So Apple will now offer Fox movie rentals via iTunes, finally giving us real video juice off the world's most popular online music service. What's puzzling is that the convergence of flat-screen computers and bigger flat-screen TVs hasn't happened yet. Apple, Microsoft and numerous others have tried to conquer the living room with a widget box that does both, but consumers seem to like their movie equipment and computer equipment in separate rooms, thank you very much.
Why? Maybe it's just distance. We're much more comfortable interacting with a screen 18 inches in front of our eyes than a big TV 8 feet away. And, conversely, we enjoy sitting passively watching a movie 8 feet away much more than a video 18 inches from our nose.
Maybe it all goes back to our hunter-gatherer days. Our cavemen ancestors would interact with the tools in their hands, so we still concentrate intensely on sharpening flints ... or typing blogs ... close in front of us. But when we are relaxing, we prefer to see our mate dancing by the fire a few yards off ... or, today, watch the theatrical equivalent on the LCD TV. That's why we bet when the new, improved laser TV comes out next year, it won't be connected to our iTunes.
We all want to be entertained, but not too close to the fire.
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