first, answering your question:

I have no idea what i'm talking about when it comes to business, but my guess would be that Apple's goal is to dominate the market that involves, but doesn't include, computers. They've lost the computer war (even though they make better computers), but have made a nice little niche or themselves with the Ipod. With Tivo, they'll get their foot in the door with the living room / entertainment center revolution. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that in 20 years, the very idea of a "computer" is outdated.

Now, onto the bigger issue. This might be the first time in human history that technology is actually going backwards. Businesses are spending an unusual amount of time trying to protect their assets instead of creating new ones. The next generation for Tivo doesn't look promising: they are going to superimpose their own commercials on top of the commercials that we now skip through.

CBS is attempting to put something forward called a Flagship _____ (can't think of the word now). Basically, tv programs will have codes embedded in them that will prevent copying.

What's going on here? Big business is so worried about losing any of their profits, that they are spending all their R/D on defense instead of offense. There will be a time in the near future where we can't even tape a tv program. We will long for the days of 1985. Everything on the net is becoming "premium". We'll never have another Napster again.

Not since NHL '96 has something "new" looked so bad compared to its predecesor. The future is not bright.