3Com Drops Internet Appliances

Anonymous Coward writes: "According to this article, 3Com is killing the Linux-powered Kerbango internet radio. Also being killed in the dismantling of their appliance division is the Audrey wireless webpad and 3Com's webcam." Looks like yet another opportunity to pick up some gadgets at close-out prices.

Comments

Why they don't sell...

[eric2hill]

For a web-pad to sell well, it needs to be simple. I don't want a word processor, schedule, notes, whatever... What I want and will pay good money for is a tablet (a'la StarTrek) that is simply a web browser with a couple of favorites. No print capability, no stupid "channels", no "email to my friends", none of that extravagant crap that every "internet appliance" I've seen seems to include. I want to walk around my house surfing at a couple of megs or so speed (not 10 or 100, it's a frigging cable modem) and simply be able to jump to a url (google, yahoo, slashdot) by using an onscreen keyboard or just a favorites list. Give it good battery life (say an hour or two) and I'll let it rest permanently on my coffee table in it's cradle while I'm not using it. 10.4" or 11.?" would be fine. A 12" would be dandy, but I'm not picky. Hell, I don't even thing I need color. Just make the thing thin enough to carry from the living room to the kitchen with one hand. If I want house remote control or anything else, I'll build a damn server in my basement with X10 and a web server with some CGI code.

Dammit.