The Future PC as a Set of Pens? 327
Strudelkugel writes "The Wave Report covers a concept PC that NEC is working on, called P-ISM. (Maybe the name doesn't work, but it looks cool.) The design concept uses five different pens to make a computer. One pen is a CPU, another a camera, one creates a virtual keyboard, another projects the visual output and thus the display and another a communicator (a phone). All five pens can rest in a holding block which recharges the batteries and holds the mass storage. Each pen communicates wirelessly with the others."
A little too out there.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Sounds interesting, but goofy. (Score:2, Insightful)
Just what we need (Score:5, Insightful)
Workplace theft (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:voice recognition (Score:5, Insightful)
True. Unfortunately, people have been trying to develop good speech recognition for years, and it is still a long way from being viable as the main input method.
Re:The problem with that (Score:3, Insightful)
Both a virtual keyboard and a midikeyboard are shitty versions of what they're based on - they both have feedback mechanisms - which let you know which key you've pressed and how hard you've pressed it - which are simply not up to the job of serious typing or piano playing.
Re:Power Rangers Bastardization (Score:1, Insightful)
What about Storage? (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course, there could be some sort of storage in the CPU pen, but not that much, surely.
Re:The problem with that (Score:2, Insightful)
Right... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Looks neat, but (Score:5, Insightful)
No-feedback keyboards have a place, but not for general use.
Smaller Not Always Better (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyone else see anything wrong with this plan?
too complex (Score:2, Insightful)
There needs to be a single pen for the Cu/Display/Keyboard combo, and then optional pens for peripherals. This would also alleviate security issues of nearby keyboard loggers.
I have a better idea (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:voice recognition (Score:5, Insightful)
Take any action you do on a computer.
Now figure out a way to SPEAK that action, without any ambiguity. Now compare how long it takes to SAY that, with how long it takes to do via a keyboard or mouse.
Virtually every action take longer to explain than to simply DO. And the only way to have voice recognition come anywhere close is to have the computer try and guess what you mean. I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer it doing what I tell it to do, even if I occasionally make mistakes. The last thing I want is the computer misinterpreting something I said through no fault of my own.
As for simple text input, the biggest draw for voice recognition is for people who have bad or nonexistant typing skills. It is a valid issue, however it is one that as time passes becomes less and less important. Keyboard use has become ubiquitous among the young today, who will eventually push out the older people who never developed thier typing ability.
Also, can you imagine programming, or writing out abbreviations, or non-words with voice recognition?
int main left parenthesis int argc comma char asterisk asterisk argv right parenthesis left curly bracket printf left parenthesis doublequotes Hello World backslash n right parenthesis semi-colon right curly bracket
Re:voice recognition (Score:5, Insightful)
Frankly, speech recognition has some good uses for AUGMENTING input, but it's useless as a keyboard replacement for nearly every usage area.
Re:Looks neat, but (Score:5, Insightful)
Just typing this, I must have hit the 'i' key 4 or 5 times incorrectly, but you'll notice no typos after I hit "Submit" because I can see what comes up on the screen in *realtime* rather than stare at the keys until I'm done and then search for the typo in the paragraph-stack (I'm a good speller always, but a bad punner on Monday mornings). Then again, this does explain the massive amount of errors in
Much love all the same!
Re:voice recognition (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Looks neat, but (Score:2, Insightful)
Especially for situations where I've made notes elsewhere, or I'm following direction from someone else, I'm frequently looking at printed copy while I'm typing. Finding my place constantly in two separate places is not as fast as being able to keep a constant flow going.
I agree that it's nice to see the mistakes as you type them, but I find that my muscle memory tells me my fingers have made a mistake
tactile feedback will always be a good part of an interface - not always practical, but certainly useful. I don't always look at my phone when I dial, and I'm not looking at the display when I'm checking my voicemail - If there were no contours to the buttons, and confirmation of button presses, it would still be usable, but not as much so.
think about the rash of flat keyboards that were attempted in the 80s with calculators and even computer keyboards. Other than form-factor goodness, there hasn't been much change from the style of keyboard - there's still a need for distinct buttons, and a definite button-press.
Pen computer? (Score:2, Insightful)
Battery powered *projector pen*??? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Looks neat, but (Score:1, Insightful)
so it's more a difference between "certainFunction" and "vcertainFiunctiomn"