| [Rant] ...another interesting article | ANN.lu |
| Posted on 30-Nov-2003 18:32 GMT by bbrv | 56 comments
View flat
View list | |
Here is a New York Times Magazine article about Apple, the iPod, marketing, product development and management.
We contend that this Community can produce a Super TiVo-like device that integrates the network into the use of the content itself. The Pegasos is building block #1 to any competent computing environment and the necessary tool required by the developer support enlisted to customize the platform for consumer use. A Pegasos computer is a desktop machine. A Pegasos computer enclosed in a fan-less VCR-like size case becomes a consumer product: a black box. The Pegasos black box operates equally well with a television screen or a computer monitor. The Pegasos black box could come with its own file sharing and downloading programs -- music, movies, video games – a preference is selected, a source found, the entertainment begins. The technology would be invisible to the entertainment experience. The consumer manages the experience through an easily understood user interface with a remote control or through a web browser and a keyboard for more sophisticated users. As the hub of the Home Entertainment Center high fidelity sound/audio can now be introduced through the 24/7 broadband Internet connection to bring existing home stereo equipment back into use. Here the Pegasos black box can be positioned to be a consumer product that would do to a TV set what MP3 did to music – any show any time.
|
|
| List of all comments to this article |
| ...another interesting article : Comment 45 of 56 | ANN.lu |
| Posted by Daniel Miller on 01-Dec-2003 10:31 GMT | In reply to Comment 42 (Trizt):
You can't really have a discussion about STBs without mentioning WebTV:
http://www.webtv.com/pc/whatis_default.aspx)
WebTV was gobbled up by Microsoft and is now called MSN TV. I had a WebTV for a while years back and sort of liked it. It did a lot of stuff, like WWW, email, Usenet. It had some weaknesses. The method of selecting links (a yellow square highlights the link) was a little awkward and cheesy. You couldn't much do computer-type stuff like run apps and play computer-style games.
I think there is a place for an digital convergence device that is more like a computer. IMO when you try to market such a device you should try to replace the computer, and try to replace the stereo system, and try to replace the VCR, and try to replace the telephone. WebTV doesn't really do any of that. WebTV is an Internet device full stop. Pegasos and MorphOS could do better than that.
Web-browsing is a big part of that though. One of the challenges is a satisfying browsing interface. The mouse is better than moving a yellow square around with a remote control or cursor keys. However you can't recline on your couch (or in bed) with a mouse as yet. Maybe a good device would be a specially manufactured key board with a stiff mouse board fixed on the right side. So you could then put this biggish board in your lap and have the mouse there with you.
WebTV doesn't have very good resolution. A Pegasos STB should be targeted to modern screens that have good resolution. HDTV or flatpanel monitors. The screen dimensions don't have to be stupid high, but they should be at least 800 x 600 and the screen should look sharp regardless.
And then there is the matter of video. Right now MorphOS MPlayer plays video from files awesomely, but a satisfactory TV-card implementation isn't available. AmithlonTV for MorphOS is probably the most realistic start point for future development.
Telephone software can happen whenever it happens. There's no way to get everything done at once. One must focus on what is doable. I agree with some people who commented skeptically in this thread that this is all fine talk, but where is the Pegasos 2. There is a real danger in this master planning that negative events overtake us, and then we don't even get to square 1. Look at Amiga Inc. and all their fanciful roadmaps and visions of three years ago, their history is nothing but a wasteland of failed deals and imaginary deals and broken promises and deceptions and swindles. The critics are right about doing what is doable *right now*. So the big thing is to get Peg 2 and MOS 1.5 out the door and then one can properly plan "okay, what can we do with this now, what is the next step towards the digital convergence device." |
|
| List of all comments to this article (continued) |
|
- User Menu
-
- About ANN archives
- The ANN archives is powered by #AmigaZeux. It was updated daily (news last: 22-Oct-2004; comments last: 18-May-2005).
ANN.lu was created, previously owned and maintained by Christian Kemp, www.ckemp.com.
- Contribute
- Not possible at this time!
- Search ANN archives
- Advanced search
- Hosting
- ANN.lu was hosted by Dreamhost. Sign up through this link, mention "ckemp" as referrer and he will get a 10% commission on any account you purchase.
Please show your appreciation for any past, present and future work on ANN.lu by making a contribution via PayPal.
|
