[Rebelbase]

This comes from a guy whose home has ever changing digital artwork hanging on plasma screens throughout his house.

Maybe in Bill Gates life and a few of the elites amoung us, but not for the masses.

[mpreston]

"This comes from a guy whose home has ever changing digital artwork hanging on plasma screens throughout his house."

Mmmmm ..... I wonder if he pays a royalty to the original artist each time one is displayed? Bet not.

[HairOfTheDog]

Maybe in Bill Gates life and a few of the elites amoung us, but not for the masses.

Yeah - people will really never need a computer in their house... Isn't that what we once told Bill? ;~D

I think he's right.... the idea of cable TV and cable internet, or telephone versus internet being different things, TV broadcasts that are only available at certain times or movies or music only on hard disks? - That will soon be a thing of the past. I am not sure what it will look like in ten years, but it won't look like it does now.

[reformedliberal]

I am 61. I remember when B&W TV was a novelty for the rich. Ditto color TV, VCRs, CD players, computers, satellite TV, air conditioning in cars,moe thanone car per family, conversion vans, central a/c, home hot tubs, home above ground swimming pools, microwave ovens, just to name a few. Then there are home graphics, video and music editing systems, which used to cost $200k or so.

We just bought our first flat screen HDTV. By the time it needs to be replaced, I expect the plasma TVs to be just as affordable. Why not have art work on a plasma screen? Who even can forecast what will be available to the average American in another decade?

I love technology all the more since I have been able to afford it, even if I do have to wait years for it to come down to my level. IMO, one of the geniuses of American capitalism is that people take luxuries and develop them for mass production for all of us.

[GretchenM]

You've hit on the core of my response to this article. Gates better stretch out his timeline if he wants this DVD-destroying technology to be cheap enough for the average slum lord, single mom, college student, etc.

Yes, DVD's and CD's can get scratched, but if you take care of them, they don't.

I like my DVD's and CD's. Am always willing to try a new technology but even though I have CD players and a DVD player, I still have cassette players, and use them.