DSL ISPs Cable Companies Dialup Internet Service Providers
The high-speed competition
Some non-competitors
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WebTV
WebTV is a box that plugs into your TV and telephone line to provide access to Internet mail and the World Wide Web. WebTV is not an access technology, in the sense of ISDN or cable modems. In particular, WebTV units do not use cable modems, as many people assume.The original WebTV used 33.6 modems and no disk drives. WebTV Plus units have Rockwell K56flex modems and a 1.1. Gigabyte hard drive. WebTV is an obvious companion product to cable modems. It's not hard to imagine a local cable company renting cable-modem-equipped WebTV boxes to subscribers. The appeal of WebTV units is that they are much cheaper than a new computer (Phillips-Magnavox and Sony sell models for between three and four hundred dollars). They're also virtually maintenance free, so that people who would normally not use computers may buy WebTVs. On April 6, 1997, Microsoft signed a deal to purchase WebTV Networks for 425 million dollars. WebTV presents certain challenges for Web authors. The screen is only 544 pixels wide, and offers no horizontal scrolling. With the potential growth of the WebTV market following the Microsoft purchase, authors should carefully plan their Web pages to make sure the pages are compatible with a wide range of browsers that now run on computers, televisions, and PDAs.
Links Computer Retailer: Mitsubishi previews two Web-based
TVs Microsoft to Acquire WebTV Networks WebTV Technical Specifications WebTV Usability Review from Alertbox |
