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Letters
To The Editor
One of the best people I know on the mysteries of User Interface Design is Jared Spool. I’ve attended several of his multi-day seminars and particularly enjoyed his witty reports on the myths of what users do and what he actually finds in his research. Jared read the article on IM and approached the topic from a different angle.
Amy, I've been reading your newsletter with
interest and particularly your conversations with Rich Stillman. We've been doing some research over the years, particularly watching how people communicate in business settings. We're now seeing IM be introduced in settings as a
business tool and the interactions are very interesting. As Rich states, the conversations are
different than emails. While there are 'email conversations', like
the one you describe, where a message volleys between two users,
email lends itself to more verbose structures. IM, on the other hand, is really an
abbreviated conversation. It The best analogy we have for IM in the
office is more of having a Often, they are quick questions like
"Where is the file containing the Simpson quote?" or
"Could you review the Batchelder case for me?" We see people making jokes and sending
URLs to amuse each other. We see lots of 'off topic' conversations
about sports, movies, and TV. It's very similar to the banter
people have when they are in the same place over a long period of
time, such as sharing an office or riding in a taxi. We're also seeing it used as a
communication mode when talking is inconvenient. A common usage is for a
secretary/admin to deliver an important message during a phone
call, such as "Your son is on line 3. He has a question about
his homework. How much longer should I tell him you going to
be?" or "We're ordering lunch from the 99s. You want the
steak tips?" One might say that these are not the
elements of a killer app. After all, they are fairly off-the-cuff
and inconsequential questions and comments. It seems that a significant difference
in people's perceptions of the different mediums is that of
immediacy. Asking someone what they want for lunch using email
only works if you can be assured that they'll see the message
before lunch is ordered. After that point, the validity of the
question has expired. IM seems more suited to that type of
question than email and users gravitate to it. It's an interesting topic that deserves
far more rigorous research than our folks have given it, but I
think there really is something to having IM in a business
environment. Jared M. Spool
Jared, this is a very interesting and
thoughtful explanation of how IM is used differently than Email in
a business setting and, more to the point, why. I think your comment “These are not
the elements of a killer app,” is key.
I think IM will come in as an incremental application much
as email could come in incrementally to the spread of local area
networks (but it was almost impossible to get many organizations
to justify installing networks for the purpose of implementing
email). I suspect we
will see it being added to wired and wireless networks that are
already in place and, of course, being increasingly useful (as was
the case for email) as its coverage grows. Amy
Our prolific correspondent Rich Stillman
is at it again! It turns out he, like me, has been trying out small-sized
computers for a long time and we shared some of our experiences.
If you’d like a walk down memory lane, you may enjoy
this.
Amy, You do seem to be hitting all my hot
buttons at once. Pocket computing, or clamshell form factor as you
put it, has been an interest of mine since I got my Poquet PC back
around 1990. I'd been moving to progressively smaller computers,
from the old Osborne 1 through various sewing-machine sized
Compaqs and IBMs to laptops. I was using my first battery-powered
laptop, a Zenith Z183, when I ran across the Poqet. The form
factor fascinated me. The touch-type-capable keyboard and the
DOS applications suite (I used AlphaWorks) made it almost as
functional as a laptop, while the size made it practical to use on
airplanes. The instant-on and instant-suspend features meant I
wouldn't lose my work through the interruptions of a business day,
and the 20 hour battery life - on standard AAs, no less - inspired
confidence that I could get through more than one day without
running for a power outlet. The Poqet became my constant companion
at trade shows and business meetings. It was interesting to watch the
technology around me. When I first got the Poqet, I'd sit down at
a presentation and take it out to use for note-taking. Everyone
around me would take notes on a yellow pad. A couple of years
later, when laptops began to rise in popularity, I'd turn on the
Poqet and about a quarter of the audience would boot their laptops
to take notes. A couple of years after that, when the Poqet was
near the end of its useful life, I'd take it out and watch
everyone around me ready their yellow pads once again. That's not to say that I think there's
anything wrong with laptops - my primary computer is a Dell
Inspiron 8000, and I still think portability is a prerequisite for
any truly usable personal computer. But the smaller form factor of
a clamshell gives as much usability as it takes away, especially
when the package includes instant-on, a seamless interface with a
PC, and battery life long enough for at least a day's hard use,
and most especially when it's small enough to carry all the time -
which the Poqet, unfortunately, wasn't. That combination of design
factors results in a class of machines that fit usefully between
laptops, which are full-function but too big to keep with you, and
PDAs, which can be carried easily but are very limited in their
keyboards and screens and in the range of applications they can
run. The clamshell I've come to love is the
now-discontinued Psion Series 5mx. A reasonable keyboard,
excellent applications suite, almost crash-proof OS, 20+ hours
battery life on AAs, an adequate (though barely) screen,
instant-on, great PC connectivity and usable Internet connectivity
in a package that actually does fit in a pants pocket. I don't
know what I'm going to do when it breaks, other than hunt around
eBay for another one to replace it. It's a matter of having the right tool
for the right job, at the right price. Thanks to the Poqet and
Psion, both of which cost under $500, I haven't had to open a
laptop on an airplane since the end of the 1980s, and I've spent a
great deal less time transcribing handwritten notes than I would
have. The biggest downside? You wouldn't want to have to read my
handwriting these days. Rich
Rich, we must really have crossed paths
in some former life. I
have a Poquet and a Psion in my office, on my formerly used small
objects shelf. I was a consultant to Poquet in their
ill-fated attempts to understand an early market.
I helped them redesign the keyboard (among other things). I think I've used just about every small
object that has ever breathed. I've got numerous Newtons, an Envoy
(remember that?), HP's of every description, and so on. I agree with you that there's room in
the market for something in between a PDA and a laptop -- I just
saw a whole bunch of candidates at Transmeta's reception.
I have friends (mainly reporters or travelers) who are
deeply attached to this form factor, too.
I helped one of them track one of those Jornado half-size
laptops down on e-Bay last year. To tell you the truth, I always end up
with a laptop (which I only take when I know I'm going to use it),
a yellow pad, and a PDA. But I remain hopeful. I'm currently using a Vaio (not the very
small one) and it's still more of a laptop than a small object,
but it comes close. Maybe
what I want doesn't exist? Amy
Hi Amy, I have a similar shelf, with a Libretto,
an LG Phenom, an original Compaq WinCE and others. But my primary
handhelds have been Psions - a 3a, a 3c (still in use as my
kitchen timer) and a couple of 5s. The Psions have been my main
machines since I retired the Poqet.
Comments or Questions: Send Email to
opinions@wohl.com
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