Jake10

With the Internet becoming more and more dominant, will we still have televisions and radios in the future? Or, will we just have computers that do it all?

Mountain Man

Music systems will always be popular in automobiles, so I'm guessing radios will be around a while longer.

Radios will also remain popular and necessary for travelers and campers needing weather information and emergency alerts, and of course, for warning of national disasters when the more sophisticated internet and television networks may be knocked out.

Eventually, perhaps, but I don't think in my lifetime.

Jake10

Keep in mind that I Phones already do all that. They're expensive and the networks need improvement, but they are so desired that we could see them becoming cheaper and better in the next five years.

Mountain Man

While that is true, one of the major corollaries of Murphy's Law comes into play: The more sophisticated a device and it's supporting technology, the greater the probability that it will fail when it is most needed. The system you are describing depends upon a very sophisticated network of electrical, satellite and transmission facilities to function, all of them prone to failure or sabotage, something that must be considered in the 21st century Age of Terrorism and hackers.

Radios can run of of hand cranks - I have an emergency radio for camping that does that - but I-phones require a lot more to function, are a lot more sensitive to things like dead zones, electromagnetism and sunspots, and frankly are more technology than is needed for the task at hand.

I agree that eventually the pure radio as we know it will become merged with other devices. I think that someday in the not too distant future we will all be surgically equipped with a personal communicator at birth, functioning like a high-speed computer/communications device, that will eliminate telephones, radios and other, simpler devices and network us to each other and the entire world, but I'm not sure that we are either ready for that, or mentally capable of handling it if and when it comes. We will also sacrifice our personal privacy and freedoms because Big Brother will be able to easily monitor all of us, all of the time, everywhere we go. As the Chinese curse says: "Be careful what you wish for...you may get it."

Unquestionably, cellphones are the major cause of societal breakdowns in interpersonal speech communications, written communications and above all, personal courtesy. I'm not in any hurry to see that breakdown go any farther.

Televisions will remain, I think, although linked to the internet and possibly working as viewphones as well, because when seeking entertainment, people like the large format and more advanced sound systems available.

It's not "how good is our technology?" that worries me, it's "can we handle it?"

okamido

How do you get around the love of the 70" screen?

Jake10

With a good quality computer projector that can fit in your briefcase.

okamido

So substitute by projecting on the.....wall? Not sure if the hd/ blu ray fanatics will fall in line, because I don't believe the tech is there to make a viable substitute. In theory I like it though.

Jake10

Give it time and we won't even need a wall. We'll be seeing 3 dimensional holograms that may make us feel we're inside the action.

Master Chief

We have virtual reality glasses. Perhaps the future is here!!

tjadams

Hey! You're visiting us mere mortals again! Good to read your thoughts.

I agree that radio has a solid footing. One can listen in so many ways,
online for one. It will be here for awhile.