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Buzz Out Loud Lounge: 2008 predictions
oops
by grfd703 - 1/4/08 9:52 PM In reply to: My techie guess for 2008 by pingeyez2Only took you one day to get one wrong
"There will be a constant battle between DVD/HD and Blu-ray as the prices go down until there is a clear winner"
Verizon FIOS
by jpedgar - 1/3/08 11:21 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTVerizon's FIOS will continue to take customers away from the competition as they continue launching video in more of their markets. Their customers service will continue to to be poor but will get better by the end of the year.
I also predict....
by sith_killer_99 - 1/4/08 7:57 PM In reply to: Verizon FIOS by jpedgarPeople who posted things like.....
"64GB solid state hard drives"
and
"Solid state hard drives for laptops"
as 2008 predictions will smack themselves square in the forehead when they realize that these were released in 2007, or they will play the whole thing of by saying something lame like "well I meant main stream".
Alienware released the first laptop with a solid state hard drive months ago, right around the time they started offering desktops with 64GB solid state drives. In fact Alienware offers a laptop with dual 64GB solid state drives!
Anyway, back to an issue I have seen a lot of questions about. Optical (CD/DVD) drives disappearing from the PC.
Personally, I do not see optical drives disappearing any time soon. However, the case can be made that casual users could easily get by without them. Many ultra portable PC's do not have optical drives. In fact with a solid internet connection and a USB port a person can easily download and install any software program, download movies transfer files and do just about anything they need to, all without the use of any optical media. So yes, for the casual user with a good internet connection CD/DVD drives are not really necessary. However with all of that said, most people still want their CD/DVD drive. Let's face it, it's just easier rent/buy a DVD and pop it into the drive than it is to find it online and download over an all too slow net connection. Besides, too many people are attached to the idea of owning a physical hard copy on disc. Downloads are a niche market and will remain so for a long time to come.
2008 will be the year of user-friendliness
by zibistor - 1/4/08 1:33 AM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTFirst of all, Firefox 3 will kill IE 7 once and for all (hopefully).
Because the only good thing IE has is looks, and if you go back a few years, Netscape looked better than IE, but IE won. Firefox is already better, but version 3 will rule.
Vista will finally get into the flow.
Because the biggest issue with Vista, that is compatability, is gradually being come over. And folks, Vista rules in user-friendliness. Also, some of the new updates have greatly increased multimedia capabilities (like editing ID3 tags in the explorer).
iPhone will be knocked out by solid competition.
The main reason is Apple's extreme dependency on iTunes. Take a look at most other phones - they allow transfer of music, pictures, videos, etc in so many easier ways!! I agree that the interface is great but then there IS something called user-friendliness. Aplle has a history of success ONLY because of eye-candy. The iPod didn't have so much of compettition, so it thrived, but the iPhone has simply too much of competition. By the end of the year it will become like what the MotoRAZR became - a good budget phone(if they think of price-cuts, that is). It will not be in the race of the high-end phones.
Loyalty to the iPod will increase
Take one look at an iPod, and you know its a dozen times better than competition from almost every angle. The new ones simply increase the high notch of user-friendliness further.
Internet-based multimedia piracy will keep on increasing
Its been this way ever since the times of Napster. Music buffs still like using P2Ps like Limewire and Bearshare.
Blu-Ray will take over HD DVD by the end of the year
See, if the difference in capacity was 10 or 20 percent, it would be fine, but we are talking about a ratio of 3:5, and that sure is big!!!
And the way High-Def standards are increasing, that extra capacity WILL become important. What's more, check out the players backing Blu-Ray and you'll know it's the big fish.
Hard drive capacities will increase
This is really obvious. If you look back, you'll see that capacities approximately double every two years.
Linux gets a boost
People are going in for cheaper stuff. Maybe not on the PC, but Linux-based OSes are becoming popular on more and more devices.
GPS comes into the limelight
With convergence devices like the Nokia N95, people now know about GPS, and its a very convenient technology, so it will grow.
Canon remains a hit
Look at Canon printers and cameras. You know they rule. Faster and better quality printers, combined with user-friendly cameras with higher quality than all competition will keep the crown on Canon's head as far as photos go.
Thats it
These are my Tech predictions for the year 2008
Happy New Year!
2008 micro-nightmare
by techmulticast - 1/4/08 8:48 AM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTWow so many predictions in this thread 
The following is my funny 2008 nigthmare, for your laughters. Love Ur "pop"cast BOL. Keep Buzzing. Cheers.
In 2008, I could be...
1) Reading a news article that indicate Facebook has become the new "playground"/platform for spammer or some advertising firm, since quite a bit of the current application need to forward to many friends before we can use.
2) Watching LIVE show such as MTV awards, MSNBC news via Xbox360, I might even turn it into a DVR. I can plan the recording schedule on my PC, and choose whether to record it in my PC or Xbox HardDrive.
3) Watching user reviews/demo videos on games/hardware/software, uploaded by other xbox live users, so as to decide whether do I want to buy that game or hardware. I might even be able to watch a cooking demo on how to fry an egg with an old Classic Xbox, uploaded by some smart grandma.
4)Delicate Music MTV or games or puzzle via Xbox360 or PC to my friend in my "360Xdays" social network.
5)Buying "Movies Thumb Drives", whereby I can plug into my PC or Xbox360 to play. (why do I need a HD DVD / BlueRay player?)
6) Watching Live Shows streaming to my Zune from my Xbox360 or PC, while I am in the toilet.
7) Tracking stock prices or reading ebook on bus with a Zune (design by fossil) using MSN direct for free.
8) Making WIFI VoIP call, Instant Messaging and even payment with a Zune at StarBuck or Mcdonald.
9) Driving a "Green" car that has a "microsoft window logo", instead of a BMW or Mercedes logo. The maker of the car is called MacroHard, a spin-off from Microsoft.
Item 9
by TreknologyNet - 1/4/08 5:20 PM In reply to: 2008 micro-nightmare by techmulticastThe car may be painted green, but it will consume 4 gallons per mile, and after five miles it will just stop. Everyone will have to get out, close all windows, then try to restart the car.
There will be six different steering options, but no traditional steering wheel, and you will have to navigate endless menus to access things like headlights and wipers.
Item 9
by TreknologyNet - 1/4/08 5:21 PM In reply to: 2008 micro-nightmare by techmulticastThe car may be painted green, but it will consume 4 gallons per mile, and after five miles it will just stop. Everyone will have to get out, close all windows, then try to restart the car.
There will be six different steering options, but no traditional steering wheel, and you will have to navigate endless menus to access things like headlights and wipers.
2008 Predictions - Maybe
by djemit - 1/4/08 8:55 AM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTI think this is the year that the PC's hand will reach out from the desk to parts of the home. Home automation, monitoring, and information stations will start to come to light. The introduction of smart screens throughout the house with peripheral connections and Wifi connections (such as webcams or mics) might come to market.
With concerns of global warming becoming ever so clear, we will start to use smart light fixtures with built-in motion detecting and perhaps "electricity-monitoring" devices. The interest in nuclear-power will be renewed as a viable source of clean power with the wide-spread coverage of Toshiba's new micro-nuclear power reactors are put into use.
I think the a touch-based apple Power PC is coming since that model did not get revised. They will introduce yet another iPod such as a higher-capacity iPod Touch, and maybe the touch screen will trickle down to a Touch Nano (to use up those 8 gb and 16gb flash memory they bought). Wonder if they will ever create at head-unit for cars? Why would anyone buy an alpine then?
And, someone will put on a small andriod (if sony doesn't - remember their QRIO project) that will useful world-wide.
Finally, for this blog, I think that some amazing techonerd is going to produce a new PC interface that opens up the PC to a 3D interface type-deal like we have seen on Sci-Fi movies such as Minority Report.
My Tec- Predictions for 2008
by danstheman7 - 1/4/08 3:17 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTAs a CNET account person, i am going to predict that in 2008......
Sprint Will stink more then ever due to their lacking service in NY,
Laptops will become more portable, and their prices will drop so low, desktops will be extinct,
The internet is going to lessen in it's quality. In response, DSL will be replaced with Fiber-Optic cables, like Verizon is starting to do.
The Iphone is going to be sold out until the end of the year, thus giving other companies opportunities to build and sell Iphone Like phones, like the already sold voyager. My final prediction for 2008 is that.....
Internet Crime will go up! Hacking and virus activity has been increasing as it is, so i predict that .
One wishful prediction
by Mathemusician - 1/4/08 6:18 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTWe will see mid-sized OLED tv's that are slimmer and more vibrant than current models at a reasonable price for consumer purchase by the end of 2008
CD/DVD drives aren't useless
by NicksNotes - 1/5/08 8:22 AM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTthriftyT,
CD/DVD drives certainly aren't "useless". folks create home movies to share on DVD all the time. and more importantly, disc-based media should be an important third-leg of a someone's backup mix (primary harddrive + alternate harddrive + offlined disc-media).
CD's and DVD's are quite convenient and cost effective for archiving/backups. and especially easy to offsite backup (safety deposit box, insurance agent's files, or stashed at someone else's house). especially when using Toast or teh Burn Disc feature of the OS.
a disc-based backup tact is much preferred than using a pay-for-service online solution (.Mac, etc.), or uploading/storing sensitive data on some 'nefarious' online service (Comcast, Verizon, Google, etc). all of which their service plans could change, or your data could be parsed under the Patriot Act, and you'd never know...
iPhone 2
by RCMeltzer - 1/5/08 5:34 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTApple will release iPhone 2 at a price point of $599, keeping iPhone 1 at $399. The new model will include the best voice control and voice dialling (including via Bluetooth) the world has ever seen!
sorry to burst your bubble...
by larry123 - 1/5/08 7:15 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTsorry to burst your bubble but...
With more and more people losing their jobs because business is moving everything out of the country I see a drastic down turn in all electronic sales.
The finance industry is in dire straights. High oil prices at the pump, coupled with the additional cost of food being transported, the loss of good paying wages,(Those above $20.00 an hour), as well as increasing medical cost doesn't leave much if any for "toys"
More Bad Than Good
by joedelco - 1/5/08 10:10 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTI see a few bad things happening (or good things not happening) in 2008:
1. We will elect another technologically ignorant President to oversee our already technologically ignorant government that will remove more of our rights as American citizens on the Internet and provide more avenues for archaic minded organizations (RIAA and MPAA) to hold on to their ancient methods of distributing and selling products.
2. The 802.11n standard will continue in draft form, because no matter how much people want it or how ready it is, we will have to wait a few more years...
3. Tiered Internet will become a problem because we "trusted" our ISPs to do the right thing rather than making it clear what we want from them.
Thunder's Predictions
by THUNDERxRAGE - 1/5/08 10:34 PM In reply to: 2008 predictions by thriftyTEvery medias will continue to neglect the people with hearing loss by not providing captions on any videos online.
YouTube will never require each videos uploaded to be captioned.
cNet will continue to fail on not providing captions on any videos.
Total neglection widespread across the Internet.
VideoPhone continues to be free for all with hearing loss while the hearing people will have to pay money for one. LoL
Hearing people will continue to play stupid pranks on every relay services online.
Oh yeah, all the sites that offer paid downloads of movies, music videos, and all others will still be captionless.
Captions on HD channels will still be wierd. I'm serious!
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