I have an Amstrad computer which we bought in 1986. It is still fully operational. I never use it. It had a life of over 15 years [especially since it hasn't been used for about 4 of them - last used for playing PacMan and Frogger].
Maybe Globalstar satellites will be good for Space PacMan and LEO Frogger in 2010, but I doubt it.
Globalstar1 satellites will be still operational in 2010, but of little value.
5 years before that, the second constellation, with big antennae enabling small handsets with small aerials, long battery life and hugely improved functionality including WWeb access will have made the first constellation obsolete.
By 2006, I can't imagine there will still be handsets being produced for the first constellation. Those satellites are now up there and nothing can be done about them. Handsets have to accommodate the Constellation1 limitations for the next 5 years.
People will look in the shop, see the monster ugly, inefficient, 9600kbps flat battery types available [assuming fuel cells aren't available] and will choose the sleek, WWeb, small, long life battery device sitting right next to it. I can't imagine people choosing the first one.
Constellation1 will have done its job by 2005. Some money will keep coming for the next 3 years until 2008, but a steadily declining and irrelevant stream as Constellations 2, 3 and 4 take over.
Maurice |
