Joe,
Well in Ontario it gets damned hot in the summer. Like today it got up to 27C (I'll leave it to you to convert that), but in the dead of summer you can get days where it's 33 and a humidex of 42C (we did last year anyway). However, it's normally pleasant in the summer, at around 28C-31C.
Clean it is. Expensive.. not if you like computers. I normally get most stuff here about 20% over the US (assuming dollars on par, ofcourse our dollar is way down lately, so it's actually about 22% cheaper to buy in Canada.. (pass it on))
This is an interesting view. I've tried to imagine what's
coming up, and see fiber coming up to my doorstep before 2005.
In your scenario, where do you see the 56K modems? Do you
see them as an important part of 3COM for this year and
next?
56K is a tide over until the high-speed stuff comes online. They only way the telcos will deploy ADSL is _IF_ they start to get _REAL_ heat from Cable. The only way most cable will deploy is _IF_ they get serious heat from the telcos (i.e. ADSL). So it's a chicken/egg scenario. It will happen but I am not NEARLY as "hyped" as everyone else is about ADSL. I don't see ADSL or cable having over 50% market (combined) until late 2002 at least.
Are you saying that you see T1 lines coming into your
home (more cheaply) before ADSL or Cable can make it
in at an affordable price???
I use the term T1 as a general replacement for the speed of 1.5Mbps, since it's shorter. However with all new houses being deployed with fiber to the curb from both cable and telco, it is possible that the standard T1 type of setup will be used. Afterall, if I am deploying fiber 3 feet from your front door, why not run it the rest of the way (it's cheaper than copper by the foot, and MUCH cheaper to maintain). Why not run the fiber into the house. By the magically 2002 I see at least 15% of all houses with Fiber right into the living room (2 fibers maybe) and T1/T3 style connections to a "neighbourhood" network.
I also see the possibility of pure bandiwdth providers popping up to fill the void that Cable and teh telcos seem to be leaving. And they deploy the fiber and then sell bandwidth to the cable and telcos. Imagine Cable and Phone on the same piece of wire. It will happen. Mark my words.
Lots of people rag on COMS because it's producing "cheaper" products,
but I'm with you, they're always a step ahead and putting
the extra proprietary intelligence to their products, ala
the newer NICs.
By now the trend in the tech industry should be obvious to all but the morons out there. To INCREASE unit shipments you have to reduce costs. People who can afford today's prices already have a computer, network or whatever. There is no more market there to be tapped. You have to bring prices down to bring in more consumers. It's no different than the Microwave, VCR, TV, Radio or Car. They are all technology and all technology follows the same pricing path.
Steve |
