Room-With-A-View(sm):Next-Next Generation Workstations

[Gerry Mckiernan]

                  Room-With-A-View(sm):
           Next-Next Generation Workstations

    I recently was asked by a colleague to consider the
benefit of purchasing a Pentium II-powered computer.
I investigated the current technology and learned that
a 333 MHz model had just recently become available and
suggested that instead of considering the purchase
of a 233 MHz model that serious consideration be given
to purchasing the 333 MHz unit. Flippantly, I added that
while the cost was less, by the time the 233 MHz unit
was ordered and delivered, it would be yesterday's technology.
I noted that it was important to anticipate potentially
new needs and applications, notably the increased availability
of audio and full-motion video, among other formats, for
formal and informal instructional programs.

   This weekend while reviewing literature on Virtual
Environments as it relates to the development of two
new sense-based information navigation clearinghouses
_The Next WAVe(sm)_ for Auditory Browsing in Web and non-Web
databases (http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Wave.htm)
and _The Magic Touch_ for haptic/tactile information
navigation that is currently in development, I recalled
an article that appeared in the _New York Times_ recently
that reviewed the sale of one of the original Virtual
Reality companies, VPL,and its patent portfolio. In
the NYT article mention was made of the activities of
Jaron Lanier, the company's founder and VR visionary
of his current involvement in the National Tele-Immersion
Initiative, a program that was not known to me.
 BTW: The cite for the NYTimes article is:

        Ditlea, Steve
         "False Starts Aside, Virtual Reality Finds
        New Roles", New Yorl Times, March 23, 1998
        B3

  Lanier is currently the lead scientist for the National
Tele-Immersion Initiative (NTII). Access to the NTII
homepage is available from Lanier's Webpage:

        http://www.well.com/user/jaron/

  From the NTII homepage, one finds a description and
illustration of Telecubicles, the physical office (?)
that will be used with in a test of the NTII.
[http://www.advanced.org/tele-immersion/cubenet.html]
[http://www.advanced.org/tele-immersion/board/cubelabel.html]

    In learning about the Telcubicle for the NII
it occurred to me that my own thinking about sensory
information systems that I have developed/am developing
has been confined to conventional PC/Unix/MAC, etc.
configurations;that I too was thinking _only_ about
sensory-based information navigation (SIN) [:->]
in the context of current _desk-top_ systems. With
some usual day-dreaming it has occured to me that
we will need to/have to replace our current _desk-top_
mentality for accessing information not only with
other alternative SIN presentations, but with alternative
hardware configurations, furniture and architecture.
Until now for the most part we all have continued to
operate within the Desk-Top frame of mind, which itself
is/has been a _metaphor_ of our well-established Office
and Organizational Mentality! [Office 97, anyone? [:->]

   Semi-immersive systems such as Telecubicle and the
the ImmersaDesk (http://www.evl.uic.edu/pape/CAVE/idesk/)
[Yes, I admit it these are also extensions of Desk-Top
thinking when you think about it] as well as immersive
systems such as CAVE [http://www.evl.uic.edu/pape/CAVE/]
and other complete Virtual Environments may serve as
models for the Next-Next Generation Workstation, not
only for the Office-of-the Future but for the Library-
of-the Future as well, allowing users to fully navigate
Information with all their senses [Yes, there is indeed
research that involves olfactory interfaces!]

   I am greatly interested in receiving reactions to my
observations as well as information about any operational
or R&D efforts that seek to establish semi-immersive
or immersive systems as environmental interfaces to Web
and non-Web databases. I am particularly interested (and
would be overwhelmed) to learn about any local or
commercial efforts that are considering the use of
such immersive technologies as workstations within
the library environment . I will plan to profile
these efforts in a new clearinghouse [Oh No, not
_another_ clearinghouse] to be called _Room-With-A-View(sm)
It will be established at

     http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Room.htm

[BTW:The 'Internet Foyer" that is profiled in my _Big Picture(sm)_
site has potential here]

  As always, Any and All Suggestions, Comments, Questions,
Queries or Critiques are most welcome!

  Regards,

Gerry McKiernan
Curator, CyberStacks(sm)
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/

       We Are Only Limited by the Limits of Our Imagination