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Technology Stocks : VALENCE TECHNOLOGY (VLNC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rich evans who wrote (14030)	8/30/1999 1:00:00 PM
From: Pallisard	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27311

Why not bypass the keyboard altogether and sell each machine with a little built in hand-operated generator similar to the old country phone setup?

To: rich evans who wrote (14030)	8/30/1999 1:14:00 PM
From: P. Ramamoorthy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27311

Keystrokes? May be 10 years ago, when the DOS-based programs required too many keystrokes. Keystrokes are getting replaced by mouse clicks, touch-screens and text-to-voice conversion programs, not to mention the new OSHA regulations regarding CTD (cumulative trauma disorder). Ram

To: rich evans who wrote (14030)	8/30/1999 3:21:00 PM
From: Bob Childers	Respond to of 27311

rich evans- Thanks for the interesting post. Sounds like this could power the expensive & heavy laptops of the future. Bob

To: rich evans who wrote (14030)	8/30/1999 4:59:00 PM
From: Rich Wolf	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 27311

The notion of generating current as one types is an interesting flight of fancy, but at least as it's now implemented, the extra weight (1 lb for a laptop that weighs 4-5 lbs, ideally) would not likely be acceptable. So I don't take it seriously. Now, if they could make it work without magnets, you'd lighten it up considerably. But you need to have a wire cutting through a magnetic field (or vice-versa) to generate the current, and the strength of the magnetic field is proportional to the size (and weight) of the magnet. Yet if you make the magnets too small, then you lose current generation capability. I'd guess that's why his prototype system (which weighs a pound) may not be able to be made smaller. I would also note that a major potential market for Valence's cells are handheld portable electronic devices that are sometimes generically referred to as 'information appliances.' Many of these will be pen-based (no keypads). Picture being able to walk around an office or factory holding a tablet with a large touch-screen, which has wireless access to other computers on the network. Then there are many combination devices such as phones that provide internet access, and hence may require more power than current cellphone designs. The portable computing, communication, and networking environments we are trending towards will require much more energy density than current batteries provide. And this is a fast-growing market. Valence is well-positioned to provide what is needed.