From: Peter Rothman <prothman@metatools.com>
Subject: Re: HUMAN-FACTORS: Immersion Studies
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 15:17:16 -0700
Message-ID: <325046EC.1B3C@metatools.com>
Organization: MetaTools, Inc.


Bob Jacobson wrote:
<...>
> As for applications for the masses:  why?  Let the masses wait.
> Until our infant industry can satisfy high-value applications
> -- i.e., business applications willing to pay a higher price
> for robust, reliable systems -- we certainly cannot afford to
> sell low-margin items.  We haven't crossed The Chasm yet.

The question is, in my mind, the following:

	Is virtual reality more like the telegraph or the telephone?

While both of these technologies accomplish similar purposes, and both
have had tremendous cultural/social/historical importance, only one
(the telephone) has broadly affected the way millions of people live
their everyday lives.  No, there never was a "personal telegraph"
although technologically speaking there could have been one.  The
reasons for the failure of the telegraph to colonize people's lives in
the same way as the telephone (98% of American homes have telephones)
have little to do with the technical feasibility of a universal
telegraph system, but rather the desirability of the alternatives.

Is VR destined to follow the path of the telegraph or the telephone?
Its up to us (the readers of this news group, members of the VR
community and industry) to decide.  Hard to use, expensive,
specialty/vertical market systems lead us towards the
telegraph...consumer oriented, "plug and play", transparent, and
highly compelling experiences towards the telephone.

Which way are you heading?


Peter

prothman@metatools.com
Director of R&D, MetaTools, Inc.