Streaming video on demand did *not* start with iTunes. Yes, I'm sure iTunes does have an excellent video store with low prices. However, I doubt Apple was the start of all this. It was just in the right place at the right time. What really started this over-the-net VOD competition is YouTube, which appeared in Feb 2005 (3 months before iTunes added video support). YouTube offers free user-generated content, some of which are very high-quality, and pirated TV content. To compete with those YouTube pirates, the foray into Internet VOD was inevitable. Right now the ones having more influence are likely IPTV people doing stuff like Revision3, TWiT and Meveo. Because they offer free, quality content on their websites, likely there is more influence. IPTV has been around since 1994. Granted, it's not the same thing as video on demand, but it started from there.
The Chromebooks are here, starting with Samsung's Series 5, a cute little number that promises instant-on access, 3G connectivity, and long enough battery life to web surf with the best of 'em.
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Streaming video on demand did *not* start with iTunes. Yes, I'm sure iTunes does have an excellent video store with low prices. However, I doubt Apple was the start of all this. It was just in the right place at the right time.
What really started this over-the-net VOD competition is YouTube, which appeared in Feb 2005 (3 months before iTunes added video support). YouTube offers free user-generated content, some of which are very high-quality, and pirated TV content. To compete with those YouTube pirates, the foray into Internet VOD was inevitable.
Right now the ones having more influence are likely IPTV people doing stuff like Revision3, TWiT and Meveo. Because they offer free, quality content on their websites, likely there is more influence. IPTV has been around since 1994. Granted, it's not the same thing as video on demand, but it started from there.