Growing up, I recall how the air conditioner, the water heater, and even the washing machine were all conspicuously visible and tolerated. But in due course of time, they stopped being status symbols and we wanted them out of where we can see them. The same is true (or getting there) for these modern computing devices in the garb of gaming and entertainment.
We have all read the stories reported by business media on Apple v Microsoft (C|Net), Microsoft v Sony (USA Today) fights to dominate the living room. My living room! How dare they even try?
Here is what I am giving them and in 18 months from now, they better adapt or they will not be welcome in my shopping bag anymore:
- Rack in my heater or laundry room with lots of Ethernet cables. Heck, I am willing to pony up cash for Gigabit Ethernet or whatever upgrades you want.
- An infrared relay mechanism between my living room and the 'laundry server room' so that some devices that need to be operated by remote controls of today will still work. But plan to switch to Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth) as the communicating technology with the devices - I never really was a big fan of having to point my remote in the right direction just to switch channels.
- Plan to integrate your displays with my (big screen HD) television. This is already true for most devices but those that have not yet paid heed, remember that I cannot see your device's puny little display in the laundry server room.
1 comment:
The companies you have listed - Apple, Microsoft, Scientific Atlanta (Cisco), Slingbox, Motorola etc. are all vying for that shelf space underneath your TV in the living room.
Truly speaking - IPTV will change everything. Look at developments like SopCast, TVUPlayer etc. and look ahead maybe 5 years, the day when software powers changing of channels and sharing of multiple tuners in the house is not far.
Why pay for multiple tuner boxes for viewing content that is readily available on the wire?
Boxes do just that.
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