Comments on: iCandy, Patented ! http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/ My opinions only. I do not represent any organization in this publication. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:03:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mike Linksvayer http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74254 Mike Linksvayer Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:48:40 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74254 "The general-purpose computing power must be good enough by the standards of the time to actually use for general-purpose computing work." I suspect that if web access isn't good enough for general purpose computing now, it will be in 2010. For most users general purpose computing amounts to web, email, im, office applications, games, and entertainment, all of which are on the web. I'm just not sure smartphones adequately powerful for web applications will be in the hands of 25% of the adult population of any jurisdiction > 5m people before 2010. .3 seems like a realistic probability of that occurring. “The general-purpose computing power must be good enough by the standards of the time to actually use for general-purpose computing work.”

I suspect that if web access isn’t good enough for general purpose computing now, it will be in 2010. For most users general purpose computing amounts to web, email, im, office applications, games, and entertainment, all of which are on the web.

I’m just not sure smartphones adequately powerful for web applications will be in the hands of 25% of the adult population of any jurisdiction > 5m people before 2010. .3 seems like a realistic probability of that occurring.

]]> By: Chris Hibbert http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74245 Chris Hibbert Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:55:15 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74245 The reason I'm betting against "Portable online by 2010" is the phrase "provides access to general-purpose computing" in the detailed claim description. The Judge's statement makes me think he reads that the same way I do: the ability to download plug-ins isn't enough if most people don't have programming tools at hand. I'm not sure whether access to a desktop spreadsheet would count, and I doubt that access to the current web counts as general-purpose computing. OneLaptopPerChild seems to be aiming to have a Python or Squeak environment available on every box, but Jobs has never acted as if this were one of his priorities. If it's OS X, but most users never get beyond browser and organizer functionality, they may not download a general-purpose computing app. The reason I’m betting against “Portable online by 2010″ is the phrase “provides access to general-purpose computing” in the detailed claim description. The Judge’s statement makes me think he reads that the same way I do: the ability to download plug-ins isn’t enough if most people don’t have programming tools at hand. I’m not sure whether access to a desktop spreadsheet would count, and I doubt that access to the current web counts as general-purpose computing. OneLaptopPerChild seems to be aiming to have a Python or Squeak environment available on every box, but Jobs has never acted as if this were one of his priorities. If it’s OS X, but most users never get beyond browser and organizer functionality, they may not download a general-purpose computing app.

]]> By: Mike Linksvayer http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74143 Mike Linksvayer Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:24:31 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74143 Paulo, the N800 looks cool, but it lacks cellular connectivity (without an external phone conntected via bluetooth anyway), making it a pretty niche product. Wi-Fi isn't that ubiquitous yet. Paulo, the N800 looks cool, but it lacks cellular connectivity (without an external phone conntected via bluetooth anyway), making it a pretty niche product. Wi-Fi isn’t that ubiquitous yet.

]]> By: Paulo Pires http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74077 Paulo Pires Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:26:16 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74077 Hi there. Couldn't agree more. My points are described on my blog where I even compare tech specs from Nokia N800 and the iPhone. Would like to read your opinion on that. Cheers, PP Hi there.

Couldn’t agree more. My points are described on my blog where I even compare tech specs from Nokia N800 and the iPhone. Would like to read your opinion on that.

Cheers,
PP

]]> By: Luis Villa’s Blog » misc. links before I go to my 8am class (ugh) http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74057 Luis Villa’s Blog » misc. links before I go to my 8am class (ugh) Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:46:56 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2007/01/09/icandy/#comment-74057 [...] Mike Linksvayer thinks that the iPhone isn’t revolutionary because it isn’t open. I think I disagree; revolutions can happen along any of multiple dimensions, and iPhone’s ease of use and advanced integration with the PC can be revolutionary, even if the closedness (patents, crappy Cingular-only network) are more of the Same Old Stuff. More on that later; but in a nutshell I feel like I’m working on a really, really nice horse and buggy right now, and Apple just released prototypes for a model T. [...] [...] Mike Linksvayer thinks that the iPhone isn’t revolutionary because it isn’t open. I think I disagree; revolutions can happen along any of multiple dimensions, and iPhone’s ease of use and advanced integration with the PC can be revolutionary, even if the closedness (patents, crappy Cingular-only network) are more of the Same Old Stuff. More on that later; but in a nutshell I feel like I’m working on a really, really nice horse and buggy right now, and Apple just released prototypes for a model T. [...]

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