Yolanda wrote:
>The home computer is in a utility closet, much like the furnace, the
>electricals and the telephone switches.
No problem.
>It's big, really big. Can do all kinds of remarkable things really fast.
>All over the house are touch screens, speakers and mikes. In a few spots
>accompanied by keyboards and mice, you know, the spot where you pay bills,
>or do your writing.
No other computers? In my vision I always see slower (486/Pentiums)
scatered in appropiate places with flat screens connected to them. Of
course they are all connected to the server.
>The technician installs and configures it when you move in, setting it up
>for the appliances and number of inhabitants, getting you to read off a few
>paragraphs each and setting it to recognize your family's speech manners.
Hmm... But I assumed I would install mine, oh I'm the technican, now I get
it ;)
>He configures it to know your schedules and your names and your age and
>status in the household, who's got what security rating, etc. Plugs
>everything in, etc.
Schedules should be taught by the computer as he learns them. (we might
change them later and don't want to pay 40$ just for that).
>Now, you just walk around, address the thing when you want something "SAM,
>fire up the coffee machine, would you?" "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that
>command" "SAM, make coffee" "Coffee being made" and with that the brewer
>opens up the hopper, runs a set portion of beans through the grinder, into
>the filter, etc. It's got plumbing installed.
No, she (computers in movies are often refered to as female) responds "Caf�
is beeing set-up. Customors should arrive pretty soon."
(You didn't specify who made this, but that's what will happen if M$ does it).
>"Excuse me, but the coffee beans are running low, should I order more?"
>followed by a note on all the monitors.
>"SAM, grocery list, order ..... from .... store for delivery tomorrow at
>9am" "Order being done"
But she can learn that you always would like new beans.
>You see, computers are going to get more and more intuitive, and they have
>to. It's expected.
That part I never understood, but it would be cool.
>What we are using now is like a Model T compared to what it could be in
>fifty years.
Or only in 10 years.
>It's all a question of $$ and who wants to fund the research by buying
>overpriced gadgets like that new robopup the Japanese have just released
>for sale.
>It only does a few silly things, like chase a ball, sit, wag, stretch, cock
>it's head when it hears it's name, etc. But it's the shape of things to
come.
>If it can chase a ball, it could pick up all your toys and put them away.
Hey, I would like robots to clean my room (could sure use a good cleaning).
Electrolux did one (or actually two<g>) but they never got the dust in the
corners removed. (They where round so they wouldn't smash to hard into
things).
>In fact, one of the lego developers has a lego robot that sorts and cleans
>up his lego blocks according to size and color, from the floor.
Picking up Lego? Noway! I never did that (or I did once, after around 7
years) would kids like that? I don't think so.
>These robots can be coordinated via infrared or radio to a main house
>computer that you bring in a qualified service technician to mess with.
>same as you hire someone when the radio, the television, the electrical,
>the furnace, etc. need service. I can change my spark plugs, or my furnace
>filter, but it's because I'm too cheap/poor to do as my neighbors do and
>hire a trained person to do it for me.
>Say what you will about the laziness of people who don't want to learn
>these things, but they'll keep us in business servicing their toys! Don't
>look the gift horse in the mouth, just sell it more fancies.
I would like to get myself a R2 droid, 7000$ for a model, I wonder what it
would cost if it could stroll around on it's own (on flat surface) and make
a few sounds.
//Bernie
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