Everyone in high technology claims computers, software, and consumer appliances must be easier to use. Audio, video, and the PC converge . Internet appliance sales are slow . But the majority of appliances are dial-up, and the majority of U.S. homes have only one phone line and no access to broadband. If that changes, Intel and Microsoft will suffer, since they won't have strangleholds on the CPU and operating system in the appliances.
Corporations clamp down on too-personal PDAs .
The same companies that tell users they can't install personal apps on company computers need a plan for personally purchased PDAs. The potential for viruses or database corruption when a wireless device with bad data syncs up with a corporate database is high. RealNetworks wins rights to broadcast mega sports events . Wishful thinking, maybe. But streaming media will offer multiple views in real time if you want to watch an event without that pesky 12-hour delay, presented by multiple announcing teams.