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News and commentary from the cross-platform scripting community.
cactus Mail Starting 9/14/97

From: cpr@emsoftware.com (Chris Ryland);
Sent at 9/15/97; 2:11:17 PM;
web-based scanners

Well, HP has announced an Ethernet-based scanner (I assume it speaks IP and IPX), though it doesn't have an HTTP-server-style UI.

From: eric.kidd@pobox.com (Eric Kidd);
Sent at 9/15/97; 1:21:46 PM;
Re:Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers

For under ten thousand dollars, several vendors provide a portable real-time kernel, a TCP/IP stack and a web server, complete with source code. Savvy shoppers don't even need to pay a per-copy runtime license.

Intelligent network devices can be configured using HTML forms, and documentation can be stored in the device's ROM as compressed HTML. This eliminates the need for client applications and huge printed manuals.

A sample vendor is http://www.atinucleus.com/. I have briefly used their products, but have no other relation to them.

From: raster@execpc.com (rasterboy);
Sent at 9/15/97; 7:31:39 AM;
Re:Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers

Scanners can be complex beasts. When you want to scan something, you usually need to know the resolution, color depth, and size, as well as things like the sharpness, and if the original needs to be descreened. You'll also want to crop in on the area you want scanned... It would be nice to just 'put something in' and have it scanned. Sort of like a PaperPort, but even those have a number of settings. We have a color copier/printer that allows you to place something on the glass and scan it from your Mac anywhere on the network. It uses a Photoshop plug-in. It's neat!

From: postmaster@meyerjohnson.com (Mark Camp);
Sent at 9/14/97; 6:45:49 PM;
You're on the right track with "Fractional Horsepower"

I thing you're on the right track with the "Fractional Horsepower" article. I attended a conference in San Jose a few weeks ago to learn more about O'Reilly's WebSite Pro web server. Bob Denny (www.alisa.com) is the leader of the development team, and the original creator of the server.

His view, shared by most at the conference, is that the http server will become part of not only peripherals such as scanners, but also appliances, "internet devices" and even individual chips. Once you have simple scripts set up to query these servers and display or input their responses, you have an workable automated information gathering system. Of course your scanner would not be an automated process, but you use the same techniques.

The next step is to make http servers simpler to set up, or embed them in the hardware.

From: michael-dalessandro@uiowa.edu (Michael P. D'Alessandro, M.D.);
Sent at 9/14/97; 4:01:27 PM;
Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers

I have been thinking about this same idea for awhile. Last Thursday, I stumbled across http://www.thiin.com/ -- Data General (remember them!) just announced its first generation thin web server product. Some really neat ideas and products on this site. Data General is putting this idea into production.

Did you ever read "Soul of a New Machine" by Tracey Kidder? That book's protagonist, Tom West, is the overseer of this Thiin project.

From: steve@woz.org (Steve Wozniak);
Sent at 9/14/97; 2:25:58 PM;
Re:Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers

There is a company that makes these "ready to go over TCP" products, with built-in http admin and access software. I have a few "Cams" from the company, called "Axis Eye" or something. But they make printers and maybe even a scanner. A bit more expensive but less expensive considering maintenance.

I don't want to be reminded of the scuzziest word in computers. I never got satisfied with it. I'm sure that SCSI chased me to PowerBooks, and now to the ones with IDE drives and built-in CD Rom Drive.

Steve Jobs' vision is in the exact direction that you would like. All the administration of your computer should be done by others. Although Steve hasn't spoken of hardware (like scanners) to me personally, his thinking (and my own) would lead to this fi nal approach. Buy a printer and give it an IP address and it's online. Buy a cam and give it an IP and it's online, with it's own web page server and ftp for access (and passwords for secure administration over the web). Same for scanners and CD Rom Drive s and more. No software to install or run on your own computer. Even the Apple LaserWriter, called "plug'n'play" could be more plug'n'play if it's driver was built in. We even briefly saw this with PROMs and EROMS on very early Apple II printer (and other ) cards.

These preinstalled devices, like the scanner, would make for a nice world. Kind'a like driving your car nowdays. One that Larry Ellison's mother, and even mine, could use a computer in.

The quickest, and at first least expensive, solutions are where the user has to do a lot just to use them. We learn to maintain the equipment without thinking about the steps and stop saying that it's more complicated than it should have been. We even opp ose attempts to make it easier because they threaten our own experienced value in the world. Someone who has learned how to keep a network of PCs running doesn't want to hear that Macs are easier. Someone that has installed a few scanners doesn't think th at it's difficult enough to justify a trivial one at greater cost.

Unfortunately, examples of easier to use, or higher quality, products not making it abound. Well, at least they exist if they don't abound. Dvorak. Beta. Mac.

From: awd@DDG.com (Andrew W. Donoho);
Sent at 9/14/97; 6:15:36 PM;
You finally get it! (was: Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers)

Watch out! You'll be singing the Java song next. How do you get web services on all of these low cost devices? Why with Jeeves, the Java based web server. Your vision is being implemented via Java.

From: RafeC@insource.com ();
Sent at 9/14/97; 6:49:05 PM;
Spyglass Inc.

Remember Spyglass, Inc, the guys who were in charge of marketing Mosaic after it was made a commercial product? Most of their new business is focused on embedding web browsers and web servers in non-computer products. Examples include copiers, fax machines, and network hardware.

The idea for a network based scanner is really a good idea. Hopefully since there are already companies (Spyglass isn't the only one) working on these sorts of things, easy access to all sorts of devices via a web browser will happen sooner rather than later.

From: dbakin@netcom.com (David S. Bakin);
Sent at 9/14/97; 4:32:57 PM;
Re:Fractional Horsepower HTTP Servers

You mention the need to set the scanner's IP address in a simple way too. I don't know how the routers and hubs and printers mentioned above do that. But the easiest way (for a user) to do it with a scanner would be to fill out a bubble-form (like a standardized test answer sheet) that came in the box with the scanner, and then just scan it through. I've seen FAX machines that were configurable in this way for speed dial numbers and such.

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