Tablet PC’s
When a version of TABLET is finally marketed it will be truly portable, a lightweight and self-contained machine (approximately 12″ x 18″ in the open position) with built-in computing, video, two-way audio and data communication capability. The high definition screen will be touch sensitive, serving as either a keyboard or a graphics digitizing pad as needed, and able to be drawn on directly using the attached stylus and built-in drafting tool. In turn the computer will be capable of taking sketched input and screening it in any format from a direct copy of the rough sketch through a series of progressively more exact modes into the thinnest and most precise of computer-aided-drafted lines. The light-pen like stylus will emulate any tool from 6B sketching pencil to charcoal or pastel stick to spray can to paint or air brush to eraser by a mere click of a button. Most likely the screen will also be able to emulate the visual effects of any of these tools on any drawing surface from smoothest Mylar to roughest water color paper, in any color. Thus TABLET and its stylus, dubbed PENCIL, will replace an entire toolbox full of sketching and drafting implements in the service of architectural design. It will not replace those tools when the intention is drawing or painting for the pure pleasure of engaging in those arts, but then it too will probably stimulate development of new forms of “electronic” fine arts.
Every student attending a University will have a TABLET for their own full-time use, each with its own integral “homing device” to make theft or loss unlikely. In addition each department will be able to provide for its students a credit card sized disk on which will be encoded copies of every text, every reference and every software pro¬gram (with tutorials) that the student will be expected to master over the course of their academic careers, all of it individually and cumulatively indexed for rapid access. It is likely such disks will be modified, up-dated, and traded like baseball cards at a dizzying rate.
Without doubt TABLET will be able to engage in two-way communication with data networks and with other computers, including the campus mainframe and the year 2000 version of today’s Cray super computers when serious data manipulation is needed. Students, and faculty, will be able to work in the comfort of a residence, a local campus hangout, or a park bench.
Two other specialized pieces of equipment, which we are calling PORTFOLIO and DIGIT-VISION will be described later in this paper.
Having described the tools, how then might they be used? (Read the Scenarios)