Web surfing for the impatient, and the techno-timid

September 10, 1996
Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EDT

From Correspondent Don Knapp

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- People who live to compute can't seem to get enough technology, while those who still have trouble mastering the VCR can't seem to figure out what the fuss is all about. (15 sec. /672K QuickTime movie)

Now technology developers have found new products to sell to both, with more computer gadgets and speed for the cyber- sophisticated, and easier ways to have fun for the technologically timid.

Calling up the Internet on Web TV's system is about as easy as punching up another TV channel.

"The first component is the remote control," said Web TV's Chip Herman. "The Internet can be surfed from this remote control, at the push of a button. 'One-thumb browsing' is what we call it."

For about $350 up front, and $20 a month, users can surf the Net and even send e-mail from the television screen using Web TV's remote control or an optional keyboard.

Users can compute while watching television on the same screen with Net TV's $3,000 combined TV, computer and CD-ROM system.

"It's a lot of fun to put the home videos up here and start capturing the images and sending them to the relatives over the Internet," said Net TV's Ron Perkes.

If the fastest telephone line computer modems and even the super-fast ISDN lines are not fast enough, one can zoom along the information highway on the same cable hooked up to the TV set with @Home Network's cable box.

"It's extremely fast," said Richard Gingras, of @Home Network. "It allows our customers to take advantage of increasing amounts of video and audio and multimedia that's available on the Web."

Putting the computer on the TV cable costs about $150 for installation and $35 a month.

While the speed may be fast, getting TV cables into computers has gone slowly. Time Warner and @Home Network debuted their systems this week, but both have targeted only limited markets in a few selected communities.

Toshiba's Infinia tries to do it all: TV, stereo, digital video disc, answering machine, and computer all in one big box. The first models are already in some stores with price tags ranging up to $3,600.

The bottom line to these high-tech lines: if you can't get the couch potatoes to the computer, bring the computer to the couch.

Related site:

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• Pathfinder - Time Warner

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