Strange. I read yesterday that they were going to concentrate on creating an proper android OS for PCs.
$20 Netbooks?
Remember the '$100' laptop? Cost $199 but you had to buy two on a great deal (buy two only get one) so $398.The Elonex '£99 laptop', is/was shit and still hasn't been released, meanwhile I bought a better specced netbook for £150.In other words '$20' will get good headlines, if it costs less than £100/$100 outside a contract it be will rubbish and unusable. Meanwhile there are plenty of 'free' laptops around now, as long as you get them on a 3G contract. Considering it will be unusable without a internet connection you are unlikely to be able to buy them outside a contract.
On a similar ish theme, I've wondered why none of the national newspapers have released a kindle or equivalent that downloads the paper every day... along the model of pay £100 up front and say free Guardian/indy/telegraph for a year etc.. then after a year you pay a subscription thereafter to get the paper (e.g. £20-50 a year) - thereby the newspapers get their income.... and you get a reader/browser etc..
I'm fascinated by the differing financial models the papers are going for. It's the defining moment in journalism, some big names will go to the wall and everything will be very different in a very short space of time. I've no idea what the answer is (the above sounding like quite a good one) but I'm damn sure it isn't Murdoch's paywall (the stupid old twat).I haven't bought a paper for years. We used to get the Observer / Sunday Times but since parenthood that went out the window (lazing around drinking wine on a Sunday?! Did we really?!) and now I just get all my news etc online. Usually as it goes on the websites due to Twitter. Not sure what I'd be willing to pay or for what type of service particularly as I've become so used to it all being free. As I say, it's all very interesting.
On another similarish theme - I'm amazed ryanair dont have free to view TV's on the back of their seats which are laden with ads between the programs...
I haven't bought a paper for years.
That's the thing. I don't know what The Guardian's financial strategy for the future is but I know they have said they will not charge for online content. With that kind of readership they have the power to do it, I just don't know what the plan is. I get about 80 - 90% of my online news info from The Guardian but then that was the paper I used to read most anyway.
Does it read articles to you?