• by Lydia Loizides , Op-Ed Contributor, August 30, 2006

Last week, we started to celebrate the anniversary of the PC. We left off at what would come next in the evolution. Here is part two to "Happy Belated Anniversary."

While the PC is synonymous with utilitarian tasks like word processing, it has managed over the last few years to transform itself into something more--a center for entertainment. From games to audio to video to blogging, the PC, coupled with the power of broadband, has changed the way consumers watch television, read newspapers, listen to music--and even how they express themselves about their passions to the outside world. Moreover, it has forced changes in the way entertainment companies have to relate to its customers.

The ability to predict the future is an elusive power. But that doesn't mean that we can't make some educated guesses along the way. As we move more into the twenty-first century, armed with more gadgets and power cords than we know what to do with, we find ourselves asking, what is next? I would argue that you not worry so much about where we are going, but focus on where we are now. With the rate of technological change outpacing the average human's ability to keep up, it seems a waste of resources to be constantly focused on the future rather than the present.

Here is what we do know: there are distinct patterns of technology adoption. We have well-defined tenure in the online community. We are able to predict, with some certainty, media consumption. We have watched technology formats evolve from emerging to dominant, consumers adopt and business change. I would posit that with all this knowledge, we should be looking at the why of technology use and consumer behavior, and not the how--that part is easy.

For example, The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report about Home Broadband Adoption for 2006. Here is what we know: 42 percent of all American adults had a high-speed Internet connection at home; nearly half of the new Internet users were taking high-speed services at home; broadband adoption grew 68 percent, from 2005, among households with incomes between $40,000 and $50,000; adoption also grew over 120 percent among African Americans between 2005 and 2006; and finally, home broadband adoption grew by 70 percent among those with less than a high-school education, and grew 63 percent among senior citizens.

So what does all this mean? What is next? Simple--a larger, more diverse online audience that will help to establish and grow the online advertising market to mass. We are on the cusp of being able to mirror the offline with the online population--and it's all thanks to that little beige box from 25 years ago. Isn't it amazing what technology can do? You tell me.