Peter Lewis of Fortune magazine doesn’t think Microsoft’s, Sony’s, or any other company’s “convergence strategy” is going to work:
It’s far too complicated for a consumer audience, unless the consumers have a technical degree from the University of Pluto. Most Americans still connect to the Internet over dial-up modems. The VCR clock is still blinking 12:00. When consumers go to the electronics store to buy home networking gear, more often than not they return it because it’s just too hard to figure out. That’s not an exaggeration: The return rate for home networking products is well over 50 percent, according to retailers. And that’s just for connecting computers, not to mention a United Nations of devices that use different communications protocols, different operating systems, and different media formats. Sony and Microsoft don’t even know how to explain to Ma and Pa and the kids why they should want their PC to communicate with the TV. Stop someone on the street and ask, “Are you frustrated because you want to stream video from your PC to the video monitor in your bedroom?” Chances are you’ll get slapped.
