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Author Topic:   Technology Obsolescence
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 1 of 23 (815331)
07-19-2017 6:28 AM


Technology Obsolescence
XKCD comic 19Jul2017: WIFI vs Cellular
Curiously I have been thinking along these lines. With cellular data downloading faster than my current ISP I am tempted to get ride of land-line DSL and get an unlimited data plan. This would let me access internet anywhere there are towers, not just at home, and use my phone as a WiFi Hotspot or Bluetooth Tether.
Get TV over internet and I don't need DirecTV satellite dish. Get the TV stations you want.
All I need to check is download speed for streaming video signal ... and cost of unlimited data plan.
Technological obsolescence says it will get better and better ... 5G ... 6G?
Has anyone else thought/done this?
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by New Cat's Eye, posted 07-19-2017 9:52 AM RAZD has replied
 Message 3 by Chiroptera, posted 07-19-2017 10:05 AM RAZD has replied
 Message 7 by Stile, posted 07-19-2017 2:11 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied
 Message 9 by caffeine, posted 07-19-2017 4:39 PM RAZD has replied
 Message 18 by ramoss, posted 07-22-2017 7:34 PM RAZD has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 23 (815339)
07-19-2017 9:52 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by RAZD
07-19-2017 6:28 AM


I am tempted to get ride of land-line DSL and get an unlimited data plan.
Don't forget to consider them throttling your speed...

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 6:28 AM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 10:35 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 23 (815341)
07-19-2017 10:05 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by RAZD
07-19-2017 6:28 AM


Wifi works well for me.
My wifi plan provides about 6 Mb/s, which seems to be perfectly adequate for my needs. I can even download hi-def TV through my Roku.
In fact, most of my download speeds are much slower than that because the things and sites I download from have a throttle on their end, so higher speeds on my end aren't going to make much of a difference in my life.
It's true that some web pages are so overloaded with ads and scripts that they will bog down my browser and even freeze my devices completely, but installing a script blocker solved that problem.
I've never priced data plans, so it's possible replacing wifi with 4G would save me a few dollars each month, but there would be an initial upfront cost for me as well as I'd have to replace all my devices with ones with 4G capability, so I'm not seeing anything here that makes any of this worth it for me.
Which is not to say it wouldn't be a better plan for you; you and Mr. XKCD seem to have much different internet needs than I do. This is really for other people: just how much do you really need higher speeds?
But then I'm also pretty happy with my 3G flip phone with the 10-key-numeric-pad-texting, so your idea might also make more sense for other people who do a lot more with their 4G smart phone minicomputers.

Patriotism is the excuse that countries give to themselves for their failures. — Stephen Marche

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 6:28 AM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 10:31 AM Chiroptera has seen this message but not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 4 of 23 (815351)
07-19-2017 10:31 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by Chiroptera
07-19-2017 10:05 AM


Re: Wifi works well for me.
I'm looking at a small camper ...
Both for my(our)self and for possible mini-home for brother Nate, one he can take south in the winter and north in the summer. Our Subaru Forester can tow it with weight allowance to spare.
Shower, toilet, on-demand hot water, blue-tooth dvd player/radio, 19" tv (bluetooth), A/C, heat, sink, 2-burner cook-top, add a microwave and I'm good to go.
I've never priced data plans, so it's possible replacing wifi with 4G would save me a few dollars each month, but there would be an initial upfront cost for me as well as I'd have to replace all my devices with ones with 4G capability, so I'm not seeing anything here that makes any of this worth it for me.
Well I already have a 5-G capable smart phone that I can mirror to my samsung tv ... getting the unlimited data plan and I can use it to watch my home tv channels (DirecTV has this with them delivered over internet and are currently promoting an internet tv service). I had thought of Hughsnet.com, but if the phone can do it then I don't need a dish and another bill. We like to watch PBS mystery shows and they have streaming of various shows over the internet.
With DirecTV now separated from Verizon and run by ATT&T I get three bills, one for land-line and DSL from Verizon, one from ATT&T for the satellite TV shows (90% of which we don't watch), and one for our 2 cell-phones. One phone plan looks pretty good. Gets rid of two bills ... and I can take it with me in the camper.
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by Chiroptera, posted 07-19-2017 10:05 AM Chiroptera has seen this message but not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 5 of 23 (815354)
07-19-2017 10:35 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by New Cat's Eye
07-19-2017 9:52 AM


I am tempted to get ride of land-line DSL and get an unlimited data plan.
Don't forget to consider them throttling your speed...
There are times when the service gets very slow. Reminds me of back in the day when everyone was on modems, and you could tell when the kids got out of school or were on vacation ....
The satellite tv is also a bit of a disappointment -- whenever we have a heavy rain the picture freezes and pixilates. Often right at a critical moment in the mystery show.
Enjoy
Edited by RAZD, : sp

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by New Cat's Eye, posted 07-19-2017 9:52 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by New Cat's Eye, posted 07-19-2017 11:08 AM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 6 of 23 (815355)
07-19-2017 11:08 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by RAZD
07-19-2017 10:35 AM


There are times when the service gets very slow.
Yeah, I checked AT&T's unlimited data plan and they start throttling you after 22 GB.

This message is a reply to:
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Stile
Member
Posts: 4295
From: Ontario, Canada
Joined: 12-02-2004


Message 7 of 23 (815364)
07-19-2017 2:11 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by RAZD
07-19-2017 6:28 AM


RAZD writes:
Curiously I have been thinking along these lines. (Cellular data being more reliable than WiFi data)
Has never happened to me.
WiFi has always been better. Especially at home.
I'm in Canada, and live in the main part of a 'big enough' city.
Companies are getting comfortable with their rates and ways-of-doing-business with data, though.
Some are looking into shady practices to see how far they can go before igniting the push-back from the people and/or government.
There are small rumours in Canada about having the government mark 'internet access' as a basic service. Getting protections along the lines of heat, electricity and clean water. That would be interesting...
Technological obsolescence says it will get better and better ... 5G ... 6G?
Has anyone else thought/done this?
I've always thought that at some point, Ethernet cabling will become entirely obsolete.
All data transfer will be over cellular data. Or, not cellular specifically... but likely some new/other protocol that does the same thing... high speeds over large distances.
When Ethernet cabling goes obsolete, it opens the door for computer hardware itself to go obsolete.
Why buy the latest personal computer motherboard/RAM/chip/power supply/cooling/video card when you can stream all this and more over the faster-than-Ethernet-cabling signal direct to your personal monitor/keyboard/mouse by a virtual machine you rent that's running on industrial servers that are 10x more powerful anyway?
It does present the problem of hacking and data-snooping by the company you're renting from... but that's hardly slowing down the 'cloud' industry right now so such issues may be negligible when providing a product for the population as a whole.
Instead of buying a home computer... it'll be more like cable boxes where you rent the modem.
You'll rent an 'input box' that runs your VM. Your VM will be of varying power depending on how much you want to spend per month on storage/processing power/video capability.
All you do is connect a monitor/keyboard/mouse/speakers to your 'input box' that can be upgraded "for free" every 2 year term you sign up for.
Now your login/password works from anywhere in the world with a web-browser to access all your personal computing needs!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 6:28 AM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by New Cat's Eye, posted 07-19-2017 2:42 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied
 Message 14 by NoNukes, posted 07-20-2017 12:53 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 8 of 23 (815365)
07-19-2017 2:42 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Stile
07-19-2017 2:11 PM


Why buy the latest personal computer motherboard/RAM/chip/power supply/cooling/video card when you can stream all this and more over the faster-than-Ethernet-cabling signal direct to your personal monitor/keyboard/mouse by a virtual machine you rent that's running on industrial servers that are 10x more powerful anyway?
Because it's a hobby of mine!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Stile, posted 07-19-2017 2:11 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
caffeine
Member (Idle past 1024 days)
Posts: 1800
From: Prague, Czech Republic
Joined: 10-22-2008


Message 9 of 23 (815383)
07-19-2017 4:39 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by RAZD
07-19-2017 6:28 AM


Has anyone else thought/done this?
On the contrary, it's been several years since home wifi reliability ceased being a bottleneck. Now the processor/OS is the issue.
But this is of course dependent on the market provision where you live.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by RAZD, posted 07-19-2017 6:28 AM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by RAZD, posted 07-20-2017 9:46 AM caffeine has replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 10 of 23 (815444)
07-20-2017 9:46 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by caffeine
07-19-2017 4:39 PM


internet to the house ... or camper ... via cell data
On the contrary, it's been several years since home wifi reliability ceased being a bottleneck.
The issue is not so much the wifi in the house but how the internet gets to the house. I use Verizon DSL, and it's service is variable and unreliable at times (reminiscent of old modem days).
Using cell phone data is another way to get the internet to the house ... or the camper.
As far as I can see speeds are compatible. I'd like to get away from the Verizon land-line and the ATT&T satellite dish and just use the cell phone ... if practical/possible.
I don't need hyper-speed, just enough to watch tv from data link to mirrored tv screen (or via bluetooth from phone to tv or via wifi from phone to tv)
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by caffeine, posted 07-19-2017 4:39 PM caffeine has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 16 by caffeine, posted 07-21-2017 6:08 AM RAZD has replied

  
ringo
Member (Idle past 411 days)
Posts: 20940
From: frozen wasteland
Joined: 03-23-2005


Message 11 of 23 (815479)
07-20-2017 12:17 PM


I watch DVDs on my computer, which is not connected to the Internet. I get free Internet access at the library, where I can download old public domain movies to watch at home. I haven't had a phone for a couple of weeks since the analog network shut down. I'm sure the whole world except EvC thinks I'm dead. I might go shopping for a new phone this afternoon.

Replies to this message:
 Message 12 by NoNukes, posted 07-20-2017 12:44 PM ringo has replied
 Message 13 by New Cat's Eye, posted 07-20-2017 12:51 PM ringo has seen this message but not replied

  
NoNukes
Inactive Member


Message 12 of 23 (815487)
07-20-2017 12:44 PM
Reply to: Message 11 by ringo
07-20-2017 12:17 PM


I get free Internet access at the library, where I can download old public domain movies
Cool. Can you recommend a title or two? My favorite public domain stuff is the Dave Fleischer stuff.
All time worst serious public domain movie that I have watched: Manos, Hands of Fate.

Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. Martin Luther King
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. Thomas Jefferson
Worrying about the "browning of America" is not racism. -- Faith
Some of us are worried about just how much damage he will do in his last couple of weeks as president, to make it easier for the NY Times and Washington post to try to destroy Trump's presidency. -- marc9000

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by ringo, posted 07-20-2017 12:17 PM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 13 of 23 (815491)
07-20-2017 12:51 PM
Reply to: Message 11 by ringo
07-20-2017 12:17 PM


I'm sure the whole world except EvC thinks I'm dead.
What, are they out celebrating in the streets?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by ringo, posted 07-20-2017 12:17 PM ringo has seen this message but not replied

  
NoNukes
Inactive Member


Message 14 of 23 (815492)
07-20-2017 12:53 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Stile
07-19-2017 2:11 PM


Why buy the latest personal computer motherboard/RAM/chip/power supply/cooling/video card when you can stream all this and more over the faster-than-Ethernet-cabling signal direct to your personal monitor/keyboard/mouse by a virtual machine you rent that's running on industrial servers that are 10x more powerful anyway?
If this were cheaper I would go the rental path. But currently, the rental costs are such that owning your own computer pays for itself in a reasonable time. Right now, I think a factor of two downward change in the price, and I would go for it.
Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. Martin Luther King
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. Thomas Jefferson
Worrying about the "browning of America" is not racism. -- Faith
Some of us are worried about just how much damage he will do in his last couple of weeks as president, to make it easier for the NY Times and Washington post to try to destroy Trump's presidency. -- marc9000

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Stile, posted 07-19-2017 2:11 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
ringo
Member (Idle past 411 days)
Posts: 20940
From: frozen wasteland
Joined: 03-23-2005


(1)
Message 15 of 23 (815493)
07-20-2017 12:54 PM
Reply to: Message 12 by NoNukes
07-20-2017 12:44 PM


NoNukes writes:
Can you recommend a title or two? My favorite public domain stuff is the Dave Fleischer stuff.
I used to have some Betty Boop cartoons on a flash drive but I lost it. I can always get them again at Internet Archive.
One surprisingly good movie is Suddenly, starring Sterling Hayden and Frank Sinatra - though some critics don't like it. Another is Detour.
Some of my favorites are British comedies starring Arthur Askey and Will Hay.

This message is a reply to:
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