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Technology Stocks : PC Sector Round Table -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gottfried who wrote (861)	9/12/1998 2:07:00 PM
From: Mark Oliver	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 2025

So many things left to do before we get the truly ubiqitous mobile information system. Bandwidth, user interface, payment solutions for commerce, databases that can handle new information formats, security, low cost powerful devices. Bandwidth will need to come from wireless solutions. Cellphone PCS systems have possibility, but other formats such as VSAT, LMDS/MMDS also hold great promise. DWDM has advanced land based systems to the point where backbone bottle necks become a thing of the past. Optical routing will bring this bottle neck down to the ISP level, which will again become a great focus. User interface. Unless you plan to type with tooth picks, today's interface must change. GUI, Graphic User Interface will have to adopt a VUI, or Voice User Interface to make these devices work, perhaps with a couple of mouse like features. Then you get into the whole business of talking to computers and them talking back, which includes the great task of building a method of understanding between the two. But no matter how you cut it, we need visual interfaces to consume information more effeciently. Will it be holograms, direct retinal input, heads up displays? Payments. The idea of using all of Yogi's Hippie Dream shared information is not bad, but it's got to be paid for somehow to keep the quality and value. There you get the idea of micro debits. We need a way to pay one cent, or a fraction of a cent to do a look up, or see a page from a car manual to repair a part. Currently, formats for paying work only for purchases over a couple dollars. Companies like Broadcast.com have some interesting offers, but it only a start. New Databases. Object oriented relational database was a buzz that gave Informix a good run before it became clear their business plan wasn't working. Oracle, IBM and others also have object oriented plans to make video, audio and 3d formats available in the near future. Imagine how it would be to dynamically search a parts manual which included all GM cars ever built and then make a repair and even run computer to auto computer diagnostics. Tele-learning will develop a whole new form of education. Maybe what we learn will changeas much of the vaste reference learning do won't be necessary any longer. Security. Yes we will always have to maintain privacy, and protect assets. Big Brother is watching and Little Brother is stealing your pocket change. My feeling on security is I am like a caribou in a herd of 10,000. Even though the wolves are there, I hide in the masses. I guess I worry most about Big Brother. Low cost powerful devices and networks. This idea that MPU's and memory are becoming so cheap and advancing so fast puts component suppliers at a crisis, but the benefits to society will be great. One can say the growth of earnings which have been driving the market are totally a product of technology. All those integrated MRP and accounting systems are paying off in spades now. Inventory turns are happening in weeks instead of years. Manpower effeciency is huge. Perhaps we will have an education revolution next? All forms of communications are looking at air time as a commodity. They need to keep boosting usage to lower cost. Companies like Qwest are busting the hold of backbone providers like Koreans making DRAM. Cell phones and pagers are common place and vendors have stores on every corner. Soon, people will have only cell phones and give up their land phones? The land phones will become gateways to greater information networking. Yes, it's like waiting for a 1000 Mhtz PIV before waiting to upgrade. I can see it all coming, but when to make the dips and pays the fees to get there. Sure the wires that come with this new phone are not fun. I'm more worried about airtime usage fees. In the end, I don't need it enough to afford it yet. I still don't have a cell phone. For fun, I signed up for Portico. It's not perfect, but it's only been available for 6 weeks. Using this system, or at least reading about it can give you some ideas about a VUI and how a cell phone could be a greater information tool today. generalmagic.com Well, I guess it's time to play with the kids. Hope the wind on the Bay blows you where you want to go. Hope I wasn't too windy. Regards, Mark