Flux Capacitors and HDTV

Yes, we're gonna go "Back in time...."

If you've followed the computer scene over the last few years you're probably aware of the $600 machines, the $500 machines, the $300 machine and the set top box, the all singing, all dancing cable internet media wonderbox that also makes toast.

Of course, we're going to be seeing more for less, thats always been the way in the PC game hasn't it?. More features, bigger stuff, faster stuff, always for less money. Cool!

So why am I saying that we are going back in time?.

Integration is an old fashioned concept, look at the Commodore 64, an integrated Video chip, the famous SID sound chip, the 64k of onboard RAM. The compact size, the external power supply, the low, low price.....(actually if you do want to look at one, I still have one in my garage, hidden away from my Korean buddy).

The machine was obsolete as soon as it was shipped but it was enjoyed by millions of users around the world for several years. Looks like we're about to reinvent the wheel.

So, do I have a point?...

The integrated motherboard of the wonder-bread box will not be cost-effectively repairable when the warranty fades. If a surface mount chip fails, the motherboard is crippled or dead. Technicians cannot repair a machine cheaply as the solution for most problems would be a replacement of the "heart" of the machine, the mainboard. Compare this to replacing a cars engine when a spark plug fails...

And what about upgrades?.. or are we all tired of upgrades and want the cheap disposable machine?. Maybe its true, we are all "up to here" with the endless upgrades and want to return to the simplicity of a machine like the Commodore 64. They'll give eprom or flash upgrades sure, but there's always something new going to arrive that means a hardware fix and more dollars in the bucket.

If the Industry creates a standard set-top box, wireless interface and O/S then will we all be lining up for our bargain toasters at Wal-Mart?. The Gaming and Internet world will be flat and projected, as big as we want, and in our faces. The Surround Sound will be digital and intense and everything will seem real again. Wow!

When the PC becomes this glorified toaster, with built in obsolescence, will all our computer individuality be lost forever? Will it be the dawn of a boring yet enlightened computing age uncluttered by hardware concerns or competitive edge?.

Or are we being sold another lemon...?