Re: [SLUG] Want Linux on your desktop? Nine reasons to forget about it

From: Paul M Foster (paulf@quillandmouse.com)
Date: Tue Jun 12 2001 - 23:02:23 EDT


On Tue, Jun 12, 2001 at 10:31:25PM -0400, edoc wrote:

> Why don't the Linux folks team up with IBM-ViaVoice and and come out
> with an excellent voice-optimized GUI? Why compete with M$ head-to-head?
> Do an end-around and grab a specialty piece of the market that will explode
> in a mere couple of years ... be ahead of the wave with superior design,
> technology, and stability.
>
> Then add a diskless server and a bunch of 14" audio-video appliances that
> can be cheaply set around the house using wireless links so folks may do
> online audio/audio-video calls, check their E-mail, stock prices, news,
> sports, whatever ... all hands free.
>
> Can you say "Hal ... any new E-mails, please?" as you eat breakfast and
> get ready from room to room in the house ... video-out discretely toggled
> off as appropriate! ;-)
>
> Doc
>
> > You've got a good point there. When it comes to GUI's nobody seems to
> > be thinking outside the box. It's time for something REALLY different.
> >
> > Ed.
>
>

This "voice-activated" computer stuff may happen, but it won't be the
main way people interact with their computers. Imagine if everyone on
the bridge of the Enterprise was talking to their respective stations in
the same way Kirk/Janeway/Picard did. Imagine being in a room full of
Steelcase cubicles with everyone talking to their computers at once, and
the guy across from you just can't seem to talk less than 50dB louder
than everyone else. Or his voice rises to 90dB as he gets exasperated,
because his computer is making him say something again for the third
time.

There may be some applications where this works, but I think far fewer
than people imagine.

Paul



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