Hi All!
At 14:15 8/07/97 +0800, Kryten wrote:
>The device that Billy Homer uses to operate his computer, do they exist in
>real life, and if so how do they work?
>One thing I've always wanted to know is how he gets it on if nobody is
>around to help.
They certainly exist, although I dont know how much I can tell you about how.
The type of system Billy used consists of both a tube in the mouth and a
program on the computer. I must admit I dont know whether the tube is for
blowing into, whether it has something running down the middle of it akin
to a joystick or what. I do know thaat at the other end of the system, a
program (according to Bill Moffat's novelisations of PG Billy used a program
called Headstart - and I see no reason why he wouldn't have found a real
brandname) puts a picture of a keyboard up on the screen, and this is used
to show what letter is currently selected for typing (again, I dont know if
the letters are reached by blowing, of using a mouse-like pointer).
If pressed, I might be able to get a bit more info for you all. My
internet provider is run by (among others) a couple of brothers with some
form of muscular problem (I think - given that I'm a human biologist I
should have got round to asking by now) which keeps them in electric
wheelchairs - and they both use some form of gadget. One of the brothers is
a mate of mine from uni, so next time I'm in paying a bill I'll grill him
about what he and his brother use. (Note: This could be a while as I've
still got about 50hours of access in credit).
Anyway, catch y'all later
Murray
***********************************************************
* Murray Head - muzza@omen.net.au (Please Reply Here) *
* Also mailing from - *
* muzza@tartarus.uwa.edu.au(Uni of Western Australia) *
* mhead@anhb.uwa.edu.au (Dept of Anatomy and Human Biol.)*
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