| Author |
Message |
Chris D (Prohydro)
Junior Member
Username: Prohydro
Post Number: 61
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 2:53 pm: | |
"I don't know, I did a survey of family and friends and most said they ONLY use computers for internet based applications...I haven't looked at the numbers on this, it was more of an idea than an actual product I was ready to mass-produce ;)"
True, and I didn't mean what I said to come off sounding like a put down. All I meant was for me, having just dumb terminals that can only access the net don't do much. I need them to be able to at least have some functionality on my network.
However, people like my parents and my wife's grandparents only use their computers for basic word processing and email/websurfing. They would be perfect for something like that.
The biggest issue I think you would fight would be perceived value for the price. People might think "it's only $99, what good is it?" when it's all they would need. Everybody scrambles to have the biggest baddest box out there, when 98% of people never even come close to hitting the performance the hardware holds. |
JT (Mightymagician)
New member
Username: Mightymagician
Post Number: 27
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 1:04 pm: | |
Oh, an your operating system would have to be linux based. there is no way you could sell it for $99 and have it be compatible with anything windows (Bill Gates wants to make more money off of you than that). There is an operating system called Lindows (Linux/windows) that microsoft is trying to pound into extiction. |
JT (Mightymagician)
New member
Username: Mightymagician
Post Number: 26
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 12:56 pm: | |
i think it would work, but not on a 56K modem and not at $99.
IMO, your best bet for the home user would be to market it to a cable or DSL provider as a rental option, that way they can market their broadband access to people who either do not have computers, or do not have one with the resources to handle broadband access, and since they will only use the machine for internet, dont want to buy new $700 machine.
As with travellers using it on hotel tv's, it may work, but the person who needs to access his/her email on the road already has the access on a pda. It could work for business travelers in hotels, as they may need to do some internet research or transfer some large files while doing their work. But how do they get their information from their laptop/pda to your machine?
Since it only does internet, youre going to have an issue with storage and data transfer to/from another machine. And you will be competing with machine that many people already have that can be upgraded to have internet access, like a Playstation 2 or an XBOX.
Anyway, I hope i didnt put anybody to sleep. Good luck. |
John (Cohiba_man)
Junior Member
Username: Cohiba_man
Post Number: 84
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 7:13 am: | |
"if I have a 3rd or 4th computer somewhere, I want to do more than just access the internet with it."
I don't know, I did a survey of family and friends and most said they ONLY use computers for internet based applications...I haven't looked at the numbers on this, it was more of an idea than an actual product I was ready to mass-produce ;) |
Chris D (Prohydro)
Junior Member
Username: Prohydro
Post Number: 60
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 11:43 pm: | |
Read "The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest: A Novel" by Po Bronson. He wrote about this exact thing (although it is a fictionalized version). It's a great read.
There have been several attempts at something like this, the latest I know of was 3Com's Audrey. I think there may be a market for this way in the future, but if I have a 3rd or 4th computer somewhere, I want to do more than just access the internet with it. |
Noelrp (Noelrp)
Junior Member
Username: Noelrp
Post Number: 250
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 7:55 pm: | |
Larry Ellision of Oracle had that idea few years ago. It's called Net Computer. It went no where although his target price was $400.
For $99? How are you going to make your profit? |
Erich Walz (Deleteall)
Member
Username: Deleteall
Post Number: 318
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 7:50 pm: | |
This is different from web tv how? |
John (Cohiba_man)
Junior Member
Username: Cohiba_man
Post Number: 83
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 7:38 pm: | |
I have been thinking abuot the idea of a $99 computer, it ONLY does internet. Has built in modem, processor etc but only runs internet on a simple platform (linux?)so the processor doesn't have to be much. Built in 56K modem, monitor or TV output...keyboard, mouse inputs... Is this feasible? I have been looking and it seems like it could be with some proprietary parts... Also, the angle on this would be for second computers that are used now and then and need not be fancy and powerful. It would have email, internet and instant messenger. Or, it could use TV outputs, have built in mouse and keyboard and be slightly more $$ and targeted to travellers to use on hotel TV's to surf the internet....Also could be used at cottages etc... Any input or reasons why it wouldn't work? |
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