I'm asking serious and reasonable questions. I've quite often seen people think they have great ideas for products and that what they are great ideas...but they don't play out in practical reality because people don't want them or need them. Now I fully understand that wants and needs change over time. I get that. I also get that not everything that every science-fiction writer has ever dreamed up becomes reality.
So...I asked the question: Why? Why do I want this? Why do I need this? How will this improve my life?
Some other posters have engaged this question well and offered good ideas about why and what. You ask if I've read a book (with whatever implication that carries).
Actually, my answer was meant to be somewhat serious. In the story Phileas Fogg and Passepartout set out on their journey around the world and it's not until they're underway that Passepartout realizes he had forgotten to turn off the gas light in his room. They're no going back so it'll burn until they've completed their journey around the world. (Fogg tells him that the cost will be deducted from his wages.) This sort of thing happens to people all the time; being able to correct this sort of mistake would be useful.
But that doesn't really answer the more basic question: Why?
Setting aside the thermostat (having programmable thermostats her likely been a great improvement.) Why would I want home automation? What do I want to automate and control in this way?
Nobody can answer the question for you. There are still many people who don't want a smartphone. It's up to them. Many of us would love a true smarthome. Would you? Apparently not. But that irrelevant.
You know, lot of people on other side of the fence feels the same about Apple as well. Apple does great refinement and integration of existing technologies - but does all that qualify as innovation? Likewise, is something like Kinect an innovation? Xbox Live (as first on-line network for consoles)? are there innovations in MS server technologies - surely they are not buying and stealing everything that makes and constantly improves HyperV, SharePoint, Exchange, original project Surface, SmartGlass... arguably some of these innovations (if any) are not obvious as physical consumer oriented products innovations, but I don't think that "obvious" defines innovation anyway.
I see nothing in that that was innovative. It was just another take on what was done before, and not much of an improvement. Kinect is good, but not ground breaking. After all the talk about it, it's died down. XBox live is interesting, but what make for such a big deal over a console doing it? Sony did it too. Surface hasn't done all that well, and it's more a Fuji project that Microsoft put its name on than anything else. Fuji designed and builds the hardware, and most of the software as well.
If that was the best you could come up with, then it proves my point, whereas Apple has changed the computer industry, the music industry, and others.
Nobody can answer the question for you. There are still many people who don't want a smartphone. It's up to them. Many of us would love a true smarthome. Would you? Apparently not. But that irrelevant.
Sure. I get that. I get that no one can answer that for me, personally. I also get that many people don't want or need many new products and technologies that come out. But, and I suspect most people probably realized this, I was asking "why" generally...and when I used "me" I was speaking broadly. It was a kind of rhetorical device. It was meant to ask "Who wants this? What will it do for them?"
It was meant to ask "Who wants this? What will it do for them?"
There are things we have to remember that we shouldn't. There are activities we have to perform that we shouldn't. People don't think about it because "that's the way it has been" for as long as they can remember.
Picture this:
You're forgetful. Darn if you don't remember to grab everything when you leave in the morning. All you have to do is remember what you need once and tell your house what that stuff is. As you open your front door in the morning, your house calls to you over the intercom on your porch (there's one in each room), "Remember your phone!" If it registers the phone as right by the front door, it doesn't say this, as it's in your pocket. But if your phone is back in your study or up by your bed, it calls out to you. Same with other things that the house can't track: "You were going to take that flash drive to Dave this afternoon!" Just tell your house what you need, and it'll remind you of it.
The intercom in every room would also operate like Siri does. "House, turn down the lights a little." And you've told it in the past what "a little" means to you. It remembers that and does it. "House, play some classic jazz." And your house registers where you are in it and plays the music only through the speakers in the room you occupy. If you walk into another room, the music follows you. That way your wife can nap or work where you aren't. Also, when you give your house a command or request, it will only reply to you through the speakers in the room you occupy. You don't disturb others with one half of a conversation, and they can hold their own with the house simultaneously in other rooms, taking separate commands.
Think about how all this could come together come movie time. Friends over, all in the same room, you ask the house to put on a specific movie. It knows where you are in the house, so it knows what TV you want to watch. It talks to your Apple TV (BOX) and the movie starts streaming to it. Simultaneously, the lights in that room are dimmed or turned off, depending on your preference.
But now you're thirsty. Milk time. Go to the fridge, take out the jug, finish it off. You didn't put the jug back in the fridge.
"Hmm," thinks your fridge, roughly an hour later, "I'm missing milk." And so your fridge sends a message to your phone over your house's Wi-Fi, telling it to put "[brand name, if you prefer one] [chosen fat percentage] milk" in your geofenced "grocery list" reminder in Reminders. The next time you go to the store, your phone will alert you to the fact that you're at the store, and here's what you wanted to get more of. Go through the store, grab the stuff, walk to the front of the store… bag it and walk out. Each product has an RFID tag (obviously; that's how your fridge knew what it was missing), so the store knows exactly what you took. It sends a message to your phone (which you brought with you), and your account is deducted the amount of your purchase once you pull out of the parking lot.
Not only that, but when your fridge sent a message to your phone, it also sent a message to the store. It knows where it's sending the message because your geofenced "grocery list" reminder told it so. The store receives your message (and everyone else's), and knows exactly how much to stock of exactly what. So the store also knows how much to order (in the future) of exactly what. Saves them countless time and money.
Companies can get real-time information on how well their product lines are doing. Product testbed rollouts (like those done northwest Indiana/northeast Ohio/southeast Michigan) can know day by day how well the new product sells. They can know how better to market it ("oh, this is a weekend product")—or not at all—that much faster, saving time and money across their board, too.
In one fell swoop, the way you live in your house, the way you shop, and international supply markets are completely revolutionized.
There are things we have to remember that we shouldn't. There are activities we have to perform that we shouldn't. People don't think about it because "that's the way it has been" for as long as they can remember.
Picture this:
You're forgetful. Darn if you don't remember to grab everything when you leave in the morning. All you have to do is remember what you need once and tell your house what that stuff is. As you open your front door in the morning, your house calls to you over the intercom on your porch (there's one in each room), "Remember your phone!" If it registers the phone as right by the front door, it doesn't say this, as it's in your pocket. But if your phone is back in your study or up by your bed, it calls out to you. Same with other things that the house can't track: "You were going to take that flash drive to Dave this afternoon!" Just tell your house what you need, and it'll remind you of it.
The intercom in every room would also operate like Siri does. "House, turn down the lights a little." And you've told it in the past what "a little" means to you. It remembers that and does it. "House, play some classic jazz." And your house registers where you are in it and plays the music only through the speakers in the room you occupy. If you walk into another room, the music follows you. That way your wife can nap or work where you aren't. Also, when you give your house a command or request, it will only reply to you through the speakers in the room you occupy. You don't disturb others with one half of a conversation, and they can hold their own with the house simultaneously in other rooms, taking separate commands.
Think about how all this could come together come movie time. Friends over, all in the same room, you ask the house to put on a specific movie. It knows where you are in the house, so it knows what TV you want to watch. It talks to your Apple TV (BOX) and the movie starts streaming to it. Simultaneously, the lights in that room are dimmed or turned off, depending on your preference.
But now you're thirsty. Milk time. Go to the fridge, take out the jug, finish it off. You didn't put the jug back in the fridge.
"Hmm," thinks your fridge, roughly an hour later, "I'm missing milk." And so your fridge sends a message to your phone over your house's Wi-Fi, telling it to put "[brand name, if you prefer one] [chosen fat percentage] milk" in your geofenced "grocery list" reminder in Reminders. The next time you go to the store, your phone will alert you to the fact that you're at the store, and here's what you wanted to get more of. Go through the store, grab the stuff, walk to the front of the store… bag it and walk out. Each product has an RFID tag (obviously; that's how your fridge knew what it was missing), so the store knows exactly what you took. It sends a message to your phone (which you brought with you), and your account is deducted the amount of your purchase once you pull out of the parking lot.
Not only that, but when your fridge sent a message to your phone, it also sent a message to the store. It knows where it's sending the message because your geofenced "grocery list" reminder told it so. The store receives your message (and everyone else's), and knows exactly how much to stock of exactly what. So the store also knows how much to order (in the future) of exactly what. Saves them countless time and money.
Companies can get real-time information on how well their product lines are doing. Product testbed rollouts (like those done northwest Indiana/northeast Ohio/southeast Michigan) can know day by day how well the new product sells. They can know how better to market it ("oh, this is a weekend product")—or not at all—that much faster, saving time and money across their board, too.
In one fell swoop, the way you live in your house, the way you shop, and international supply markets are completely revolutionized.
So you want a really expensive, hi-tech, energy-consuming, buggy, less reliable post-it note?!
Sure. I get that. I get that no one can answer that for me, personally. I also get that many people don't want or need many new products and technologies that come out. But, and I suspect most people probably realized this, I was asking "why" generally...and when I used "me" I was speaking broadly. It was a kind of rhetorical device. It was meant to ask "Who wants this? What will it do for them?"
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier. The VCR and DVR, for example. Do we really need to record shows when we aren't home? Are they that important? Not really, but hundreds of millions, if not billions do this. Do we need a thermostat? No, we can adjust the temperature by hand, manually. Do we want to? No. There are many time and work saving conveniences we all use, including you. There will always be some Luddites out there who don't understand the point to some new technologies. But there will be many more who want them. Products aren't made only if everyone wants it. There will be millions of people who do want this, even early on. Eventually, most homes will come with it. You may not understand the appeal, but I assure you, it is there.
So you want a really expensive, hi-tech, energy-consuming, buggy, less reliable post-it note?!
I believe that what's happening here now, is that you are deliberately misconstruing what's being said about this. I get it, you don't want it, don't understand it, and don't understand why others may want it. But don't attempt to bring this down to some simplistic level.
I believe that what's happening here now, is that you are deliberately misconstruing what's being said about this. I get it, you don't want it, don't understand it, and don't understand why others may want it. But don't attempt to bring this down to some simplistic level.
I think I get it now. I may not ever be able to see what anyone would want with an iPad that is so… not smaller than a regular iPad, but I can at least be honorable enough not to treat those who think they want it with that sort of callous disrespect.
????????
Well, at least someone learned something from this home automation thread!
I think I get it now. I may not ever be able to see what anyone would want with an iPad that is so… not smaller than a regular iPad, but I can at least be honorable enough not to treat those who think they want it with that sort of callous disrespect.
????????
Well, at least someone learned something from this home automation thread!
Now that's actually quite rich and ironic and hypocritical coming from you and using that particular example. As I recall it, you were quite opinionated to the point of basically shouting down and dismissing anyone who championed the idea of an iPad mini. Your predictions about it then turned out to be quite wrong (or so it appears.) and then you have the audacity to call me out on this. This is downright priceless.
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier.
Quite true. I agree. And I may well be wrong about "home automation." I accept that possibility. You'll note that I even accepted some of the suggestions offered by some posters as possibly legitimate use cases.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier. The VCR and DVR, for example. Do we really need to record shows when we aren't home? Are they that important? Not really, but hundreds of millions, if not billions do this. Do we need a thermostat? No, we can adjust the temperature by hand, manually. Do we want to? No.
Except that in these examples you point to the real and tangible benefits of these innovations (be able to watch a TV program at a different time than broadcast...adjust the HVAC settings without manually doing them.) So your examples seem to be poor ones because the benefits are rather obvious. The broader and more vague "home automation" "solution" is much less clear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
There are many time and work saving conveniences we all use, including you.
I'm fully aware of this. I've never claimed differently and I hope you're not implying that I have. But the point here is exactly that...what are the new time and work saving conveniences in the home that are still be tackled? I'll go further...beyond just time and work saving stuff...we probably have most of that tackled (though, granted, government regulations on things like shower heads, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers is causing us to do MORE work)...it might even be pleasure and leisure enhancements? What are these that demand a broad "home automation" infrastructure?
I can see TVs that are better.
I can see music players that are smarter.
I can see thermostats that are smarter.
I can even see the vision that some (including Mr. Skil) have described. I just wonder how many people really want or need such things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
There will always be some Luddites out there who don't understand the point to some new technologies. But there will be many more who want them.
I hope you're not implying that I'm a Luddite. You'd be quite wrong. I get that some people don't understand the point of new technologies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
Products aren't made only if everyone wants it. There will be millions of people who do want this, even early on. Eventually, most homes will come with it. You may not understand the appeal, but I assure you, it is there.
Possibly you're right. Possibly. Though evidence of your claim would be helpful here. Until then I'll assume it's just your best guess.
Not yet, anyway. But people who pick a product that doesn't do them justice are far more likely to take the advice of others once it fails them.
I'm not sure what that means. It seems you're moving the goal posts. I seem to recall you saying there was no need for it and even that it wouldn't sell. Perhaps I'm wrong and unfairly mischaracterizing your claims and predictions. If I am, I apologize.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970
I'm asking serious and reasonable questions. I've quite often seen people think they have great ideas for products and that what they are great ideas...but they don't play out in practical reality because people don't want them or need them. Now I fully understand that wants and needs change over time. I get that. I also get that not everything that every science-fiction writer has ever dreamed up becomes reality.
So...I asked the question: Why? Why do I want this? Why do I need this? How will this improve my life?
Some other posters have engaged this question well and offered good ideas about why and what. You ask if I've read a book (with whatever implication that carries).
Actually, my answer was meant to be somewhat serious. In the story Phileas Fogg and Passepartout set out on their journey around the world and it's not until they're underway that Passepartout realizes he had forgotten to turn off the gas light in his room. They're no going back so it'll burn until they've completed their journey around the world. (Fogg tells him that the cost will be deducted from his wages.) This sort of thing happens to people all the time; being able to correct this sort of mistake would be useful.
Nobody can answer the question for you. There are still many people who don't want a smartphone. It's up to them. Many of us would love a true smarthome. Would you? Apparently not. But that irrelevant.
I see nothing in that that was innovative. It was just another take on what was done before, and not much of an improvement. Kinect is good, but not ground breaking. After all the talk about it, it's died down. XBox live is interesting, but what make for such a big deal over a console doing it? Sony did it too. Surface hasn't done all that well, and it's more a Fuji project that Microsoft put its name on than anything else. Fuji designed and builds the hardware, and most of the software as well.
If that was the best you could come up with, then it proves my point, whereas Apple has changed the computer industry, the music industry, and others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
Nobody can answer the question for you. There are still many people who don't want a smartphone. It's up to them. Many of us would love a true smarthome. Would you? Apparently not. But that irrelevant.
Sure. I get that. I get that no one can answer that for me, personally. I also get that many people don't want or need many new products and technologies that come out. But, and I suspect most people probably realized this, I was asking "why" generally...and when I used "me" I was speaking broadly. It was a kind of rhetorical device. It was meant to ask "Who wants this? What will it do for them?"
Originally Posted by MJ1970
It was meant to ask "Who wants this? What will it do for them?"
There are things we have to remember that we shouldn't. There are activities we have to perform that we shouldn't. People don't think about it because "that's the way it has been" for as long as they can remember.
Picture this:
You're forgetful. Darn if you don't remember to grab everything when you leave in the morning. All you have to do is remember what you need once and tell your house what that stuff is. As you open your front door in the morning, your house calls to you over the intercom on your porch (there's one in each room), "Remember your phone!" If it registers the phone as right by the front door, it doesn't say this, as it's in your pocket. But if your phone is back in your study or up by your bed, it calls out to you. Same with other things that the house can't track: "You were going to take that flash drive to Dave this afternoon!" Just tell your house what you need, and it'll remind you of it.
The intercom in every room would also operate like Siri does. "House, turn down the lights a little." And you've told it in the past what "a little" means to you. It remembers that and does it. "House, play some classic jazz." And your house registers where you are in it and plays the music only through the speakers in the room you occupy. If you walk into another room, the music follows you. That way your wife can nap or work where you aren't. Also, when you give your house a command or request, it will only reply to you through the speakers in the room you occupy. You don't disturb others with one half of a conversation, and they can hold their own with the house simultaneously in other rooms, taking separate commands.
Think about how all this could come together come movie time. Friends over, all in the same room, you ask the house to put on a specific movie. It knows where you are in the house, so it knows what TV you want to watch. It talks to your Apple TV (BOX) and the movie starts streaming to it. Simultaneously, the lights in that room are dimmed or turned off, depending on your preference.
But now you're thirsty. Milk time. Go to the fridge, take out the jug, finish it off. You didn't put the jug back in the fridge.
"Hmm," thinks your fridge, roughly an hour later, "I'm missing milk." And so your fridge sends a message to your phone over your house's Wi-Fi, telling it to put "[brand name, if you prefer one] [chosen fat percentage] milk" in your geofenced "grocery list" reminder in Reminders. The next time you go to the store, your phone will alert you to the fact that you're at the store, and here's what you wanted to get more of. Go through the store, grab the stuff, walk to the front of the store… bag it and walk out. Each product has an RFID tag (obviously; that's how your fridge knew what it was missing), so the store knows exactly what you took. It sends a message to your phone (which you brought with you), and your account is deducted the amount of your purchase once you pull out of the parking lot.
Not only that, but when your fridge sent a message to your phone, it also sent a message to the store. It knows where it's sending the message because your geofenced "grocery list" reminder told it so. The store receives your message (and everyone else's), and knows exactly how much to stock of exactly what. So the store also knows how much to order (in the future) of exactly what. Saves them countless time and money.
Companies can get real-time information on how well their product lines are doing. Product testbed rollouts (like those done northwest Indiana/northeast Ohio/southeast Michigan) can know day by day how well the new product sells. They can know how better to market it ("oh, this is a weekend product")—or not at all—that much faster, saving time and money across their board, too.
In one fell swoop, the way you live in your house, the way you shop, and international supply markets are completely revolutionized.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
There are things we have to remember that we shouldn't. There are activities we have to perform that we shouldn't. People don't think about it because "that's the way it has been" for as long as they can remember.
Picture this:
You're forgetful. Darn if you don't remember to grab everything when you leave in the morning. All you have to do is remember what you need once and tell your house what that stuff is. As you open your front door in the morning, your house calls to you over the intercom on your porch (there's one in each room), "Remember your phone!" If it registers the phone as right by the front door, it doesn't say this, as it's in your pocket. But if your phone is back in your study or up by your bed, it calls out to you. Same with other things that the house can't track: "You were going to take that flash drive to Dave this afternoon!" Just tell your house what you need, and it'll remind you of it.
The intercom in every room would also operate like Siri does. "House, turn down the lights a little." And you've told it in the past what "a little" means to you. It remembers that and does it. "House, play some classic jazz." And your house registers where you are in it and plays the music only through the speakers in the room you occupy. If you walk into another room, the music follows you. That way your wife can nap or work where you aren't. Also, when you give your house a command or request, it will only reply to you through the speakers in the room you occupy. You don't disturb others with one half of a conversation, and they can hold their own with the house simultaneously in other rooms, taking separate commands.
Think about how all this could come together come movie time. Friends over, all in the same room, you ask the house to put on a specific movie. It knows where you are in the house, so it knows what TV you want to watch. It talks to your Apple TV (BOX) and the movie starts streaming to it. Simultaneously, the lights in that room are dimmed or turned off, depending on your preference.
But now you're thirsty. Milk time. Go to the fridge, take out the jug, finish it off. You didn't put the jug back in the fridge.
"Hmm," thinks your fridge, roughly an hour later, "I'm missing milk." And so your fridge sends a message to your phone over your house's Wi-Fi, telling it to put "[brand name, if you prefer one] [chosen fat percentage] milk" in your geofenced "grocery list" reminder in Reminders. The next time you go to the store, your phone will alert you to the fact that you're at the store, and here's what you wanted to get more of. Go through the store, grab the stuff, walk to the front of the store… bag it and walk out. Each product has an RFID tag (obviously; that's how your fridge knew what it was missing), so the store knows exactly what you took. It sends a message to your phone (which you brought with you), and your account is deducted the amount of your purchase once you pull out of the parking lot.
Not only that, but when your fridge sent a message to your phone, it also sent a message to the store. It knows where it's sending the message because your geofenced "grocery list" reminder told it so. The store receives your message (and everyone else's), and knows exactly how much to stock of exactly what. So the store also knows how much to order (in the future) of exactly what. Saves them countless time and money.
Companies can get real-time information on how well their product lines are doing. Product testbed rollouts (like those done northwest Indiana/northeast Ohio/southeast Michigan) can know day by day how well the new product sells. They can know how better to market it ("oh, this is a weekend product")—or not at all—that much faster, saving time and money across their board, too.
In one fell swoop, the way you live in your house, the way you shop, and international supply markets are completely revolutionized.
So you want a really expensive, hi-tech, energy-consuming, buggy, less reliable post-it note?!
deleted
Originally Posted by MJ1970
So you want a really expensive, hi-tech, energy-consuming, buggy, less reliable post-it note?!
Thanks for ignoring everything else in there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Thanks for ignoring everything else in there.
You're welcome for distilling it down to its essence.
Originally Posted by MJ1970
…distilling it down to its essence.
No. End of story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
No. End of story.
It's okay, Mr. Skil. We can disagree. That's allowed even. Chill.
Originally Posted by MJ1970
We can disagree.
You're ignoring roughly 60% of what I wrote. You're just outright wrong when you say you've distilled it to only a portion thereof!
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier. The VCR and DVR, for example. Do we really need to record shows when we aren't home? Are they that important? Not really, but hundreds of millions, if not billions do this. Do we need a thermostat? No, we can adjust the temperature by hand, manually. Do we want to? No. There are many time and work saving conveniences we all use, including you. There will always be some Luddites out there who don't understand the point to some new technologies. But there will be many more who want them. Products aren't made only if everyone wants it. There will be millions of people who do want this, even early on. Eventually, most homes will come with it. You may not understand the appeal, but I assure you, it is there.
I believe that what's happening here now, is that you are deliberately misconstruing what's being said about this. I get it, you don't want it, don't understand it, and don't understand why others may want it. But don't attempt to bring this down to some simplistic level.
Originally Posted by melgross
I believe that what's happening here now, is that you are deliberately misconstruing what's being said about this. I get it, you don't want it, don't understand it, and don't understand why others may want it. But don't attempt to bring this down to some simplistic level.
I think I get it now. I may not ever be able to see what anyone would want with an iPad that is so… not smaller than a regular iPad, but I can at least be honorable enough not to treat those who think they want it with that sort of callous disrespect.
????????
Well, at least someone learned something from this home automation thread!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I think I get it now. I may not ever be able to see what anyone would want with an iPad that is so… not smaller than a regular iPad, but I can at least be honorable enough not to treat those who think they want it with that sort of callous disrespect.
????????
Well, at least someone learned something from this home automation thread!
Now that's actually quite rich and ironic and hypocritical coming from you and using that particular example. As I recall it, you were quite opinionated to the point of basically shouting down and dismissing anyone who championed the idea of an iPad mini. Your predictions about it then turned out to be quite wrong (or so it appears.) and then you have the audacity to call me out on this. This is downright priceless.
Originally Posted by MJ1970
Your predictions about it then turned out to be quite wrong (or so it appears.)…
Not yet, anyway. But people who pick a product that doesn't do them justice are far more likely to take the advice of others once it fails them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier.
Quite true. I agree. And I may well be wrong about "home automation." I accept that possibility. You'll note that I even accepted some of the suggestions offered by some posters as possibly legitimate use cases.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
You might as well ask that of every technology that's made life easier. The VCR and DVR, for example. Do we really need to record shows when we aren't home? Are they that important? Not really, but hundreds of millions, if not billions do this. Do we need a thermostat? No, we can adjust the temperature by hand, manually. Do we want to? No.
Except that in these examples you point to the real and tangible benefits of these innovations (be able to watch a TV program at a different time than broadcast...adjust the HVAC settings without manually doing them.) So your examples seem to be poor ones because the benefits are rather obvious. The broader and more vague "home automation" "solution" is much less clear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
There are many time and work saving conveniences we all use, including you.
I'm fully aware of this. I've never claimed differently and I hope you're not implying that I have. But the point here is exactly that...what are the new time and work saving conveniences in the home that are still be tackled? I'll go further...beyond just time and work saving stuff...we probably have most of that tackled (though, granted, government regulations on things like shower heads, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers is causing us to do MORE work)...it might even be pleasure and leisure enhancements? What are these that demand a broad "home automation" infrastructure?
I can see TVs that are better.
I can see music players that are smarter.
I can see thermostats that are smarter.
I can even see the vision that some (including Mr. Skil) have described. I just wonder how many people really want or need such things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
There will always be some Luddites out there who don't understand the point to some new technologies. But there will be many more who want them.
I hope you're not implying that I'm a Luddite. You'd be quite wrong. I get that some people don't understand the point of new technologies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
Products aren't made only if everyone wants it. There will be millions of people who do want this, even early on. Eventually, most homes will come with it. You may not understand the appeal, but I assure you, it is there.
Possibly you're right. Possibly. Though evidence of your claim would be helpful here. Until then I'll assume it's just your best guess.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Not yet, anyway. But people who pick a product that doesn't do them justice are far more likely to take the advice of others once it fails them.
I'm not sure what that means. It seems you're moving the goal posts. I seem to recall you saying there was no need for it and even that it wouldn't sell. Perhaps I'm wrong and unfairly mischaracterizing your claims and predictions. If I am, I apologize.
Originally Posted by MJ1970
I seem to recall you saying there was no need for it and even that it wouldn't sell.
Even the Microsoft Surface has sold units. Obviously everyone was wrong about it¡