We all know that sooner or later everything in our home is going to be run by a microchip. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has a nice article that discusses the future and the drawbacks of technology in the home. They really hit the nail on the head with this paragrapgh:

The problem: Consumers are slow to move. Werbach says there is a lot to be learned from TiVo, which makes a digital recording device that allows consumers to watch TV shows at their leisure and rewind live events. "TiVo is an Extraordinary product and people love it," says Werbach. "But it is still a tough sell to people who don't have it."

The technology to make our lives easier and more enjoyable is out there, it's just that we haven't been convinced yet. Companies are going to have to do a better job of letting consumers touch products before they buy.

I'll give you an example of the opportunity some companies have. Those of us with cable internet know how great it is but try to convince someone who has never used high speed internet how great it is. They just don't understand. Now take that same person who hasn't used high speed internet and give them a cable modem for 7 days to test free. I bet the amount of free trials that turning into paying customers would be enormous and at a small investment to the cable company. That's just an example of how It's going to take a "hands on" marketing approach to reach the non-geek types who'll benefit from new technology.

Read Tune in Tomorrow for the Digital Living Room?