From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu May 25 2000 - 14:16:45 MDT
>From: hal@finney.org
>I try to envision shopping on my cell phone or wireless PDA, and it
>doesn't sound very attractive. Could this really take over a significant
>fraction of the purchases I make today? Presently I buy some things
>in stores, and some things online, but I don't very often find myself
>walking around and wanting to buy something online.
I see it as more than just shopping. It's all info, all the time. Want to
see how little Johnny is doing in his kindergarten class? Look into the
display screen on your wrist-watch/pager/cell phone. Watch through the
class web-cam. In the market for a new PC? Describe your ideal system and
in a few minutes receive a call on your cell phone with a list of vendors
assorted by (1) price or (2) how closely their systems match your ideal. To
buy the Dell, press 1.
You may not often have the urge now to shop while walking down the street.
But that's largely because right now, your choices are limited to basically
what's on sale at the store you happen to be passing. But if you could shop
for your new car while jogging at the park, why on Earth would you ever
drive to a car dealership? Hungry? That Cantonese restaurant across the
street looks inviting, but you've never been there. How about an instantly
accessible collection of reviews, along with a menu and price list?
To me, this whole wireless thing is just an incremental step to where we'll
all soon want to be. I want to have it all (the whole internet) *inside* my
head. I don't want to have to carry a cell phone or a clunky old Palm
Pilot, and certainly not a huge laptop.
Wireless is just the first baby step. How can that *not* be a cool thing?
-Zero
"I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past"
--Thomas Jefferson
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