Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lsuc!jimomura
From: jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura)
Subject: Portfolio, HP-95, M-100 &
Reply-To: jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura)
Organization: Consultant, Toronto
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 1991 15:27:10 GMT
Message-ID: <1991Jun9.152710.20556@lsuc.on.ca>


     Well, I've gone and done a very silly thing.  I've put down 2/3d
of the price for a Portfolio.  I came up a bit short this week so
I couldn't pay for it completely, but I'll pay the balance in a couple
of weeks and pick it up.

     But I think a few comments about why it was a "very silly" thing
to do might be worthwhile to help other people decide about these things.

     In our family, we have 2 Tandy Model-100 laptops.  We got them
early on when they first came out.  I personally bought a Sharp PC-1500
when it was relatively new and I bought, and still own a PC-5000 laptop.
I've had over a dozen computers over the years and I have 5 right now,
not counting the Portfolio, and we've had a wide array of calculators.
So I have a fairly good idea of what is "really useful" and what
is "sucker bait."

Cut to the Chase:

     Both the Portfolio and the HP-95LX are, for the most part, "sucker
bait."  Sorry guys, but if your read the ads and then think about
practical field usage, the conclusion is inescapable.  And the sales
trend of the Portfolio confirms it.  They are toys for people like me
who like to "play with technology."  If you want something practical
to get real work done, go elsewhere.

     Let's group the functions.  First there's the Calculator/Clock
function set (CC), and then the Calendar/Phonebook/Diary function
set (CPD) and then there's the WordProcessor/Spreadsheet function
set (WPS).  I've divided it up because there are distinct products
available on store shelves already for CC and CPD.  Rolodex in
particular has a CC unit which does not have a clock, so that it
can't fulfill the CC functions.  This was a strange move because
there are a number of CC/CPD capable products on the market by
Casio, Sharp and Texas Instruments.

     The CC/CPD products around are *very* functional.  I know
a lot of people who carry these around in their pockets and *use*
them.  Mainly they use the calculator function and the phone book.
The Calendar function isn't that useful for them.  Peole still
scribble notes on slips of paper rather than fight with the small
keyboards.  Also, for people like me, the basic clock functions
are very good.  I have a half dozen wrist watches and generally
don't wear any of them.  I keep my best watch in my pocket and
pull it out when I want to see the time.  I *hate* wearing
wrist watches.  But them main point is that the size is critical.
The first generation Casios were shirt-pocket size.  The latest
64K size ones are still pants-pocket/jacket-pocket size and
are just about the largest practical size for most people.

     The Portfolio and the 95LX are simple too big and too
*heavy*.  most people are simply not going to use them for this
function.  They'll get all their data on and then realize tht
they don't want to carry something that big.  What about keeping
it in your briefcase?  Sure, but then you have to stop and fish
it out of your briefcase.  And that's if you even have your briefcase
with you.  You take your briefcase to lunch with you?  I don't.
You've just had lunch and you want to check your schedule for
the afternoon and maybe make a phone call.  Sorry, the Portfolio/95LX
is in the briefcase sitting by your desk.  "I know, I'll call my
secretary and she can get it out of my briefcase and tell me
what's on the schedule!"  Uh, yeah.  Or better yet, I'll transfer
the data from my Portofolio/95LX to this Texas Instruments CC/CPD
thing to take with me to lunch!  Uh, yeah.

     Ok, well that leaves the WPS functions.  But for these
functions, the notebook computers from the Model-100 down to the
latest techno-flash things from Toshiba, Sharp and others (the
Atari even if you're not an MS-DOS thinker) are far more
practical.  For word processing, you really want all the screen
size you can get.  80 columns pretty much necessary for format
preview, though I'll give that up for the character font soze
of the Model-100 to some degree.  But more than that even, you
really need a good keyboard.  The idea that you're going to dink
around on those tiny arrow keys and edit a letter on an airplane
shows a person who doesn't know the value of time.  Better
to wait till you get a chance to set up a laptop where you can
*fly* through the work.  If you want to work on a plane, then
the notebook computer will at least sit on your knees (especially
if you're smart enough to stick some double sided tape on the
bottom of the computer) and you can get *real* work done.

     As for those little notes they show in the ads to your
secretary and such, well, a little sheet of paper is still more
practical.  Download it to her computer?  How 'bout just handing
her the note?

     As I said, the Portfolio sales are apparently dropping as
people realize that these are not really useful for much.  HP-95LX's
aren't any better.  The keyboard is closer to my Sharp PC-1500
which makes it even less practical than the Portfolio for WPS
functions.  The extra memory?  It's pretty worthless really.
It doesn't help the CC/CPD functions (64K is far more than enough
for most people).  I could not believe the comment by Andrews &
Reinhardt in May 1991's Byte Magazine.  They're big "insight" into
these machines was that the Portfolio's 128K RAM was "not enough
to run 1-2-3 ... ".  They seemed not to know that the Portfolio
comes with a 1-2-3 compatible spreadsheet in ROM.  I'm not on
BIX lately, but I'm sure somebody has pointed that out by now.
And the downside is that it drains batteries faster.

     So what am I going to do with my Portfolio when I get it?
Well, I'll probably use the CPD functions.  I know they're impractical
due to the size of the machine, but like most techno-addicts, I'll
push myself into using it -- for a while.  Eventually I'll give
up due to the lack of real utility of having the information on
yet another machine that I'm not going to take with me anywhere,
but it's the old "lemming-run" that we all go through.  After that
I'll program a couple of games on it.  I may even do some "useful"
applications for compiling race statistics for Radio Control car
racing (which is my favorite hobby).  Calculator use?  Nope.  I
have a good calculator which is smaller and "pocketable" and has
good functions programmed in with minimal keystrokes to use them.

     Actually, in the long run, I'll probably replace it with
one of the family's Model-100's and a Texas Instrument CC/CPD
product.  Now that would be *useful*!

     Anyway, now that I've embarrassed Atari and HP, let me say tht
there are some things that they could bring out that would probably
sell.  First, I'd like to have a Forth-like language.  Actually,
I've been thinking about this one for some time now.  What I want
is Forth with support for a single data register (long/word/byte
addressable).  I'd support Inc, Dec, Compare, Load, Stack, Clear,
Boolean tests and arithmatic functions for the register.  Forth
purists would probably scream, but the increased utility would
be worthwhile.  Secondly, or alternatively, an RPN (HP-like)
calculator card would be nice.

     Also, I haven't seen a Portfolio disassembled, but it would
have been interesting to have the keyboards interchangeable.  Consider
replacing the full keyboard with a "data entry" keyboard.  All it
would have would be the numerical keypad (& functions), the
function keys and the cursor control keys -- all *large size*
and well laid out.  That would make it a very good "on-the-site"
data entry tool, and coincidentally, make it a much better game
machine. . . . :-)
-- 
Jim Omura, 2A King George's Drive, Toronto, (416) 652-3880
lsuc!jimomura
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