Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Jan 17, 2005
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Jan 17, 2005 |
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eWorld
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Software Variety - Entertainment & Leisure When those lines blur... Vipin V. Nair
AS our lives become more and more digital, computer makers and software companies are eying the space in the living room, rather than their wares just occupying desktops in offices and studies. Boxy personal computers (PCs) are evolving into entertainment hubs that will show on-demand moves, download songs, send e-mail messages, surf the Internet - and also do computing. All this will be easier than rebooting your computer. Well, that's what technology giants such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and many others envision. Microsoft and its chief, Bill Gates, are among the foremost advocates of computers becoming the all-encompassing entertainment gizmos at households. At the recent International Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, Gates emphasised five areas: music, movies and television, communication, gaming and digital photos. An LCD (liquid crystal display) television that can play digital content stored in a Windows XP computer and a DVD player that supports Windows Media Connect were some of the things that Microsoft displayed at the ICE show. Hewlett-Packard flaunted its intentions on the digital home front by announcing an HDTV media hub and 17 new high-definition televisions and projects. HP's Chief Executive, Carly Fiorina, made these announcements during a keynote speech at the show. The HDTV media hub is based on HP's technology and is based on the Linux operating system. This hub comprises an HDTV, digital cable set-top box and a dual tuner digital video recorder, in addition to a DVD recorder. Microsoft and HP have already introduced products in this category. Microsoft had shown a technology called Freestyles in 2002, which later became the Windows Media Center PC. Along with this product came a portable media centre that can play back music, photos and video and the Extender that puts digital files on television. HP has a Digital Entertainment Center and home cinema digital projectors. Despite their technology prowess and billions in the bank, these companies may have problems finding their way into the living rooms, analysts say. In the first place, players such as Microsoft and HP are entering new waters of consumer electronics, now ruled by Japanese and Korean companies. Competition will be intense from rivals such as Sony, who too have charted out their own strategies on the digital entertainment arena. Apple is another strong contender in the market and it has already made significant gains, thanks to its iPod portable music player. Speculation has it that Apple is now getting ready with a $500-media-hub-like computer that can give Microsoft a run for its money. Another factor that could go against Microsoft is that its core competency is software. It will take a while for the company to understand the nuances of the consumer electronics business, where people will not tolerate any glitches in the products. So while you won't mind rebooting your PC for a second time, there's no tolerating such an experience when you are watching your favourite show on TV. Also, merging information technology, Internet and entertainment in one single device has its own risks, especially in today's context of ever-increasing virus attacks. Moreover, many users would still want separate devices for various applications, rather than having an all-in-one product. Microsoft has apparently invested oodles of money in the digital entertainment business, but the company is yet to make profits from this side. But Bill Gates and his ilk usually put the money where their mouths are: So we may have new Windows in our households soon. Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury
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