop for one of these things, it's a lot easier to show factory workers doing inventory with one than it is to show some art student sketching in between classes. Lots of analysts predicted the iPhone would be a failure because it would never compete with the BlackBerry crowd (business types). I wonder how much of the iPhone's success has been because of the price cut/subsidy deal, how much is because phones have just become a status symbol now, and how much the market has changed so that electronics aren't seen as such a huge luxury/nerd item anymore. Whatever the case, I can pretty much guarantee you that whatever tablet Apple is going to release is going to be aimed at consumers and not businesses. The only question in my mind is whether it's a glorified Kindle (read-only) or a scaled-down MacBook (you can make stuff with it). <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/apple-rumor-roundup-future-of-media-edition/" rel="nofollow">The latest round of rumors</a> has me hopeful it'll be the latter. If it really is done in conjunction with an iLife announcement (as opposed to iTunes) then that implies it'll be more than just a media player. Plus the whole thing makes it look like they're targeting "creative types." I guess we'll see next Thursday. It’s because of the cost. John Gruber’s post points out that one of the reasons the Palm Pilot won over the Newton was because it was priced a lot cheaper. If you’re charging $800 a pop for one of these things, it’s a lot easier to show factory workers doing inventory with one than it is to show some art student sketching in between classes.

Lots of analysts predicted the iPhone would be a failure because it would never compete with the BlackBerry crowd (business types). I wonder how much of the iPhone’s success has been because of the price cut/subsidy deal, how much is because phones have just become a status symbol now, and how much the market has changed so that electronics aren’t seen as such a huge luxury/nerd item anymore. Whatever the case, I can pretty much guarantee you that whatever tablet Apple is going to release is going to be aimed at consumers and not businesses. The only question in my mind is whether it’s a glorified Kindle (read-only) or a scaled-down MacBook (you can make stuff with it).

The latest round of rumors has me hopeful it’ll be the latter. If it really is done in conjunction with an iLife announcement (as opposed to iTunes) then that implies it’ll be more than just a media player. Plus the whole thing makes it look like they’re targeting “creative types.” I guess we’ll see next Thursday.

]]> By: Lena_P http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen/comment-page-1#comment-588 Lena_P Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:55:42 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=1687#comment-588 Why is it that tablets are aimed at "business" types in the first place? Am I crazy for thinking that maybe "artie" types might like a tablet pc? Seriously, while I am in no way an artist, I do sketch a lot, and that's really the only reason I bought a tablet pc in the first place. I love sketchbook pro; I love being able to try different color schemes with a character without having to redraw them over and over again. I'd also love it if I could have a tablet that was light and small enough that I could take it with me and sketch plein air. And lasted more than four hours on one charge. Why is it that tablets are aimed at “business” types in the first place? Am I crazy for thinking that maybe “artie” types might like a tablet pc? Seriously, while I am in no way an artist, I do sketch a lot, and that’s really the only reason I bought a tablet pc in the first place. I love sketchbook pro; I love being able to try different color schemes with a character without having to redraw them over and over again. I’d also love it if I could have a tablet that was light and small enough that I could take it with me and sketch plein air. And lasted more than four hours on one charge.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen/comment-page-1#comment-587 Chuck Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:06:15 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=1687#comment-587 Sure, with a mouse, which gives you input across a continuous surface. The Courier mockup has that big seam between the two screens, which I highly doubt is touch-sensitive. The mockup implies in some sections that you'll be able to do one gesture across both screens, and then in other sections that you "flick" something from one screen to the other. (Or drag it to the seam to hold it, then drag it from the seam to the other screen). However they do it, I'm skeptical that it's going to be as seamless as they try to make it look. Sure, with a mouse, which gives you input across a continuous surface. The Courier mockup has that big seam between the two screens, which I highly doubt is touch-sensitive. The mockup implies in some sections that you’ll be able to do one gesture across both screens, and then in other sections that you “flick” something from one screen to the other. (Or drag it to the seam to hold it, then drag it from the seam to the other screen). However they do it, I’m skeptical that it’s going to be as seamless as they try to make it look.

]]> By: Michel http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen/comment-page-1#comment-586 Michel Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:56:17 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=1687#comment-586 Why are you skeptical of being able to drag across screens? Have you ever used a dual monitor desktop PC...? Why are you skeptical of being able to drag across screens? Have you ever used a dual monitor desktop PC…?

]]> By: Stephen Hryncewicz http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2010/01/my-pen-he-took-my-pen/comment-page-1#comment-585 Stephen Hryncewicz Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:33:24 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=1687#comment-585 <blockquote>Every demo I saw of the Newton back in the 90s defined what interacting with a personal computer should be like. You draw a line across the page, and it starts a new document. You scribble through a word and it disappears in a puff of smoke. You write notes and it understands not only the words you’re writing but the context — putting appointments into your calendar, phone numbers into your address book</blockquote> Finally. Someone who understands what the Newton was really about. Not the handwriting recognition, but the Intelligent Assistant.

Every demo I saw of the Newton back in the 90s defined what interacting with a personal computer should be like. You draw a line across the page, and it starts a new document. You scribble through a word and it disappears in a puff of smoke. You write notes and it understands not only the words you’re writing but the context — putting appointments into your calendar, phone numbers into your address book

Finally. Someone who understands what the Newton was really about. Not the handwriting recognition, but the Intelligent Assistant.

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