Magic Cap: Difference between revisions

{{dablinkhatnote|For "cap" as a reference to magic mushrooms, see [[Psychedelic mushroom]].}}

| name = <!--Magic Name of program or distribution -->Cap

| screenshot = Magic Cap OS.gif<!-- Filename only (no wikilink, nor Image:/File:) -->

| caption = Desk at startup

| screenshot_alt = Magic Cap "Desk"

| working state = Discontinued<!-- "Current", "Discontinued" (operating systems), or "No longer supported" (releases) -->

| source model = Closed source<!-- "Open source", "Closed source", or "Shared source" -->

| released = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY1994|MM09|DD28|df=yes/no}} <!-- This is the release date of the Sony Magic Link -->

| discontinued = <!-- DON'T use this for articles about releases of operating systems. -->yes

| GAlatest release date = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD2001|df=yes/no}} ONLY for articles about OS releases -->

| license = Proprietary

'''Magic Cap''' (short for '''Magic Communicating Applications Platform''') is a discontinued [[object-oriented operating system]] for [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s developed by [[General Magic]]. [[Tony Fadell]] was ina chargecontributor ofto the platform.,<ref name=triangulation362>{{FactCite AV media| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN-bLcJWch8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/xN-bLcJWch8 |archive-date=February2021-12-21 2007|url-status=live|title=Bill Atkinson Part 2 - Triangulation 362 |website=YouTube |publisher=Triangulation |date=31 August 2018| minutes=21:12}}{{cbignore}} Bill Atkinson shows the credits screen on [[Magic Link]] device, and Tony Fadell is mentioned in the conversation.</ref> and [[Darin Adler]] was an architect.<ref name=triangulation362 /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boost.org/people/darin_adler.htm |title=Darin Adler |publisher=Boost C++ Libraries}}</ref>

''MagicIts Cap''[[graphical user interface]] incorporates a [[Interface metaphor|room metaphor]], where the user navigates frombetween room to roomrooms to perform various tasks, such as going to a home office to perform [[word processing]], or to a file room to clean up the system files. Automation is based on [[mobile agent]]s but not an [[office assistant]].

Several electronic companies came to market with Magic Cap devices., The most notable areincluding the [[Sony]] [[Magic Link]] and the [[Motorola Envoy]], both released in 1994. None of these devices were commercial successes.

The Magic Cap operating system includes a new [[mobile agent]] technology named [[Telescript (programming language)|Telescript]]. Conceptually, the agents would carry work orders, travel to a Place outside of the handheld device, complete their work, and then return to the device with the results. When the Magic Cap devices were delivered, the only Place for agents to travel was the PersonaLink service provided by [[AT&T]]. The agents had little access to functionality, sincebecause each agent had to be strictly authorized and its scope of inquiry was limited to the software modules installed on the PersonaLink servers. The payload carried by these agents was also hampered by the slow bauddial-up rate[[modem]] of the modems in the devicesspeed of 2400&nbsp;bit/s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=PIC-1000 |title=Magic Link Users Guide (primary manual) |publisher=Sony eSupport}}</ref>

The authentication/ and authorization system of the mobile agents in Telescript created a high coupling between the device and the target Place. As a result, deployment of agent-based technology was incredibly difficult, and never reached fruition before the PersonaLink service was shut down.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.cnet.com/ATT-severs-PersonaLink-for-PDAs/2100-1023_3-217269.html |title=AT&T severs PersonaLink for PDAs |publisher=CNET News |date=July 11, 1996}}</ref>

{{Reflist|30em}}

* [http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.11/11.05/MakingMagic/ "Making Magic"] – a developer’sdeveloper's introduction to General Magic and Magic Cap by Richard Clark, [[Scott Knaster]], and the staff of General Magic (from ''Mactech'' 11:5)

* [http://multipart-mixedjoshcarter.com/magic_cap/ Magic Cap Resources] – a combination blog and gallery with links to Magic Cap software, documentation and other information. Also includes a photo gallery of Magic Cap devices.