(Comp.sys.handhelds)
Item: 317 by edp@jareth.enet.dec.com
Author: [Eric Postpischil]
  Date: Wed Apr 04 1990

You cannot fool me.  When I got the 28, it was apparent to me that all
the functions could not fit in that case.  Therefore, I knew the 28
did not in fact contain a processor and ROM.  Instead, it had a radio
transmitter which sent keystrokes to computers Hewlett-Packard had
planted around the world to do the actual computations.  The 48 may
have a bigger display and the I/O capabilities, but the only other
reason for its size is to fool naive people into believing it really
contains more than the 28. Undoubtedly your RAM and ROM plug-in cards
will contain nothing more than some authentication, so the central
computer can verify that the purchase has been made before it supports
the additional capabilities.

                    -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                    "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                    edp@jareth.enet.dec.com

[Note: Although Eric meant to be facetious, he is actually prophetic,
years ahead of his time.  The HP 95 will soon have bidirectional
"paging" abilities.  It won't be long before HP introduces the first
computer with most of its brains elsewhere. We used to dream of the
day when miniaturization would allow us to run a Cray in one's palm.
The day will soon arrive when we'll be able to, not due to
miniaturization, but by radio, as Eric says jokingly here.  The ideal
of total access of any information by anybody anywhere anytime will
soon be upon us.  Is our educational system ready?  Are *we*?  -jkh-]