From: "Melissa" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Notebooks Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 23:24:21 +0800 Organization: Subscriber of Pacific Internet Lines: 7 Message-ID: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp19.dyn88.pacific.net.sg X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2014.211 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!feed2.news.luth.se!luth.se!arclight.uoregon.edu!newsserver.pacific.net.sg!not-for-mail Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? Thanks... http://st2.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?goodorient+H5jRh7+index.html ###### From: richm@ucesucks.rochester.rr.com (Rich Mulvey) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> Organization: Mulvey Home Node Reply-To: mulveyr@ucesucks.roch.rr.com X-no-archive: yes Message-ID: User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.3 (UNIX) Lines: 10 Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 16:03:27 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.93.21.23 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rochester.rr.com X-Trace: newsr2.twcny.rr.com 929894607 24.93.21.23 (Sun, 20 Jun 1999 12:03:27 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 12:03:27 EDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.cwix.com!24.92.226.85!newsf1.twcny.rr.com!newsr2.twcny.rr.com.POSTED!richm On Sun, 20 Jun 1999 23:24:21 +0800, Melissa wrote: >Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone >have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? >Thanks... They both suck. The ideal notebook computer is undoubtedly the VAX 11/80. - Rich ###### From: "Jack Peacock" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 13:32:41 -0700 Organization: Simco Lines: 20 Message-ID: <7kjj35$jbj$1@remarQ.com> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.168.124.145 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: 929910693 EWMV79OYA7C91CFA8C usenet52.supernews.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@remarQ.com X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3155.0 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3155.0 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!nuq-peer.news.verio.net!remarQ73!supernews.com!remarQ.com!remarQ69!not-for-mail Rich Mulvey wrote in message ... >On Sun, 20 Jun 1999 23:24:21 +0800, Melissa wrote: >>Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone >>have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? >>Thanks... > > They both suck. The ideal notebook computer is undoubtedly >the VAX 11/80. > The larger 8000 series VAX machines were a much better class of early DEC notebook. I would recommend an 8530 as the best tradeoff of space vs. speed. For lower budget perhaps an 11/730 is more appropriate and less bulky too, if you can live with the longer boot time. I've seen 11/730s go for as little as US$50 fully loaded with disk and tape backup too! You can be certain that long after the last Acer notebook has died there will still be good old 8000 VAXes somewhere in the world. Jack Peacock ###### From: "Eric Schweitzer (archy)" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:20:49 -0400 Lines: 10 Distribution: world Message-ID: References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> NNTP-Posting-Host: schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII In-Reply-To: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!tor-nx1.netcom.ca!news.louisville.edu!uky.edu!news.cuny.edu!schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu!ershc On Sun, 20 Jun 1999, Melissa wrote: > Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone > have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? > Thanks... I've always prefered the National 31-281 to any other notebook. Nice vinyl case, and narrow ruled. 320 pages of direct access memory, too. ###### From: richm@ucesucks.rochester.rr.com (Rich Mulvey) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> Organization: Mulvey Home Node Reply-To: mulveyr@ucesucks.roch.rr.com X-no-archive: yes Message-ID: User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.3 (UNIX) Lines: 20 Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 01:41:59 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.93.21.23 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rochester.rr.com X-Trace: newsr1.twcny.rr.com 929929319 24.93.21.23 (Sun, 20 Jun 1999 21:41:59 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 21:41:59 EDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.cwix.com!24.92.226.150!newsf1.twcny.rr.com!newsr1.twcny.rr.com.POSTED!richm On Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:20:49 -0400, Eric Schweitzer (archy) wrote: > > >On Sun, 20 Jun 1999, Melissa wrote: >> Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone >> have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? >> Thanks... > >I've always prefered the National 31-281 to any other notebook. Nice vinyl >case, and narrow ruled. 320 pages of direct access memory, too. > Yes, but it does have a limited number of write/erase cycles available before you encounter media failure. Although, to be fair, it does allow an essentially unlimited number of read operations, as long as the enviromental conditions are stable. - Rich ###### From: Kin Hoong CHUNG Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 21 Jun 1999 07:44:37 GMT Organization: University of New South Wales Lines: 18 Message-ID: <7kkqh5$d4q$1@mirv.unsw.edu.au> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> NNTP-Posting-Host: alpha.maths.unsw.edu.au User-Agent: tin/pre-1.4-980618 (UNIX) (OSF1/V4.0 (alpha)) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!intgwpad.nntp.telstra.net!news1.optus.net.au!optus!news.usyd.edu.au!unsw.edu.au!not-for-mail Rich Mulvey wrote: : On Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:20:49 -0400, Eric Schweitzer (archy) wrote: :> :>I've always prefered the National 31-281 to any other notebook. Nice vinyl :>case, and narrow ruled. 320 pages of direct access memory, too. : Yes, but it does have a limited number of write/erase cycles : available before you encounter media failure. Although, to be : fair, it does allow an essentially unlimited number of read : operations, as long as the enviromental conditions are : stable. Don't forget that badly designed or programmed readers can mutilate the media enough to render it unreadable. Cheers, Kin Hoong ###### From: dpeschel@u.washington.edu (Derek Peschel) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 21 Jun 1999 18:08:51 GMT Organization: University of Washington, Seattle Lines: 26 Message-ID: <7klv3j$flg$1@nntp1.u.washington.edu> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <7kkqh5$d4q$1@mirv.unsw.edu.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: saul1.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp1.u.washington.edu 929988531 16048 (None) 140.142.17.35 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: dpeschel Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.u.washington.edu!dpeschel In article <7kkqh5$d4q$1@mirv.unsw.edu.au>, Kin Hoong CHUNG wrote: >Rich Mulvey wrote: >: On Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:20:49 -0400, Eric Schweitzer (archy) wrote: >:>I've always prefered the National 31-281 to any other notebook. Nice vinyl >:>case, and narrow ruled. 320 pages of direct access memory, too. > >: Yes, but it does have a limited number of write/erase cycles >: available before you encounter media failure. Although, to be >: fair, it does allow an essentially unlimited number of read >: operations, as long as the enviromental conditions are >: stable. > >Don't forget that badly designed or programmed readers can mutilate >the media enough to render it unreadable. ... and in order to recover from that situation, a clean room may be required. On the other hand, the manufacturer's licensing policy is extremely generous and software upgrades are free. Parts upgrades and replacements can be a problem, however, especially when the read/write head is involved. -- Derek ###### From: "Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 22:24:41 -0600 Organization: Bodrero Family Lines: 20 Distribution: world Message-ID: <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> NNTP-Posting-Host: feldspar.n1.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news.inquo.net 930198298 14140 208.23.84.119 (24 Jun 1999 04:24:58 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@inquo.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 24 Jun 1999 04:24:58 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 [en] (Win95; I) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!xmission!inquo!not-for-mail Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple recommendations for a decent notebook. I do find the discussion of media interesting. But I am also interested in more of your thoughts about who makes a quality notebook. Don't want no flame, just some names. Bill Melissa wrote: > Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone > have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? > Thanks... > > http://st2.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?goodorient+H5jRh7+index.html ###### From: glass2@glass2.lexington.ibm.com Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 24 Jun 1999 13:39:31 GMT Organization: IBM Austin Lines: 26 Message-ID: <7ktcej$14ru$1@ausnews.austin.ibm.com> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> Reply-To: glass2@glass2.lexington.ibm.com NNTP-Posting-Host: glass2.cv.lexington.ibm.com X-Newsreader: IBM NewsReader/2 2.0 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.idt.net!nyd.news.ans.net!abq.news.ans.net!newsjunkie.ans.net!news.chips.ibm.com!newsfeed.btv.ibm.com!rtpnews.raleigh.ibm.com!ausnews.austin.ibm.com!not-for-mail In <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net>, "Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam" writes: >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple >recommendations for a decent notebook. > >I do find the discussion of media interesting. But I am also interested in >more of your thoughts about who makes a quality notebook. >Don't want no flame, just some names. > >Bill > > >Melissa wrote: > >> Is Acer brand notebooks good? If not, what would you recommend??Does anyone >> have the Acer Travelmate 330 and care to advise if I should buy it? >> Thanks... >> >> http://st2.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?goodorient+H5jRh7+index.html > I happen to like the IBM ThinkPads. Dave P.S. Standard Disclaimer: I work for them, but I don't speak for them. ###### From: john@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au (John "West" McKenna) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 24 Jun 1999 14:45:24 +0800 Organization: The University of Western Australia Lines: 12 Message-ID: <7ksk64$t7e$1@mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 CURRENT #118 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!newshunter!cosy.sbg.ac.at!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!bofh.vszbr.cz!newsfeed.stanford.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!intgwpad.nntp.telstra.net!news1.optus.net.au!optus!news.uwa.edu.au!not-for-mail "Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam" writes: >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple >recommendations for a decent notebook. I'm sure you did. Your mistake was forgetting to post to the appropriate newsgroup. alt.folklore.computers is NOT the place for discussions of ANY kind of paper products. Let's stick to old computers, shall we? John West ###### From: Shez Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 15:12:52 +0100 Organization: the Last Stop Cafe Distribution: world Message-ID: References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> Reply-To: Shez NNTP-Posting-Host: xerez.demon.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: xerez.demon.co.uk:193.237.22.174 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 930241578 nnrp-03:2494 NO-IDENT xerez.demon.co.uk:193.237.22.174 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Newsreader: Turnpike (32) Trial Version 4.01 Lines: 26 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.icl.net!colt.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!xerez.demon.co.uk!news Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam of Bodrero Family writes: >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple >recommendations for a decent notebook. I think whoever recommended the narrow-ruled 320 page notebooks with the wipe-clean cover was spot-on, though I admit I've gone over to using a computer myself now (despite the lower resolution display and loss of a stylus-based vector graphics interface), as computers have a faster recalc time when working with complex figures. Notebooks are less susceptible to corrupt data from travel vibration and power loss, but they can suffer from water damage as much as with a computer, and they're quite slow to back up unless you have a loose- leaf one and a sheetfeeder on your photocopier. -Shez. -- ____________________________________________________________ "I can't decide whether to commit suicide or go bowling." -- Florence Henderson ____________________________________________________________ Take a break at the Last Stop Cafe at Address any email replies to Shez (email to "news" is rejected). PGP key online at Shez.asc [1359 6963 B720 A4D6 DBB4 B6C5 BC9E 5FE2 6B7B 37A5] (c)Shez asserts the moral rights of authorship under the Berne Convention ###### Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!usenet From: Neil Franklin Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 24 Jun 1999 23:53:15 +0200 Organization: My own Private Self Lines: 41 Sender: neil@chonsp.franklin.ch Message-ID: <6ug13hp8ok.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> <7ksk64$t7e$1@mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au> X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.3/Emacs 19.34 john@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au (John "West" McKenna) writes: > > "Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam" writes: > > >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple > >recommendations for a decent notebook. > > I'm sure you did. Your mistake was forgetting to post to the appropriate > newsgroup. Yes. comp.*.pc.* something would be right, perhaps with buying in the title. > alt.folklore.computers is NOT the place for discussions of ANY kind of > paper products. Let's stick to old computers, shall we? And only _old_ computers. The rule of fist seemds to be >10 years. 486 was end of 1989. So PCs are acceptable up to 386. If Melissa had been asking about the collectors value of an Acer 386 (IIRC they had that name then) she would have been on topic. ObAFC: IIRC Acer renamed itsself somewhere in the late 1980s. I have an bit set that the old name was tech. Also some vague remembrance that they were the makers of the MicroProfessor Z80 single board computers (had monitor ROM, cassette tape connector, keyboard and disply all on one board, MPF 1 was hex keys and 8*7seg disp, MPF 1+ was calculator key Querty and 20 char alpha disp). Anyone who can confirm or reject this? -- Neil Franklin, Nerd, Geek, Unix Wizzard and Guru, Hacker, Mystic neil@franklin.ch.remove http://neil.franklin.ch/ Computer: toy that speeds work, so you have more time to play with it ###### From: Jim Esler Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 17:21:41 -0500 Organization: udev.cdc.com Lines: 18 Message-ID: <3772AF75.343B@cdc.com> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> <7ksk64$t7e$1@mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: ip129179-91-141.a.cdc.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: ns1.cdc.com 930262895 19838 129.179.91.141 (24 Jun 1999 22:21:35 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@news.cdc.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 24 Jun 1999 22:21:35 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win95; U) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newspeer1.nac.net!newsfeed.concentric.net!news.winternet.com!news1.mr.net!news.cdc.com!not-for-mail John West McKenna wrote: > > "Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam" writes: > > >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple > >recommendations for a decent notebook. > > I'm sure you did. Your mistake was forgetting to post to the appropriate > newsgroup. > > alt.folklore.computers is NOT the place for discussions of ANY kind of > paper products. Let's stick to old computers, shall we? But the punch cards I used were paper, as was some of the tape. And no one complained about the threads about green striped fanfold paper. Those threads were on topic. -- Jim "all generalizations should be questioned" Esler ###### From: "Doctor Memory" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 01:40:04 -0400 Organization: FASTNET(r) Internet for everyone! Lines: 22 Message-ID: <7kv4sv$15i$1@news1.fast.net> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> <7ksk64$t7e$1@mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au> <6ug13hp8ok.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch> NNTP-Posting-Host: maxtnt09-abe-48.fast.net X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.fast.net!news.fast.net!not-for-mail Neil Franklin wrote in message <6ug13hp8ok.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch>... >If Melissa had been asking about the collectors value of an Acer 386 >(IIRC they had that name then) she would have been on topic. Hey, that reminds me -- in a previous life I used an old Grid laptop (a model with a 286, I believe). It had that absolute best pointing device I've ever used. It was a cylinder mounted just in front of the space bar. Roll it forward, the mouse went down, roll it back, the mouse went up. It also slid back and forth to move the mouse left and right. It was calibrated so that when it reached its limit of travel L/R, the pointer was at the edge of the screen. Incredibly intuitive and a lot faster (a LOT faster) than any of the other approaches I see used today. Anybody know why this technology never made it into general use? I'm guessing that Grid patented it, and they (or Tandy, who bought Grid IIRC) want outrageous amounts for licensing, but I'd personally pay a premium price for a laptop that had one. Anyone else remember these? ###### From: spamhater@ucesucks.nouce.com (Rich) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> Organization: Not really Reply-To: spamhater@ucesucks.nouce.com X-no-archive: yes Message-ID: User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.3 (UNIX) Lines: 22 Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 16:13:27 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.93.21.23 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rochester.rr.com X-Trace: newsr2.twcny.rr.com 930327207 24.93.21.23 (Fri, 25 Jun 1999 12:13:27 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 12:13:27 EDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.cwix.com!24.92.226.85!newsf1.twcny.rr.com!newsr2.twcny.rr.com.POSTED!spamhater On Wed, 23 Jun 1999 22:24:41 -0600, Odell, Pat, Bill, and Adam wrote: >Hey everybody. Didn't Melissa, as well as myself, just want some simple >recommendations for a decent notebook. > How should we know, if you apparently don't know yourself? >I do find the discussion of media interesting. But I am also interested in >more of your thoughts about who makes a quality notebook. And we gave some suggestions. What's the problem? >Don't want no flame, just some names. OK, how about "Clueless twit who doesn't know enough to post to an appropriate newsgroup", or "Hasn't any idea what 'folklore' means" I'm sure that we can come up with additional names, if you need them. - Rich ###### Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!usenet From: Neil Franklin Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: 26 Jun 1999 00:48:47 +0200 Organization: My own Private Self Lines: 37 Sender: neil@chonsp.franklin.ch Message-ID: <6uzp1nx5f4.fsf_-_@chonsp.franklin.ch> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> <7ksk64$t7e$1@mermaid.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au> <6ug13hp8ok.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch> <7kv4sv$15i$1@news1.fast.net> X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.3/Emacs 19.34 "Doctor Memory" writes: > > It had that absolute best pointing device > I've ever used. It was a cylinder mounted just in front of the space bar. > Roll it forward, the mouse went down, roll it back, the mouse went up. It > also slid back and forth to move the mouse left and right. It was The device was called an Isopoint. > faster) than any of the other approaches I see used today. Anybody know why > this technology never made it into general use? Mechanics = expensive. Only the cheapest survive in todays un-society. > I'm guessing that Grid > patented it, and they (or Tandy, who bought Grid IIRC) want outrageous > amounts for licensing, IIRC (fairly flakey this memory) it was not by them. But the original inventor may have made the same mistake. So the world went for trackballs (also have no range limit) and then those stupid pads. Actually the coolest notebook mouse replacement I ever saw was the pop out mouse on the first HP Omnibooks. Actually really usable, just grab and move, like an real mouse. Definitely an victim of failled licensing. Had the bad luck of them appearing 2 months after getting my LX100, so I could not afford one. -- Neil Franklin, Nerd, Geek, Unix Wizzard and Guru, Hacker, Mystic neil@franklin.ch.remove http://neil.franklin.ch/ Computer: toy that speeds work, so you have more time to play with it ###### From: bodrero@n1.net (Bill Bodrero) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 03:05:50 GMT Organization: inQuo Business Internet Services (800) 619-1650 Lines: 5 Distribution: world Message-ID: <1103_930366350@bodrero-1> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: electrum.n1.net X-Trace: news.inquo.net 930366440 26518 208.23.84.116 (26 Jun 1999 03:07:20 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@inquo.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 26 Jun 1999 03:07:20 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!xmission!inquo!not-for-mail I apologize for my question. I was not aware this group was dedicated to old computers only. I do want to ask another question. Is there no room for discussion of new computers and how they compare to our old favorites? Bill Bodrero ###### From: bodrero@n1.net (Bill Bodrero) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 03:05:57 GMT Organization: inQuo Business Internet Services (800) 619-1650 Lines: 5 Distribution: world Message-ID: <1104_930366357@bodrero-1> References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: electrum.n1.net X-Trace: news.inquo.net 930366470 27120 208.23.84.116 (26 Jun 1999 03:07:50 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@inquo.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 26 Jun 1999 03:07:50 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!xmission!vyzynz!inquo!not-for-mail I apologize for my question. I was not aware this group was dedicated to old computers only. I do want to ask another question. Is there no room for discussion of new computers and how they compare to our old favorites? Bill Bodrero ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Notebooks References: <7kj1f4$bu5$1@newton.pacific.net.sg> <3771B309.E9AABF06@n1.net> <1103_930366350@bodrero-1> Organization: Plethora . Net - More net, less spam! X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test70 (17 January 1999) From: seebs@plethora.net (Peter Seebach) Lines: 16 Message-ID: Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 05:44:13 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 205.166.146.8 X-Complaints-To: abuse@plethora.net X-Trace: ptah.visi.com 930375853 205.166.146.8 (Sat, 26 Jun 1999 00:44:13 CDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 00:44:13 CDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!hermes.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!chippy.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!ptah.visi.com!not-for-mail In article <1103_930366350@bodrero-1>, Bill Bodrero wrote: >I apologize for my question. I was not aware this group was dedicated >to old computers only. > >I do want to ask another question. Is there no room for discussion of >new computers and how they compare to our old favorites? Lots of it! Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with questions about new notebooks. -s -- Copyright 1999, All rights reserved. Peter Seebach / seebs@plethora.net C/Unix wizard, Pro-commerce radical, Spam fighter. Boycott Spamazon! Will work for interesting hardware. http://www.plethora.net/~seebs/ Visit my new ISP --- More Net, Less Spam!