MSNTV

MSNTV was neither created nor developed by MSN.

It was developed as WebTV: an inexpensive, efficient and user-friendly appliance for people to access the internet, send/receive email, etc. without the expense and hassles of owning a computer. No software to buy. No virus to detect. No hacker attacks. No thick manuels. No secondary hardware to buy. It would be upgraded on a regular basis. All memory would be stored in the network. Simple, cheap, excessible, efficient, user friendly

The problems started when WebTV was sold to MSN. MSN uses we subscribers as "guinea pigs" to test the hardware. MSN doesn't give a damn about us, and we know it. We problem solve and provide support to each other. We seldom even ASK for support from MSN. Why bother? Their Customer Support Reps (CSRs) are poorly trained and unfamiliar with the appliance. They make suggestions for remedial fixes which don't even apply to the problems customers present.

Our sole purpose in life is for demographics. They sell our cookied info.

Recently, new MSNTV commercials have appeared in select areas. There is talk, even from what little corporate propoganda to which we are privy, of a new device, currently in product testing.

If this new devise is cost prohibitive and also renders my current appliance obsolete, I will no longer have internet access. This goes for thousands of my fellow subscribers.

One can, on occasion, currently purchase several MSNTV box models on Ebay for $1-50 us.

Why did MSN buy WebTV, then, if they have no interest in the subscriber base?

Can you say "X Box?" They've cannibalized the LBB hardware for their little gaming toy.

WebTV was never designed to replace computers; it was designed because there's a lot of extraneous stuff about computers that is expensive and unnecessary to internet access.

As with many revolutionary ideas, this one has been derided, mocked and sneered at since its inception. Had it caught on, computer manufacturers and SOFT WARE DEVELOPERS (such as MSN, for instance????) would necessarily find themselves scrambling, just to remain in business.

That's why we old timers on WebTV don't CALL it MSNTV, except for clarification. We resent the neglect, abuse and stupidity we've endured at the hands of MSN. We feel no loyalty to them. And we wish WebTV had never been sold! :evil: :evil: