Let's pretend that we are relaxing in our sitting room in slippers, in front of the telecomputer. It is a warm day in July, the heat is stifling and we are profoundly envious of our next-door neighbour who is on vacation at the seaside. We switch on the telecomputer and decide to view the catalogues of the main suppliers of organized vacations.
We pick the best-known one and start "running through" the pages of the electronic catalogue. This tourist village is intresting, but I would like to know more about it. Let us see a filmed documentary on it: I don't like the animation, yet I'll have a look at the technical card on services and costs. Definitely too dear!
Let us try to find something cheaper. We base our research on the limits of our meagre funds and select only the residences that do not cost more than a million lire a week.
The list is much sorter now: let us see what we can do. The first village that seems to be intresting is near the sea. From the film it appears that the parts and heart-shaped swimming pool with its childrens' slides are well kept; also the restaurant appears to be good and the rooms are clean and well furnished. Perfect! Let me call my wife to see it it is of her liking. "Right now I can't, dear, I'm taking a shower and I have to dry my hair." With normal TV, once the moment has passed I would not be able to see what has just been transmitted, but since I'm fortunate enough to own a telecomputer I can assure her: "Don't worry, dear, I'll take the references and we can have a look later. I'll come and take a shower with you; anyhow the telecomputer can wait."
After our shower we switch on the telecomputer and here is our cute little residence. "Do you want to see the suite, dear? Look how cute the forniture looks in that old navy style. The price is good, too. If you agree, we'll book immediately."
The available choices appear on the screen. "Let's hope it is vacant in the first week in August.There! Only suite B15 is available.
Let us ascertain whether there is a room for the children .
It is a three -- room suite.
Fine! Let's look at the kitchen corner: it has also a microwave oven.
Good! Let us book it.
Please pass the tuner. "
I rapidly digit our personal data, place our booking for the desired week and choose the form of payment via credit card; and I already anticipate the pleasure of my vacation.
"And what shall we do tonight?" Let us see on the telecomputer what shows are being given in our town.
There doesn't seem to be a great selection.
Let's have a look around the provinve.Here, in this village they are having an ice -- cream fair, but we want to stop at a pub or pizza shop along the way.
"Look! The telecomputer is displaying the list of places for refreshment.
I didn't know they had opened this new pizza shop.
Let's see how it looks inside: it's furnished whit very good taste.
It almost gives you the impression you'are in Tyrol and yet it's only seven kilometres away. Let us check the menu and the house specialties.
I'll take this pizza whit forest flavours, but without ' mozzarella' cheese.
Let's book for 8 p.m. so that we'll have plenty of time to enjoy the ice -- cream fair."
Thanks to the telecomputer we have organized a very pleasent evening, passing from an oppressive, drab situation.. to an aggeablee place not far away, with its charm of aromas, perfumes... pizza and ice cream, of whose axistence we had no idea.
Moreover, we have planned a vacation chosen on the basis of more information, also saving on the price and avoiding loss of time.
Having the correct information allows us to better enjoy life. Let us leave the telecomputer and the cute pizza shop, bearing in mind that what we said is not fiction science. for istance i connect with the whole world to have information, even though with some difficulties due to small technical problems .
Soon the scene described above will become a normal episode of family life.
Many are the possibilities offered by the new informational instruments; their correct utilization, the possibility of ideating a thousand other applications will depend only on us. This is only the begining of a new splendid era which it is up to us to know and discover.