This article is classified "Fictional"
brian@arl.wustl.edu (Brianosaurus) has a problem with his Newton computer. Problem: -------- OK. Call me crazy. Perhaps I was delirious last night while playing Solo on my Newton, but is there some sort of mechanical click in the Newton when you put a card in one of the four spots (I forget what they're called) on the top? I swear I hear this little thump, and it doesn't sound like its coming from the speaker. Answer: ------- What you are experiencing is the LCD equivalent of the "Ka-Dink Effect." The Ka-Dink Effect, as we all know, is the result of the electron streams that trace along your computer monitors (and all CRTs actually) to display images. The electrons bounce off the glass in front and make a noise that, played back slowly, sounds like "ka-dink!" Of course, at the speed that this normally occurs, the individual "ka-dinks" can't be separately heard. What is often reported is a sort of high pitched whine emanating from the monitor. This is actually a result of millions of "ka-dinks" occurring every second. In the case of the Newton, you are probably hearing the lesser-known "Ker-Splash Effect." When a dark area on the LCD is moved, a large number of the liquid crystals must be carried to the new position on the display. In "Solo," when you drag the cards across the screen and drop them, you hear (and possibly feel) the liquid crystals falling back into place. This results in a sort of "splash" sound. The existence of the "Ker-Splash Effect" as well as the "Ka-Dink Effect" is a widely disputed issue which has resulted in a handful of small skirmishes, at least one holy war, and the bruising of one individual's lower left arm. However, I think that you would agree, given your experience, that this condition actually does exist. If you wish to learn more about this subject, I suggest that you read Theories And Other Bits (subtitled Ethel Takes A Really Long Walk) by Sir Alfred Glotschmeyer.