Date   : Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:16:47 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: Beeb, this was your grandma!

Rob wrote:

> we have to look forward to a computer terminal in every home!

The French sort-of managed that ages ago with Minitel. One of the big 
problems of computer terminals is "connected to what?". I mean, what 
would my mom want with a terminal that will provide details and line 
drawings of tractor engines and spares?

This is a reality nowadays as the internet is a great big hodge-podge 
mashup of assorted crap where there is something to interest just about 
anybody (OMG! Mom's just worked out how to order stuff from Amazon 
unaided! OMG!). Couple this with the fact that most internet access is 
via a computer as opposed to a terminal, thus it has uses beyond the 
wired world - homwe finance, that sort of guff, being a common example. 
I know one old dear who uses a 1Gb/2.8GHz box with widescreen LCD 
monitor. It sits in her kitchen and she uses Google and YouTube for 
discovering new recipes. Her husband is going mental as it's a different 
culture's cuisine each meal. <grin> [*]

Did they see *that* coming???


Best wishes,

Rick.


* - we have an 'understanding' on Avast. "That sweet young chap on the 
TV is wrong. Computers can't catch viruses, dear, as they aren't alive. 
But you can put this thing in my computer if it will stop you nagging at 
me." :-)

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...