Sunday, September 8, 2002
Wearable computing?
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "THOUGHT" @ 11:00 AM
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1134861
I've seen wearable computers before, well, if you call strapping on several boxes and enough cables to look like a Borg "wearing." Well, it seems that wearable computing is chic right now, like bluetooth was 2 years ago. "Global shipments of wearable computers, such as those carried on the belt or built into a piece of fabric, will grow by more than 50 per cent each year until 2006, according to a new report." If you increase the volume of wearable computers by 50% from 2001's volumes through 2006, I still doubt you'd have 5,000 in service.
"While the researchers expect WindowsCE/PocketPC and WindowsNT/2000 to be the most common operating systems for wearables, they indicated that shipments with Linux, Windows XP, Java J2ME, Palm and others would also see some increased demand from niche applications." Odd that NT/2K is given more future in wearable computing than XP. Odder still an OS with a fixed UI ratio requiring a square screen is considered.
I could see headless units or something with a 2-4 line LCD screen for use in a warehouse, or maybe something as futuristic as what Microvision is working on in their Wearable "augmented vision" displays that superimpose a transparent image over your field of vision. What do you see wearable computing good for? If it is just taking your PC with you, that is going to be a major flop. For the most part, it is going to have to be not only a new UI, but a new way of doing things, even new things to do not currently imaginable.
I've seen wearable computers before, well, if you call strapping on several boxes and enough cables to look like a Borg "wearing." Well, it seems that wearable computing is chic right now, like bluetooth was 2 years ago. "Global shipments of wearable computers, such as those carried on the belt or built into a piece of fabric, will grow by more than 50 per cent each year until 2006, according to a new report." If you increase the volume of wearable computers by 50% from 2001's volumes through 2006, I still doubt you'd have 5,000 in service.
"While the researchers expect WindowsCE/PocketPC and WindowsNT/2000 to be the most common operating systems for wearables, they indicated that shipments with Linux, Windows XP, Java J2ME, Palm and others would also see some increased demand from niche applications." Odd that NT/2K is given more future in wearable computing than XP. Odder still an OS with a fixed UI ratio requiring a square screen is considered.
I could see headless units or something with a 2-4 line LCD screen for use in a warehouse, or maybe something as futuristic as what Microvision is working on in their Wearable "augmented vision" displays that superimpose a transparent image over your field of vision. What do you see wearable computing good for? If it is just taking your PC with you, that is going to be a major flop. For the most part, it is going to have to be not only a new UI, but a new way of doing things, even new things to do not currently imaginable.
