movedor
join:2002-02-15
Redmond, WA
| Combo eventually
This debate resembles the audiophiles vs. consumers debate in the audio system domain. Consumers want things that are simple, ready to use and cheap. For them there are HTIBs, which used to be crappy stuff, but nowadays virtually every audio manufacturer has a offering, and you can find very high quality HTIB. Audiophiles, on the other end of the spectrum, want flexibility, highest quality and put as money into it as they can. They want separates, they mix and match, they research and spend numerous hours tweaking the system to perfection. For them a HTIB will never be good enough.
In the internet access domain, eventually combos will improve and be good enough for vast majority of the consumers. Most likely there will be people out there, like many of the knowledgeable members of this forum, who will favor the flexibility or their own separates, just like audiophiles do.
Today I have 4 little boxes to provide my internet access: cable modem, VoIP router, 11g access point, 11a access point. I need both 11a and 11g access points because I still have 1 PC in the house that can only do 11g. I live in high-density neighborhood and there is strong interference from cordless phones in 2.4GHz and other 11g networks, so 11a is my salvation at 5GHz. I also have a UPS for all these plus the answering machine so power interruptions won't leave me without any phone service.
I would gladly replace all this with one unit, as far performance and reliability is equal or better than what I have. Probably 11a is out of the question now, maybe not due Microsoft push in 11a for media center extenders? |
