Overheard

“Oh boy! Another great opportunity for personal growth!”

“I’m not bitter about what happened to me as a child, and my mother was instrumental in keeping me from being so. ... She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the cross and the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain—it’s that the pain is actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t really give you another choice.”

After over a decade of user testing, it is clear that the way we search the web is similar to the way we would search our home for valuables as it was burning to the ground. Frantically.

“We must shift the focus of companies back to the customer and away from shareholder value ... The shift necessitates a fundamental change in our prevailing theory of the firm… The current theory holds that the singular goal of the corporation should be shareholder value maximization. Instead, companies should place customers at the center of the firm and focus on delighting them, while earning an acceptable return for shareholders.”

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”

Comments

I have used a Tivo-like feature before... and do not currently have Tivo. Affordable is, in fact, a relative term. I won't say I'll never get it. Of course, I probably won't, since most satellites and cable companies have a DVR option if I do in fact decide to reinstate what I agree to be a very neat feature of the TV viewing experience. (And trust me, I'm experienced!) Of course, this is just my opinion. Ask Travis what my opinion about email was.

Posted by hermitdeb
  at 11:57 am on Sep. 27, 2005

See, I appreciate that a TiVo PVR is incrementally better than a DVD recorder, but not profoundly so.

Why, if we watch little television (and specific programs, as opposed to a little random surfing), does the TiVo make a huge difference?

More practically and personally, the current TiVo offering presents me with a couple problems:

1. I need to import it from the US, either by going down there and buying one, or presumably ordering one and having it shipped up.

2. I don't have Internet access in my livingroom, so I need to enable that. That costs money, but more importantly is a pain in the ass.

Add those potential costs to the US $350, and you get at least to US $450, which must be at least CAN $550. That, compared with CAN $300, is a significant difference.

Posted by Darren
  at 12:46 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

I think it's worth noting that the rebate is only valid in the United States. I'm lucky enough to have some friends South of the border who can submit the rebate for me, and either mail the cheque or paypal the cash. But for those without American friends/family or a US PO Box, that $150 is a hefty punch in the wallet. Not only that, but acquiring the rebate enters you into a contract with TiVo that requires you sign onto their services for a full year (whether you pay monthly, or get the product lifetime subscription), and the early cancellation fee is, you guessed it, $150.

Of course, those things won't stop me from getting the unit and hoping for the best, but for others who aren't shameless TV Junkies like myself, it might not be worth it...

Posted by Jen
  at 1:51 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

Debbie, you didn't use TiVo, and you didn't willingly give up your TiVo-like device, either.

Darren, your objections are one-time problems that, once solved, will fade in comparison to your TiVoJoy(tm). I agree that importation problem is a big one, but you surely know someone who's coming this way soon? You can use a phone line for partial functionality; that's what I used and it was enough.

Jen, the rebate issue is a valid one -- and again, I think that the fact you can't buy TiVo boxes in Canada is a one-time hurdle that shouldn't stop you from years of TiVo enjoyment.

Posted by Travis Smith
  at 4:19 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

I love TiVo, and anxiously waiting for the Canadian equivalent (is there ever going to be one?) As a fellow hardcore TV junkie, I too want to experience this TiVo Joy!

Posted by Norlinda
  at 7:59 pm on Oct. 3, 2005

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