OK.
So I'm looking and I see that now we have:
- T1
- DSL
- ISDN
- Cable
- Satellite
- Wi-Fi
- Wireless (Digital cell phone)
- Dialup
All for internet access types. Instead of trying to improve the existing, we're making more types. I remember when dialup was all that was available, and even that was limited speed-wise. T1 connections are still too expensive; DSL isn't available to every home; Cable is bandwidth limited in most markets; Satellite is not only slow but does not support uploading (necessary to request packets, so you have to have a dialup account in order to surf); Wi-Fi is so new that we don't know how Wi-Fi will affect our health, not to mention it's unsecure and VERY easy to hack people's computers through it; Wireless is not only slow but it's expensive for how slow it is.
What about dialup? Believe it or not, it's the connection of choice. Why you ask? Why would anyone want something so slow? I'll give you 3 reasons.
1 - Grandma from Pasadena who only checks emails isn't going to pay $29.95-$49.95 for a high speed connection that she won't notice anyway, not when she could pay $4.95-$12.95 for a connection that suits her needs just fine.
2 - Dialup doesn't care how far you are from what. All you're doing is making a phone call, which you could make to just about anyone with a phone number. That means everyone can have it.
3 - Faxing without external software requires a phone line. Manual fax machines have not evolved in over 8 years, and they probably never will. I'm itching to see if VoIP will allow for broadband Ethernet connections to initiate and establish a dialtone, but in the meantime, if people want to fax over their line, they'd rather just get a main line and a fax line, because they'd get a discount on it. People don't want to disconnect their phone lines for just a broadband connect, knowing they lose the ability to fax or receive calls.
I hope some of these technologies drop off, because a lot are great ideas, but pointless (wireless and satellite).
