I HAVE been to three launches recently - one each for AST, IBM and Unisys. The IBM launch unleashed Warp, which was subsequently found to be warped in spots. The event included a free lunch, once again trashing the notion that such does not exist.
Given my fragile mental state, three longish drones on how wonderful technology is really is stretching things. I still hear eerie sounds from my brain - like the squeak of fraying rope holding back a charging ferry.
The Unisys show was not a complete success. Its San Jose PC division dispatched product marketing manager Marc Campman to show off a bunch of PCs, including a notebook that is made in Taiwan but has 'Unisys' stamped on it. This is different from an earlier notebook made by AST with 'Unisys' stamped on it.
I mention the notebook's complex genealogy because Mr Campman says Unisys would be more than happy to stamp anyone else's name on it, if customers preferred to pretend it was their own. Buyers are presumably free to invite their customers, in turn, to stamp yet another name on it.
It is conceivable that the same notebook could thus be rolled over half a dozen times. Indeed, it is not outside the realm of possibility for the original Taiwan manufacturer - suddenly finding itself unable to complete a big order - asking Unisys to replace 'Unisys' with its name.
As I was wondering why grown-up people did this sort of thing, the affable Mr Campman made the unfortunate mistake of unplugging all the notebook cables holding his audio-visual show together. He unplugged everything because he wanted to hoist the machine aloft for all to see.
This was recklessly generous. When the time had come to re-attach everything and resume the slide show, the bottom of every frame inexplicably went missing.