From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 94 17:37:16 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: McCoy is Right! New Mail Format to Start Now.
Message-ID: <199412160136.UAA11193@intercon.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> But this isn't 15 years ago, and I daresay there isn't a _single_
> subscriber to the Cypherpunks list using a VIC-20 or anything remotely
> similar. Of the 600 or so subscribers, and certainly of the 100-200
> involved posters, I would bet that essentially all of them can display
> ASCII text on an 80-column screen.

... when they're at their desk.  There has been an explosion, however, of
non-80-column-capable devices on which people want to read their email.
Alphanumeric pagers, Handheld PDAs, palmtop computers, etc.  Give me a radio
modem with reasonable service coverage, and I'd want to read at least some
kinds of mail on my Newton (about 32-48 characters across the display).
In fact, the ability to display graphics is becoming universal in areas
where 80 columns have been tossed aside.

Very few people use actual terminals any more.  I'd be amazed if any more
than 5-10% of the readership of this group (and the Internet at large)
were using anything but a graphics display, even if it's emulating a VT100.

I should stop now, though.  I feel the urge to bring up Hollerith cards
and keypunches again :).


Amanda Walker
InterCon Systems Corporation