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  • From: Thomas Beckett <thomas AT tbeckett.com>
  • To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Linux, AOL/TimeWarner, and the future of computing
  • Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 08:53:38 -0500


Yeah, what she said. Brilliant. - TaB

At 10:23 PM 3/22/2002 -0500, you wrote:
In Britain, when you sign up for cable you can also receive a certain number
of email addresses for the family, which you can read and write on your TV
screen. As Britain is still a largely PC-less country, this is a great way
for the non-PC public (who generally have NO DESIRE to actually use a
computer, but would quite like to communicate and browse) to get "wired".

While I agree with the resolution problems of TV sets, we have to remember
that the masses who do not now own computers really don't want a "computer".
They especially don't want something as hard to learn and non-intuitive and
downright scary as most commercial software (MS or PC or Mac or whatever) is
today. They *like* AOL. It is friendly, and they have really done well at
making it as non-threatening as possible. It's not about high-quality
graphics or cool technology to this market. So AOL access from a TV screen
might be just the thing, and it's a very tiny step away from the services
offered by the cable companies in Britain today.

I also think that for this type of customer (think your mom, your uncle, your
cousin -- the people you know who are always nervous to hear what you do for
a living...) web browsing is very much a living-room activity. It is
infotainment. It is obviously not the format that any computer-savvy
customer will choose, but then again, that's not the market we are discussing
here.

One final point: if the AOL/Time Warner forces can really marshall the forces
to create a cheap network appliance, might they also instead choose to create
a huge demand for HDTV's, thereby driving down the price? HDTV is only
expensive because of the still quite small demand. For the non-PC owners,
it's more of a problem rearranging furniture to make room for some new
"computer", rather than just using the current entertainment wall, which
they've already planned for...

On Friday 22 March 2002 02:20 am, you wrote:
>
> A couple of points:
>
> * HDTV is and will be a luxury item for some time to come. In the mean
> time, the growth market requires a low price point.
>
> * "in the living room".... I'm not sure that web browsing and email is
> really a living room activity. Web/Email is about typing, reading and
> choosing content. TV will certainly become more interactive over time,
> but that doesn't necessarily mean that all technology converges to one
> device. Look at the wireless space -- there are PDA/cell phone combos
> on the market, but many people prefer and will always prefer the form
> factor of a tiny phone they can take out when they don't need a PDA
> and a PDA that is larger and can do more than a PDA/cell phone combo
> can do. There are also the point/time-of-sale issues -- how many
> people actually buy their PDA and cell phone at the same time? All of
> these forces work against technology convergence in the mobile space,
> and I think similar forces will work against TV/Web convergence.
>
> Example: the Xbox/PS2 as internet appliance at the least requires
> consumers to rearrange their furniture. Even with a wireless keyboard,
> I don't think many people are going to send email or research their
> next auto purchase sitting on the couch and looking at a video
> interface 5-10 feet away. Even with resolution problems resolved, you
> have to put a chair next to the TV. By the time people are rearranging
> their living rooms, why not just set up a separate Internet Appliance
> (Remember, we have cheap high quality resolution in this example)? It
> also *looks* like a computer, which is certainly important from a
> marketing standpoint.
>
> (BTW, if you think rearranging the living room is a trivial
> undertaking, you're obviously not married.)
>
> If you couldn't tell, I have a grudge against WebTV and web over TV in
> general. While traveling once, I tried to use WebTV to handle an
> important email. Worst online experience ever, including the time I
> accidentally clicked through to a bestiality porn site.
>
>
>
> ---
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  • Re: Linux, AOL/TimeWarner, and the future of computing, Thomas Beckett, 03/23/2002

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