From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Sat Dec 16 2000 - 13:43:47 MST
Spike Jones <spike66@attglobal.net> writes:
> > Anders Sandberg wrote: On the
> > fourth hand more virtual communications *may* lessen the need for
> > physical transports - but then again, remember the "paperless office".
>
> Anders, your reference is to the fact that we use a lot *more* dead
> trees after desktop computers and electronic communication? Now
> at long last, the paper usage in big companies *finally* begins to drop.
> Reason: the key technology wasnt electronic communication, the
> key "technology" was getting rid of filing cabinets. {8^D spike
The drop doesn't seem to be that quick, and as Greg pointed out paper
is still very competitive towards PDF files on notebooks and similar
software/hardware. But I think you have pointed out something
important here: decreasing paper usage, as well as power needs, are
dependent on cultural innovations. As long as it is cheap, acceptable
and practical to waste power and it is tied to various institutions
and habits, it will remain even if low-power technology is around.
Michael's point about the PDAs suggest that *new* applications - like
those voice recognition cufflinks - might actually start out in the
low power region, while old devices (even if the internals are hitech)
will not be as strongly forced. So we might be sitting there with
smart PDAs, cufflinks and wireless light buttons, but our desktop
computers need liquid nitrogen for cooling :-)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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