newnumber6 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
newnumber6) wrote2006-03-13 11:59 am
newnumber6) wrote2006-03-13 11:59 am
Entry tags:
Paying For The Future
I was thinking the other day, that we're very near (if not at) the technological point where someone could set up a service where, for a monthly fee, you could order any TV show or movie in existence, at any time you wanted to, on your TV. Whether somebody actually would do that is another matter, and there'd always be rights issues to work out, but let's say for the sake of discussion that such a service were available.
What would be, in your mind, a reasonable monthly fee for such a service? Let's say that new movies are only available after the movie has been available on pay-per-view for two months (other pay per view events are also available after a 2 month gap). TV shows are available right as soon as they air.
After I considered this question, I thought about other technological advancements, and the potential price tags.
What would you pay, if teleportation were available, for one instant cross continent or cross ocean trip?
What would you pay to go to space? If there was a moon colony open to tourists, what would you pay for a roundtrip there?
What would you pay for a robot servant, that could do all the household chores a normal servant could do? What if it looked human and had sexbot capabilities? (Hey, sooner or later, it's going to be an issue).
What would you pay to be able to cybernetically augment your mind and get photographic memory, assuming it was proven safe?
If you could have a clone of yourself, what would that be worth to you?
Nanotech treatments that would render you immune to disease and slow or stop the aging process?
A game system that interfaces with your thoughts to make a perfectly immersive environment where you actually feel like you're in the situation? (like gaming systems today, it might come with one game when you buy it, but other games would be sold separately)
I'm curious to hear about other people's viewpoints. Assume costs are in today's dollars, with most things available today unchanged in price (unless the new tech is a direct competition), and we're not talking about what it would cost when the technology is first introduced and available only to those who have lots of money anyway, but rather what you'd think is the highest price you'd consider 'reasonable', as a more or less 'stable' price, such that you might seriously consider going for it. And sure, 'I'm not interested in such a service at any price' is a valid response. Oh, and if you have any other future-tech you'd like to get a price quote on, suggest it.
My answers: I think about $100 a month, perhaps with a higher installation fee, would be a hard limit for the 'any TV, anytime' feature, for me at least (assuming other options were available, like the standard broadcast model), since it'd replace cable TV costs and a little more for the extra options and ultra convenience. The truth is, if it's much higher than that, people will just get the stuff they want illegally through the net anyway (assuming it still exists).
Teleportation Trip? On the one hand, it's instant. On the other, at least you're not paying for a better seat or a good meal or whatever. I'd say between $500-$1000 would be the most, assuming costs to the provider were roughly comparable to the cost of flying me (if it cost them only pennies to 'port, then I wouldn't pay more than $25). I probably wouldn't use it very much of course.
To go to space I figure my practical limit's around $10,000, unless I happened to be super rich, in which case I'd honestly pay almost any amount so long as it wasn't going to bankrupt me.
The robot servant is a trick question. You don't buy one, you hire one, because otherwise it's slavery! Ha. I probably wouldn't be interested in one anyway. Even the sexbot, despite at this point it being my best shot at lovin' ;). Well, maybe if it was _really_ cheap. ;) Seriously though, I couldn't see myself buying (or hiring) one of them.
I've always wanted photographic memory, so this would be something I'd like, but it probably wouldn't be available in my price range. I could see myself shelling out maybe $10,000 for it but would probably cost hundreds of thousands.
I don't want a clone of my own, so it doesn't matter what it would cost.
Nanotech I think should be relatively cheap, but it won't be because whoever has it will want to charge whatever they could. But assuming I set the price, I'd say $2000 is fair if it was a one-time treatment, good for the term of one natural lifespan. $50 if it had to be updated once a year.
$2000 for a full immersion VR gaming system, too, though I'd probably be willing to pay a monthly fee for really good games with massively multiplayer options. And then, probably, I'd never re-enter the real world again until I went broke or died so maybe it's a good thing this doesn't exist. ;)
Unrelated to this: Was bored so went through and added a bunch more interests to my profile. And done a non-fandom-specific friending meme. Edit: Oh, and silly, impolite me, I forgot to welcome the friends gained from that. Hi! :)
What would be, in your mind, a reasonable monthly fee for such a service? Let's say that new movies are only available after the movie has been available on pay-per-view for two months (other pay per view events are also available after a 2 month gap). TV shows are available right as soon as they air.
After I considered this question, I thought about other technological advancements, and the potential price tags.
What would you pay, if teleportation were available, for one instant cross continent or cross ocean trip?
What would you pay to go to space? If there was a moon colony open to tourists, what would you pay for a roundtrip there?
What would you pay for a robot servant, that could do all the household chores a normal servant could do? What if it looked human and had sexbot capabilities? (Hey, sooner or later, it's going to be an issue).
What would you pay to be able to cybernetically augment your mind and get photographic memory, assuming it was proven safe?
If you could have a clone of yourself, what would that be worth to you?
Nanotech treatments that would render you immune to disease and slow or stop the aging process?
A game system that interfaces with your thoughts to make a perfectly immersive environment where you actually feel like you're in the situation? (like gaming systems today, it might come with one game when you buy it, but other games would be sold separately)
I'm curious to hear about other people's viewpoints. Assume costs are in today's dollars, with most things available today unchanged in price (unless the new tech is a direct competition), and we're not talking about what it would cost when the technology is first introduced and available only to those who have lots of money anyway, but rather what you'd think is the highest price you'd consider 'reasonable', as a more or less 'stable' price, such that you might seriously consider going for it. And sure, 'I'm not interested in such a service at any price' is a valid response. Oh, and if you have any other future-tech you'd like to get a price quote on, suggest it.
My answers: I think about $100 a month, perhaps with a higher installation fee, would be a hard limit for the 'any TV, anytime' feature, for me at least (assuming other options were available, like the standard broadcast model), since it'd replace cable TV costs and a little more for the extra options and ultra convenience. The truth is, if it's much higher than that, people will just get the stuff they want illegally through the net anyway (assuming it still exists).
Teleportation Trip? On the one hand, it's instant. On the other, at least you're not paying for a better seat or a good meal or whatever. I'd say between $500-$1000 would be the most, assuming costs to the provider were roughly comparable to the cost of flying me (if it cost them only pennies to 'port, then I wouldn't pay more than $25). I probably wouldn't use it very much of course.
To go to space I figure my practical limit's around $10,000, unless I happened to be super rich, in which case I'd honestly pay almost any amount so long as it wasn't going to bankrupt me.
The robot servant is a trick question. You don't buy one, you hire one, because otherwise it's slavery! Ha. I probably wouldn't be interested in one anyway. Even the sexbot, despite at this point it being my best shot at lovin' ;). Well, maybe if it was _really_ cheap. ;) Seriously though, I couldn't see myself buying (or hiring) one of them.
I've always wanted photographic memory, so this would be something I'd like, but it probably wouldn't be available in my price range. I could see myself shelling out maybe $10,000 for it but would probably cost hundreds of thousands.
I don't want a clone of my own, so it doesn't matter what it would cost.
Nanotech I think should be relatively cheap, but it won't be because whoever has it will want to charge whatever they could. But assuming I set the price, I'd say $2000 is fair if it was a one-time treatment, good for the term of one natural lifespan. $50 if it had to be updated once a year.
$2000 for a full immersion VR gaming system, too, though I'd probably be willing to pay a monthly fee for really good games with massively multiplayer options. And then, probably, I'd never re-enter the real world again until I went broke or died so maybe it's a good thing this doesn't exist. ;)
Unrelated to this: Was bored so went through and added a bunch more interests to my profile. And done a non-fandom-specific friending meme. Edit: Oh, and silly, impolite me, I forgot to welcome the friends gained from that. Hi! :)