October 9, 2001

12:22 AM

PostPetJapan's most popular email program. it's NOT outlook, it's NOT notes, it's NOT eudora. it's PostPet. related article here: A Dancing Pink Bear Named Momo. now looking at this pink bear in particular and japanese culture in general, any chance that imode will *really* be popular in Europe and the US?
posted by HeikoH (14 comments total)

It looks like the Sims crossed with Eudora. Where is all the cool/cute western software? Everything seems so boringly functional now. I remember a ton of uselessly cool stuff for the mac. What happened to the people who wrote that stuff?
posted by phatboy at 12:37 AM on October 9, 2001

All the people that wrote that stuff came to Japan, apparently. Lordy, but I can't stand "cute." Especially that dang Momo-chan. Gotta hate that bear. It's so freakin' popular here. And for those of you who love this cute stuff, here's a "PokePe" commercial. Yeesh.
posted by Bixby23 at 1:09 AM on October 9, 2001

Oh man, I am _definitely_ buying this.

As for imode, I don't see it happening. It doesn't have enough time to get the momentum going, people were burned by WAP and it looks like not very many people really want what 3G is promising (yet).
posted by jackiemcghee at 1:42 AM on October 9, 2001

...here's a "PokePe" commercial

wow. so this is going to be the future of the internet? kids plugging their "toy email computers" into their wireless phones? cute, yes, but also very, uhm, inspiring?
posted by HeikoH at 2:18 AM on October 9, 2001

It might be fun to play with for a little while, but I'd tire of it quickly. Am I the only person that still thinks computers should be boxy and beige if visible at all, and software interfaces unobtrusive? I just want the thing to work, it doesn't have to be "neat-o."
posted by Su at 3:09 AM on October 9, 2001

Am I the only person ... ?

not sure they have to be beige ... otherwise ...
posted by walrus at 3:31 AM on October 9, 2001

asok fails to make observation about western vs. eastern attitudes to technology.
something to do with westerners not neccessarily wanting technology to be cute, although japan seems to have a 'need' for the latest gadget they also want it to be cute.
this line from the interview:
"PostPets make everything about e-mail emotionally interactive,"
what a waste of emotion?
posted by asok at 3:44 AM on October 9, 2001

Where is all the cool/cute western software?

We had some, but we didn't appreciate them, and now they're dead.
posted by rcade at 6:54 AM on October 9, 2001

PostPet kicks Clippy's steel arse. And the bunny is soooooo cute.
posted by holgate at 7:10 AM on October 9, 2001

I used postpet once, it was very cute to send my postpet over to other users email box, and it would write in it's diary and such.

Not very useful for the flood of daily email we usually get, but cute if you've got an extra email address lying around, and perhaps if you want to get your kids involved.

I really adored it, but couldn't really justify having a postpet specific addy, too much work.
posted by dreamling at 7:13 AM on October 9, 2001

Clippy gave me the creeps, but I do think the little Mac Classic agent in the Mac version of Office is pretty darn cute.

I think I would try this program for awhile, but I agree that it would probably become tiresome rather quickly. Love that Japanese cute crap!

what a waste of emotion?
So there's only a finite amount of emotion and once you use it up it's gone forever? Or is it a periodically renewable resource (like trees) that grows back overnight while you sleep. Or maybe emotions are like creativity and muscles - the more you exercise them the more you have and the better you can handle them? Just a thought.
posted by cakeman at 10:17 AM on October 9, 2001

Don't miss the picture in the What is PostPet section where the status line announces "Mama's John is here."

It's excellent that it helps Mom keep her tricks organized.
posted by johnmunsch at 10:38 AM on October 9, 2001

Neat, they say "john" instead of "toilet". So cute, yet so brute.
posted by mmarcos at 3:24 PM on October 9, 2001

okay... i just got this bad boy, and... i dunno, i know it's great, but i can't explain why. someone needs to email me and send their pet over to visit.
posted by lotsofno at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2001