Comments on: an open letter to bill gates

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 22:40:07 +0000

^D@mn that thing looks cool! Now I want one of those too. But I am going to have to wait until the price comes down a bit.

By: Jblog

Jblog — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 19:12:26 +0000

one word… MPX 2005 FEB
Microsoft Windows Mobile

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 06:33:56 +0000

Brandons response is why I say Treo 650 not the 600.
These are the new features in the Treo 650 as opposed to the 600:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650/whatsnew.html
The Audiovox PPC-6601 carried by Sprint are very cool but I think the 650 has all of them beat unless you need secure corporate e-mail the the only alternative currently is Blackberry.

By: Brandon Paddock

Brandon Paddock — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 04:06:17 +0000

I already have a tricorder. Well, except it doesn't scan "life signs" ... unless someone has an SDIO life signs detector. See what I mean here: http://geekswithblogs.net/bpaddock/archive/2005/01/14/20020.aspx

By: ForwardMarkets

ForwardMarkets — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 23:34:35 +0000

The Next Revolution in Software: From Helping Hand to Right Hand Man

Software has a problem:

By: Paul DiCristina

Paul DiCristina — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:24:14 +0000

It’s a great idea — but — the tricorder was more of a sensor device, you know for tracking “life forms” and energy readings, yada, yada, yada

By: LibraryPlanet.com

LibraryPlanet.com — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 19:59:43 +0000

Treo = Tricorder

I hadn’t thought about it, but as commenters point out, the Treo 650 is pretty nearly a Tricorder. Combine it with a Combadge and you can be in Trek Nirvana.…

By: Dimitar Vesselinov

Dimitar Vesselinov — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 19:08:01 +0000

Future Vision - Vodafone http://www.vodafone.com/section_article/0,3035,CATEGORY_ID%253D1600%2526LANGUAGE_ID%253D0%2526CONTENT_ID%253D216753,00.html

By: Johnnie Moore's Weblog

Johnnie Moore's Weblog — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 18:13:12 +0000

Haiku

Hugh stabs Microsoft On platform, Robert dances Money flows to Bill…

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 14:29:00 +0000

I’m with Hugh — I want a small, easy-to-use device that does everything. However, I suspect that this isn’t a realistic possiblity in the near future. But that isn’t the point.
That’s right, it doesn’t matter if we can’t get it right away. I can wait for it, as long as I am confident that it is coming sometime. And this is the challenge for companies like Microsoft, Sony etc. They need to figure out what the market wants, and then let the market know they are on to it.
You see, as a consumer, I have been consistently been disappointed by some of these large companies over the years. To use Microsoft as the ongoing example (although they aren’t unique in this regard), it vexes me greatly when I am expected to be happy with being told the new “thing” (software, hardware or service) is going to solve a bunch of my problems, but all I get is a pile of shit (Windows ME, anyone?).
As pointed out earlier, some of us are more likely to put our faith in things that we are confident will deliver us the goods. That is why many people are such one-eyed supporters of Apple or Linux.
I don’t expect to get a Tricorder anytime soon, but I’ll jump on the bandwagon for whatever company I believe will get me there the quickest.
I for one actually hope that Microsoft get their “vision” together, and that they manage to deliver on their promises. Because I am not impressed by their promises; I am impressed by them keeping their promises.
As much as I despise Microsoft, I also love them. I use many of their products everyday, and for the most part I wouldn’t change that for a second. But if someone comes along and offers what I need both now and in the future, I’ll probably be switching in an instant.
I have a huge personal investment in Microsoft, but not a lot of faith in that investment. I don’t think I am in a unique situation.
Will I have an opportunity to regain my faith in Microsoft, or will it be stolen by Sony or some other big company, or will I fall in love with some new startup?
The point I think is that this isn’t a battle for target demographics or key influencers, it is a battle for hearts and minds. Give me a reason to believe…

By: Robert Scoble

Robert Scoble — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 10:43:34 +0000

Brock: have you even taken a look at my Scoblephone? The UI doesn’t look like Windows to me.

By: Brock Tice

Brock Tice — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 06:47:21 +0000

Ditto on the Treo. I have the 600 and love it. I just wish it had a 2 MP camera with flash, then it really would replace 4 devices (camera, mp3 player, palm, phone). As it is, it replaces the camera in a few, very limited situations. All in good time, as we’ve seen with the new camera phones coming out of east asia.
Microsoft has a long way to go on this. I had (have, but don’t use) a PocketPC 2003 device. It was my first PocketPC device, not counting 2 WinCE devices long ago, and it really was not any good as a mobile platform. The task manager was so useless compared to palm that I had to download a palm task list clone app to even use the device for it.
I’ve been back and forth a little with Robert Scoble on previous articles, but I can tell you this — Palm is currently much, much closer than Microsoft. When are they going to figure out that Windows isn’t the best interface for everything?

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 05:41:46 +0000

The problem with devices that try to solve too many things is that they suck in many things.
Too many functions make the UI awful. The more functions it has, the more steps you have to take to reach the function. Ever tried the BMW iDrive? BMW has put many functions in their onboard systems, that they had to take a new approach for this. I guess it works pretty well for the number of functions, but still it isn’t telepathic. (Ever noticed how the doors in Star Trek seem know, when they should open? They can distinguish between somebody wanting to go through the door and somebody just going to the door. Some things just can’t be done in real life, sorry)
The next problem, buttons that are good for a iPod might not be good for a mobile phone. And vice versa.
A good form factor for a mobile phone is not a good form factor for a palm pilot.
Its tempting to demand: “I want a device that does everything!” but the result will be less than you demand. Either you have a good phone, that has some mediocre extra functions. Or you have a palm pilot, that you can use as phone that’s too big. If you make it too small, the screen won’t be big enough for a web-browser. I think you get the drift.
Can there be some break through to solve this? Voice recognition? Mid-Air projection display? AI? Maybe. Lets see.
I think, evolution is the ONLY road we can go down. Make a thing good. Add functions. Make it better. Add more functions. The palm pilot didn’t drop out of thin air, it was a evolution. And in the end, there are no revolutions. Apple doesn’t do revolutions, they just know how to make the best of available technology (And that is not a easy thing) and they have to hope that they can sell enough until everybody figures out how to do it right. And Microsoft creates new technologies (which isn’t a easy thing either), but they have to wait until somebody shows them what they can do with it.
Just my two cents.

By: hugh macleod

hugh macleod — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:53:05 +0000

Well, Captnswing, I think my needs are somewhat more prosaic than Mr Spock’s
I just need something that does “everything”… basically everything my current toys do, in one small, convenient package.
I don’t need to know that there are 3 Klingons closing in at Mark 7.65.

By: captnswing

captnswing — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:17:20 +0000

have you ever noticed how technology in movies is so seamless? i.e. it never gets in the way of the plot line, complex stuff just works right away, everybody gets intuitively along with all kinds of fancy tech. the tricoder is a fine example of such a seamless technology.
of course thats just in the movies. in the real world, already normal everyday tasks are not so simple — even alpha geeks have to admit that.
the tricoder challenge is not so much a challenge of making things smaller and putting them in a book sized device (well there is a challenge with the energy density of todays batteries — they just cant keep up)
the tricoder challenge is a UI challenge. not more and not less. So what you really are asking Microsoft for is solve the Language recognition problem. And get somewhere with artificial intelligence. Because thats the only feasible way we will be able to interact with such devices that offer a plethora of functions: in natural language. They will need a degree of AI in there as well (and language recognition will prove to be a major milestone on the way to that goal).
Tricoder indeed, but maybe not the way you and MS have thought about it