Re: [NTLK] Vintage, what about space technology

From: keith (keith_at_vortex.co.uk)
Date: Tue Sep 14 2004 - 13:07:23 PDT


Sometime around 14/9/04 (at 9:35 pm +0200) jg said:

>I know, but should it be that way? What is it for? Answer: for games.
>And they want to make computer to a TV set or cinema. What for? No one
>will buy a very fast comuter to see DVD on 20 inch screen? The price
>for it would be price for 4 TV sets.

The prices of large flat-screen TVs are generally equivalent to
fairly hefty power-user computers. Scary.

As for the computer/TV convergence idea that the industry *still*
tries to bandy about, I think there's a fundamental flaw in that
theory, one which around the way people use TVs and use computers.

Computing is essentially a solitary task; you control the interface,
choose what to read, what to click, type, and draw. TV watching is,
despite what it seems like, a relatively social experience. It is
something that's easy to do with others; you sit and watch together.
Okay, you don't usually get meaningful conversations while you watch
TV, but it is a shared experience which requires essentially no
individual input or choice.

To put it another way, computing is an active, solitary process,
while watching TV is a passive, group-friendly one.

And then there's the fact that today's computers at least are usually
on a desk and teamed with a fairly upright chair. TVs are normally on
a sideboard or TV stand and are teamed with a comfy couch. I know *I*
can't mix the two without damaging my posture and annoying my family!
;-)

Full computer-TV convergence? Don't make me laugh. Now,
computer-controlled systems which include TV and audio management,
that's a different matter.

>We mostly user computers for writing, counting, communication.
>OK. Some companies run power consuming applications. But not all.
>Financial applications does not need power.

Heh. Seen the system requirements for the latest version of Excel? ;-)

k

-- 
+++++++++++++++++   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
      Keith Martin   Technical Editor, MacUser magazine
      MacUser Help   mailto:help_at_macuser.co.uk
      direct (work)  +44 (0)20 7907 6360
            mobile   0790 954 1365
-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/


This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Sep 14 2004 - 14:30:02 PDT