The Future, Part 2

It's pretty difficult to predict the future, but since I've done it once already, I'll go again.

The first time was back around 1988, when I thought it would be cool to have a "virtual keyboard", an image that when you typed on it, was recorded in a computer. I figured, optimistically, that 20+ years might see it.
Well, a couple of years ago, it became a reality, and sells for under $200 now.

So, here I go again. Reading about Google's proposal for a Gigabit-level wireless network, covering the entire US (with the support of Dell, Apple, Microsoft and Intel, among others), I started thinking: it'll be easy to download whatever music we want, when we want to hear it. OK, the ipod can do that already.

But why have speakers? Why not "virtual speakers" from any manufacturer? Want to hear that quartet on $40,000 speakers? it'll cost a bit more (say, $20/minute instead of .02 cents per minute), but it's doable. No unsightly speakers, no wires, no hardware. Sure, I'll "rent" Ascend Sierra 7s as my day-to-day, but for the once in a lifetime sonic experience....
Maybe 40 years from now? (OK. *I* won't be around for that, but some of you will.)

Pegleg (ok, so maybe the watercooler's been dipensing beer today)