Re: Mission Statement

[Robert Hopcroft <hopcroft@uswest.net>]

Just some thoughts. For me learning is learning. One learns by doing and one
builds on what they know. Granted children are growing, their bodies and brains
are still developing. Children need to be taught coordination skills etc. However
the computer is changing the way we do things and this change is accelerating. We
are looking at the convergence of all digital information systems. This is why I
find Promath so interesting and exciting. It is a prototype for an information
delivery system. Next some background for my views.

The computer will be free. The cost for a basic computer is now so low, they are
being given away. Sign up with some ISP's for 3 years and they will give you the
computer. These computers are internet or intranet ready with the ability to run
word processing etc. Perfect for the classroom and the content delivery system.
Today, box with Linux  $199, with monitor $299. Prices are in a free-fall.
Tomorrow, the CPU, memory, video and sound will all be on a single chip. The
price will be negligible. For some background see
http://www.tomshardware.com/blurb/ife99-01.html. The Somy PlayStation2 is
mentioned as a gaming solution. However I see it as a LearningStation. The specs
are awesome. The CPU is not 32 bit, not 64 bit, but 128 bits capable of 6.2
GFLOPS. It has a memory bandwidth of 3.2 GB/sec and a graphics bandwidth of 48
GB/sec. The price is expected to be similar to the current Playstation which is
around $125.

Finally we need to look to the future not the present or we will be left out.
Currently most everything is falling to Linux. The next Amiga will use Linux. SGI
is going with Linux rather than IRIX for the Intel IA-64. Motorola is talking
with Caldera for Linux on its various chips. Sony is using Linux for the
development platform for its PlayStation2. Not only will the current hardware
soon be history, but the current application software as well. This is why we
need to grasp the future and be the ones creating the next wave of programs.
There, now you have something to think about.

Bob