[opendtv] Re: The Transition Up North

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:42:14 -0400

At 5:50 PM -0500 8/29/10, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Fat chance. Who would benefit from that?

The Public?

Just like FOTA TV to cell phones, it doesn't matter whether a solution makes sense. We, the consumers, are supposed to think in terms of what maximizes the profits of the service providers, and we are then supposed to prefer that approach. Who is going to provide this "very dense mesh" on unlicensed spectrum? Presumably, someone who would rather charge you by the GB on a licensed band.

With WiFi there are hundreds of thousands of hot spots that have been installed by businesses that are interested in providing a service to their customers, not to mention just about every home and business that has broadband. AT&T has an extensive network of hot spots that their wireless customers are allowed to access for free, as do the other telcos.

So the notion that unlicensed spectrum would work is not unrealistic. Unfortunately, what is unrealistic is to believe that the politicians would allow more spectrum to be used on an unlicensed basis when they can auction it for big bucks. In the end the telcos are just tax collectors for the politicians- they can afford to pay up front and make it back over a decade or two.

Again, fat chance. What interest would Apple have to see multi-player games developing into a "huge market," if that market goes to others than Apple?

That would depend on how it benefited Apple. IF it contributed to the success of a new product, like the next Apple TV, they might very well do it. And it might be very difficult for Apple to prevent it, if developers were willing to write the code for multiple devices. Apple recently added multi-player game support to iOS and the back end servers to make it work; this is currently limited to iOS devices, but it would be very easy to extend this to pother devices.

For example, an App called BUMP was originally created for the iPhone. It allows you to exchange information with another device by simply bumping them together. They have now published APIs for Android and it will soon be possible to use BUMP to transfer data between iPhones and Android devices.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/06/bumps-data-exchange-api-goes-cross-platform-launches-for-android-and-ipad/

Despite what you think about Apple, they are not in the business of BLOCKING interoperability. They achieved considerable success selling iPods to PC users, which required Apple to create iTunes for the PC; this in turn allowed Apple to get QuickTime and Safari on many PCs as well.

Much of their perceived "control" is based in the reality that they are several years ahead of the competition and have dominant market share in some of their new businesses. No difference here than what MS was able to pull off in the '90s.

Apple wants for all the kids to buy their products in order to play the games. Or listen to music. Or provide whatever new services Apple dreams up. *Even if* Apple grudgingly allows their portable devices to access other pre-existing services.

Grudgingly? All of the current iOS devices have unfettered access to the Internet. And many apps, like Pandora are built around an open Internet service. The only walls that Apple has built are to limit how apps can be built so as to maximize performance, minimize battery usage, and to protect iOS devices from malware.

Yes, Apple has blocked some content from APPs, a fact that is appreciated by many parents... But Apple does not prevent anyone from accessing ANY content that is available to ANY web browser. These rules do not seem to be hurting sales...


From talking to consumers, what I notice is that they just accept "things are this way." They seem to know why, but instead of resisting being controlled like puppets, they wear the walled garden like a badge of honor. Membership in some sort of exclusive club that gives them bragging rights. Amazing.

Perhaps some people join clubs because they LIKE the benefits...

Regards
Craig


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