Where Would You Place Your Digital Hub
from the put-it-here!-put-it-here! dept
It seems that everyone in the computer world and the consumer electronics world thinks the next big thing is going to be the "connected home" where everything talks to each other (and, of course, the internet). The big question, then, is what device controls all the other devices? Which box becomes the "digital hub" that both industries are so fond of? Of course, every company that claims they know the answer is only saying so because they're selling (or planning to sell) that particular answer. Some think it's basic home computer. Others think it's the game console, while some are betting on the DVD player as the simple response to sneak into homes as a digital hub. In the end, there will be plenty of choices, it seems, most of which will fail miserably.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Just wait...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Is it Mounds or Almond Joy?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Can Dad install a digital media hub?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Easy--wherever the fattest pipe is
Of course the better question is what do people really want to connect? The whole internet toaster and all of that is crap, and I'm not really sure of the need to combine entertainment systems & computers. Given the evils of both telecoms & cable companies, I just cringe at the idea of having one single provider for internet, telephone & cable. Granted I think land line telephony will disappear before too long, cutting one out of the loop.
I think most people are like me & just want to be able to quick look up an actor on IMDB while watching TV or stuff like that. And that doesn't require any kind of major convergence or "digital hub", just a computer, WiFi and a laptop or PDA.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]