Carolyn,
I understand that the focus is currently on Europe, primarily the UK.
However, that certainly doesn't prevent interested parties in the US from exploring the hardware platform, even if they use a different O/S instead of Web2U's interface. They will take whatever business they can find. Why else would McLaughlin and Corstar be working on marketing here in the US, or attending US based trade shows.
The key, imo, to their technologies success has been to provide a product that is low-cost, yet has a special advantage in that their Slipstream chip provides a higher clarity of resolution on PAL/NTSC Televisions.
The set-top box has only been the most pursued usage for the Slipstream ASIC. They, at one time, had developed the "Minstrel" which was a hybrid computer/TV combination (which Gateway later presented independently with their 35" TV/monitor which provided the necessary resolution).
I still see this form of computer/TV hybrid making inroads in the future as bandwidth improves and people find their TV (and eventually flat-panel display "FPD" under HDTV) becomes their centralized platform for all visual entertainment.
This is the promise that AOL/TW are offering. Surfing, Video On Demand, Distance Education, Gaming, Telephony, as well as regular broadcasting content will all bring the TV (or digital FPD) to the center of family entertainment and or utility.
And btw, I have reason to believe that almost all messages are read here on the SI and Raging Bull threads. Heck, we know that GNET employees read their thread.
But you're right... they don't seem to listen much... :0)
In sum, Slipstream, as I understand it, can be used in ANY set-top box, including WebTB. WebTB software can apparently be loaded on Web2U hardware (probably requiring more RAM in the process due to MSFT's bloated O/S coding). The market for set-top boxes here in the US is a potential 100-200 million, especially as broadband proliferates and people develop household intranets connecting their computers and set-tops together.
Plenty of opportunity if they can get their feet in the door with some of the big players.
Regards,
Ron |
