Tuomo Perälä would like to see increased interest in palmtop computers among women.
	– Micromovies on display in Siperia – Sonera Mspace – The Micromovies competition series

Wittgenstein's a Palmtop Favourite

– The palmtop computer has the potential to be a good device for browsing the Internet, Matti Jantunen ponders, tapping one of the palmtops at the handheld computer display stand at the Siperia mall in the Finlayson area. Computer expert Jantunen is, however, not enthusiastic about Micromovies. He's not interested in three-minute videos, but animated films might be more to his liking.

The palmtop display stand set up by the Finnish telecommunications company Sonera has over the past couple of days attracted over seventy people to come and see Micromovies and the handheld devices. The visitors have taken an active interest and their reactions have been positive.

Marketing Students Display New Technology

Eleven students of marketing from the University of Tampere work at the display stand demonstrating and introducing the devices and Micromovies to interested visitors. Tuomo Perälä is one of them.

According to Perälä, the typical customer is a male in his thirties. Women have not been as interested, perhaps because they may in general be more reluctant or cautious about new technology. The people visiting the display stand have among other things taken an interest in what Micromovies are and what their meaning is. Their application and future have also been asked about.

Palmtop Wittgenstein

Some of the display stand workers wear a vest with a little display screen on the front. For the moment, the screens only display demo videos. Perälä says that the techno-clothing attracts attention but is a little awkward to wear.

An introductory video on Micromovies and the Sonera Mspace experimental project runs on the stand's plasma screen. The screen does not, however, display the Micromovies taking part in the Festival competition. Perälä states that the screen makes people stop and take an interest in the palmtops and Micromovies on display.

Some of the visitors have even come back to see their favourites for a second time. Perälä has noticed that the most popular film running on the palmtops has been a short movie on Wittgenstein by Mr. M. A. Numminen, a legendary Finnish musician. Some visitors have systematically viewed all the Micromovies available on the stand.

Future Machines Fascinate

– I'm using this device for the very first time. I have some experience of the Nokia Communicator handheld device, and of course ordinary computers. I work in the information technology sector myself, states Matti Jantunen, keying one of the palmtops. Naturally, it displays one of the Micromovies taking part in the competition.

	Matti Jantunen wants to keep track of the latest new devices of the field.

– I've been thinking about getting a second computer. This kind of a handheld device could be a good alternative. I wouldn't be using it for watching three-minute movies like these, but it could be good for browsing the Internet. Playing traditional computer games on a palmtop doesn't seem like a very attractive prospect, either.

– I live here in Tampere and I've seen a few animations at the Film Festival. Animated films could look better than traditional movies on a palmtop, Jantunen says.

– I came here because I'm interested in these devices of the future. I'm also trying to figure out what direction the world is going to, Jantunen states.

Palmtop display stand is open in the lobby of the Siperia mall every day during the event from 10 am to 8 pm.

TEXT: Jorma Riihikoski and Marko Saarijärvi
TRANSLATION: Petri Raivio
PHOTOS: Marko Saarijärvi
UPDATED:

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