What’s on the Computer Tonight?

Sometimes we hear some technology prophet on the radio or on TV talking about the great and glorious future, when everyone will have just one device, and it will be the device that they use to go online, and to watch TV and movies, and to chat with friends, and to stream music, and to shop. And when this perfect device arrives, paradise will be restored on Earth, and there will be great rejoicing, hosannas in the highest.

We think that’s total crap.

Who cares about making one screen do everything? Does it bother you that you own a bunch of different bladed tools, and some of them are for slicing your food at the table, while others are for tilling your garden, and still others cut paper? Will you be much more satisfied when someone develops one cutting implement that replaces your butter knife, your shaving razor and your chainsaw?

Uh, no. Those tools are for different purposes, and no one’s pulling any hair out in exasperation at having to own all of them.

That said, how cool is it to be able to watch, pause, and schedule recordings of broadcast television programs in HD on your computer? It’s like having DVR without having to subscribe to a service! DIY types like us might enjoy hot-rodding their own household media center PC, and this ATI TV Wonder card is a good gizmo with which to start that project.

What’s that? You say we’re contradicting ourselves with dismissal of the single-screen standard on the one hand, but enthusiasm for the ATI TV Wonder 600 PCIE Card on the other? Very well then we contradict ourselves. We are large, we contain multitudes, dude.

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