Hi Elektro, “57 channels and nothing on…” as you probably know comes from a song by Bruce Springsteen. The song was released around ten years ago. The comment referred to the American cable industry and the growing number of channels cable systems could deliver into the home. There were more channels, but no “decent” programs.
Cable changed the nature of television in the US (and other places too), but there were/are still many places that receive only three or four good UHF and VHF signals and “cable” has to physically reach its destination to provide a signal. Satellites are different. Today, a satellite television provider can easily provide 200+ channels. Echostar for example can reach all the US from four satellites and 91 frequencies. The same goes for various providers in Europe and the Asian/Pacific region.
The whole issue here is really “programming” or in computer-speak, “software.” We have computers, televisions and telephones to do something with them. Over the years, our habits have not changed, we just wanted more selection or at least we just wanted to do just what we wanted when we want do it. The telephone has evolved in the home from a “handset” attached by cord to a base station, to a “portable” telephone we can walk around the house with, to a mobile telephone, etc. There are countries in Europe with more mobile telephones than fixed telephones. Things changed, but people keep talking to each other. It is just getting increasingly convenient. Have the conversations improved?…;-) Would you consider a SMS message a “program?” SMS messages represented more than 25% of the total revenue of Wireless Operators in Europe in 2001! Sounds like something! Communication between two people is most basic form of “programming.”
The Internet is full of “nothing on” too. We need search engines to find what we want, because there is vastly more to surf than surfers. And, the Internet sea expands daily. You would be surprised to see some of the research we have seen about how people “change channels” on the Internet – it often is strikingly familiar to multi-channel television usage.
The bottom line is the Pegasos as a hardware platform (remember that is where the money is initially) needs “programs” to get people interested in using it -- the more interesting and different things that will work on the Pegasos, the better. More programs not classified as “nothing” may create demand from more buyers. If the cost of implementing those programs is less than the profit generated from the demand, we have a business.
It seems to us that the Pegasos can offer something interesting and unique to the market, but it takes two phases. First, we need to broaden the options of what is possible technically and then when things are ready re-focus on specific, but much larger markets. That is why we like the Phoenix association – it is an organization of like-minded technically smart people who can help us do that. For example, (in step one) bringing Pegasos/MorphOS to the point were it can flawlessly operate as an Internet linked computer or a television receiver/DVD/whatever player at "zap" of the remote and then (step two) promoting it to the high home entertainment center market. The television is what is always is, maybe bigger with better sound, but still a device to watch (did you ever stare into a campfire? – that was the first television!). In the meanwhile, the keyboard and the remote become more closely related and Google starts to feel like a program guide. You see, nothing new, just the same stuff better, more easily, etc. It is not “crap” Loki1, it is a strategic direction. The real question is can we pull it off.
Or, how about a handheld video telephone for that basic “programming” niche…;-)
So far, a component supplier has seriously delayed are plans. The facts and difficulties are well known. Nevertheless, we have continued to march to the objective we have set for ourselves and the Pegasos is being used by people who did buy it and do like it. For example, a testimonial was recently posted at GFX-Base and we do receive plenty of complements directly from users via email. The Pegasos and MorphOS are being used and are being improved. We expect this process to continue. By broadening the opportunity to other development communities increases the potential of the platform, the OS and the possible applications too, as something has to be “on” if we are going to be successful. Simultaneously, we have been trying to get the word out. We have attended shows all over Europe and the biggest one in the USA. We have show plans for the Spring/Summer and User Groups are starting to pop up everywhere. We will gladly support demos as we did a couple of weeks ago in Finland – just ask!
It is time for the competitive and divisive nature of this community to dissipate. Whatever was before has past. Genesi has no competition. There are others who are working on similar projects, good luck to them. The only competition we have is with ourselves to do our best to make Genesi successful. It is time to clean things up around here – forget the petty arguments. There are lots of new people starting to stop by for a closer look and the “programming” here needs to look a little better. Thanks.
Sincerely,
R&B
:-)
