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Analysis: After struggling with Webplayer, this Net junkie is still waiting for a good Web surfing appliance for my living room.
I have seen the future of Internet appliances and it's slow, proprietary, and ponderous.
For the past month I've been playing with the Virginconnect Webplayer, just long enough for first impressions and apprehensions.
As a sucker for anything free, I jumped at Virgin Entertainment's Internet appliance giveaway, announced last December. The British music titan announced its partnership with the Internet Appliance Network (IAN) to give away 10,000 Virgin-branded Internet appliances to consumers as a pilot program. (See "Net Appliances Make Noise.")
Nine months later, my Virgin Webplayer arrived. The device has a ten-inch LCD monitor, a wireless keyboard, a 56-kbps modem, and a 200- MHz National Semiconductor processor. It's designed exclusively for Web browsing and optimized for shopping at the online Virgin Megastore.
Check Out the Fine Print
Here's the catch. In exchange for the cute little Webplayer and free Internet access I forfeit personal data about where I surf, who I am, and my likes and dislikes. The Faustian bargain also requires that I use the device at least ten hours monthly; if not, I must ante up $500 for the Webplayer or return it. The device is free for the first year. Then I'm charged $50 annually for two years. After that I own the hardware and can surf for free.
If I'm ever unhappy with the device, I need only pack it up and ship it back to IAN, and I owe nothing. Not a bad guarantee.
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