UKNM: Internet appliances in the home (was Ranty philosophy)

[Ray Taylor]

Ben Hedges <

benitcounts [dot] co [dot] uk

> said:


> Ah, there we have it. You can sit back...How long now have we been saying

> that the reason there will never be total convergence is the simple fact

> that we consume the media of internet and TV differently?


That's because at the moment they are different media. If (I said "IF") they

converge, then by definition they will be the same medium (possibly with

different applications). Saying that they "will never" converge presumes

that the current formats will not change. But then at any point in history,

most people are unable to accept the implication of changes that are already

starting to take place (ie they suffer from "technofear").


Ben, you really must try to understand that the _only_ thing that is

constant is change. In five years time, technology _will_ be different,

however much you deny the undeniable accelaration of technological

innovation.


Getting back to the point about IP appliances in the home, the way to

understand the likely development of these is to think about application

_and_ location.


Ben's right. The living room is the relaxation room and so you will probably

continue to use your IP appliance in the living room as the focal point of

your household entertainment. It will be like the TV of the latter half of

the 20th century only much better and with many more additional functions

(including more information and interactivity).


The kitchen may well have several IP-enabled appliances including

dishwasher, washing machine, telephone and of course the fridge. These will

mostly be simple non-operator devices for logging service information with

the service centre, etc. The exception may be the fridge which may have a

simple operator device with menu/keypad/barcode device(s) for ordering

groceries.


The bedrooms / spare room / home office will have the appliance that is most

like a personal computer, but will probably include access to all of the

other functions of all of the other products. So you can use it to watch TV,

download TV programmes, play games, make video telephone calls, order

groceries, find out why the dishwasher has broken down and when the service

company want to visit, etc.


In short, the internet appliances you will find in your homes in the future

(3/5 years) will be multi-function appliances designed to fit in to specific

locations. These will "connect" to "The Internet" via any combination of

telephone lines, cable TV lines, satellite and terrestrial "TV" broadcast,

radio, microwave, infrared, power/gas inlets, etc., etc.


Anyone who thinks that none of the above will happen because they can never

imagine surfing the net in their kitchen, buying goods online in their

living room, or watching TV on the bog, please, please, please try to get

your imagination to work harder.


Are you trying yet, or are you still in denial?


Ray Taylor



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