Msg: 6724 *Conference*

08-01-96 18:16:15

From: THOMAS MCKEAN

To : ALL

Subj: RICK'S LITTLE PACKAGE

Well...

  I don't know what to say.  Mind you, I think maybe that I 
*would* know what to say...  If only I knew what it was!  :)

  For those waiting to know what Rick's little "package" was,  best I can
describe it is...well, it is definitely an orphan  computer, no doubt about
that.  It says it is a "WorkSlate Model  WK-100."  Ring any bells?

  It is a little laptop thing with a keyboard that has round keys  which, quite
frankly, leave much to be desired.  The monitor,  such as it is, I have not
quite figured out yet, but I would say  it is superior to the Model 100
monitor.  So it all evens out.   It has a very nice (and what seems to be very
reliable)  microcassette storage drive instead of a disk drive.  Definitely  
Orphan.

  The most annoying thing (in fact, the *only* annoying thing)  about this
machine is that for all the documentation Rick sent  with it, he sent me no
documentation whatsoever.  There are tons  of little "microcassette programs,"
all geared toward business  and travel (with the possible exception of a
terminal program)  and all of them have docs.  The main unit, however, has NO
docs  at all.  I find this to be mildly discouraging, yet also a  challenge.
With no docs, I have to figure it out by myself.   This I can do, but unless
Rick can find the main owner's manual  laying around somewhere, I will always
wonder what neato features  this thing has that I haven't found.

  So far the neatest thing I have found (in the short time I have  been playing
with it) is that it seems to have a voice phone  built into it.  This phone is
built into the main computer  itself.  So you talk to your computer (well, talk
to the numeric  keypad, anyway) and you listen to your computer.  And you carry
on a conversation that way, dialing by way of the numeric keypad.   The
operating system is copyright 1983, making me wonder why ALL  laptops don't
incorporate this voice phone techology into them.

  I am thrilled to have this.  There can be no doubt that  whatever this is, it
is as orphan as they come and the more  orphan, the more I like it.  But there
is still so much I want to  know about it.  Like how much memory does it have?
(Looking at  it, I would have to guess 8 to 16k, if that.)  How do you create  
your own programs?  IS there even a way to write your own  programs?  Is there
a way to do graphics?  Sound seems possible  with the phone built in, how would
I access that feature?  With  the micro cassette drive, would it be possible to
save the audio  phone coversations to tape as they are being carried out?  I  
notice there is a terminal built into the unit as well.  So far I  have only
been able to access the speakerphone.  I haven't got  the terminal up and
running yet.  When (if?) I do, I will call  here on it as a test.

  It has a calculator, a calendar (with a fairly loud alarm.   Would it go off
if the unit were turned off?  Gotta see!), it has  a word processor (which I
*hope* would write straight ASCII  files.  If so, how big can the files be and
how do I transfer  them to another system?), and a spreadsheet similar to
VisiCalc  or LOTUS 123, and a telephone directory, among many other things  I
am sure I haven't found.  And, as I said before, lots and lots  and lots of
business (and travel) software.  I may have to look  the travel software over,
what with all the travels I do.

  This unit also looks to be like it is in "brand new" condition.   I like
that.  :)  I was afraid I would have to go hunting for AA  batteries.  Then I
opened up the battery compartment and there  was a Ni-CAD.  Kewl!  I keep
getting periodic messages on the  screen about replacing the back up batteries.
This is of course  to be expected.

  Thank you for mailing this to me, Rick.  All I can ask now is  that you look
for the owner's manual to the main unit.  If you  find it, I will be a very
happy Thomas!  If not, I will pursue  (for a limited time) trying to find one
on my own.  If I can't, I  will let it go and surely enjoy what I have.

                                                    stc

P.S.  There is a special key on the unit marked "Do It."  I keep pushing this
button and waiting for a really cute girl to appear before me to fulfill my
every command (including "Doing It"), but so far nothing.  Maybe this key is
defective?  *Blink*