Marcus G. Daniels wrote:
Owen Densmore wrote:
One example occurred a while back when we bought a SlingBox. Its a
nifty device that makes your TV available on the web.
Which begs the question: Why isn't TV available on the internet
anyway? Why download it through one protocol (say analog NTSC) only
to uplink through the internet? Or even more silly, download a
product from a media distributor like Apple only to upload it again
through a relatively slow channel again, i.e. your home networking?
Storage is so insanely cheap now, that one can watch DVD quality video
from an iPod on a TV. Anything that isn't (in-principle) directly
downloadable from vendors with high-speed connections can be pretty
much be carried.
And (yet) more to the point, downloading from the source creates the
opportunity for proxies and caches to "help" such that network usage is
yet more optimized and delays are (theoretically) yet more reduced.
Is the `Network the Computer'? Not yet for me, the network isn't
fully wireless and it has neither predictable bandwidth or latency.
A large capacity flash drive that is carried is still better for fixed
media products.
When Slingbox was first mentioned, I had a similar reaction, then
realized that what it is providing is two important things:
1) a bridge for all of the media which are NOT directly downloadable.
2) a surrogate for carrying around your context. even if you
*could* get the same material directly from the source, the organization
of it is still on your home box.
My computer(s) are my computer(s)... my MacBook Pro and my iPhone.
Until a few years ago I was strictly Linux/dumb-phone, but Apple has
done well by my type of user.
I don't watch broadcast (or cable or sattelite) TV except when I'm in a
hotel, then only as a novelty, so I don't have much urge or need for
this (obvious) feature... so for me a Laptop and a Smartphone go a long
way... My MacBook syncs to the iTunes podcasts I might be interested
in when it is connected to (any) high speed network, whether it be home,
office, sfComplex, UNM/HPC, coffee shop, truck-stop, etc. and my
iPhone syncs to it (whenever I remember to connect it which is less and
less now that I have a car-charger for it!). If it is not on my
MacBook (and) my iPhone, then I assume I need to wait for a network
connection to get to it or live with the slow Edge network to give it to
me (ultra-timely news). With ubiquitous WiFi and Edge even in the
desert mountains of NM, I'm pretty well set. But then I don't watch
live sporting events (network news could be called a "sporting event"...
like roller derby or pro wrestling or bowling for dollars are sporting
events).
- Steve
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