The chip is packed with enough power for the next generation of the Internet, according to Intel south Asia director, Atul Vijaykar. That's how it is being promoted worldwide. That's how it is being promoted in India. Interesting! While the chip does deliver a lot on several fronts such as excellent 3D, full-motion video, realistic graphics, imaging, speech recognition, fast processing, computer buyers needn't get sold on its Internet spiel as yet. In the US, asymmetric digital subscriber lines, leased lines, XDSL, and access to the Internet via cable areavailable at prices affordable by consumers. And gaming over the Internet is big amongst kids in the US. E-commerce too is hot. Hence, the Pentium III makes sense in developed Internet markets. In India, however, the Internet is still sputtering with VSNL struggling to offer a reasonably decent service and MTNL just about starting out. Frequent disconnects and logging-on problems are still common with VSNL. The private ISPs are also limping along under the burden of high leased line and telephone line rates, bureaucratic obstacles from DoT, VSNL and MTNL officials, and overall high costs. There's no guarantee that they will be in a position to offer a world class service. And when that will happen, if it ever will.

So will Indian users of Pentium III computers actually be in a position to take advantage of all of its Internet-related features? Sure, the marketing machine of Intel and its OEM manufacturers will ensure that a huge chunk of Indian PC-users switch over to Pentium III machines of either 450 Mhzor 500 Mhz. That too at a high cost to each of them. But the machines are unlikely to deliver on the heady Internet experience while they will surely deliver on the Pentium III's other promises.

The Star TV shakeout

The Star TV management shakeout came not a moment too soon and was expected by many within the network. But it shouldn't be seen as reflection of the capabilities of Basavraj, Naazish Huseini, B.M. Guha and Bhimla Bhalla, all former bureaucrats, though many in the industry may hurl stones at them. Television is a tough business and it gives no second chances. Owners of television channels are even tougher. One can't forget that it was hardly three years ago, that Subhash Chandra revamped the entire programming setup of Karuna Samtani and company at Zee TV and hired Chanakya Chandraprakash Dwivedi, only to drop him quickly and have him replaced by Vishnu Patel. It was Karuna and her team who helped conceptualise and create Zee TV along with Subhash Chandra. However, he obviously felt shewouldn't be able to take it on to the next level in a competitive battlefield which included Sony Entertainment and the then shining star Home TV. Coming back to Star TV. The programming team could only go this far following the indigenisation of Star Plus.

Hence, it had to go. Now, the onus of taking Star Plus to its next level lies on Peter Mukerjea and Sameer Nair. Mukerjea is believed to have said he will run Star TV like a real television station. That means tough times for competitors ee, and Sony.

TV vs the Internet

Is the world wide web impacting television viewing by Internet surfers? So far research worldwide had shown that this was not true. However, a survey by the US firm The Yankee Group has revealed that PC-philes and Internet-philes are indeed becoming less of couch potatoes in the US, ikely seems to be out of whack in terms of its communication. Who is it targeted at? Adults? Youth? Kids? Certain individuals from the first two groups are likely to chuckle at the ads and they maytry a Sprite not so much because of the ads but because they like clear lime drinks. Kids, however, who form the core Pepsi franchise, are unlikely to be more than amused. In fact, some of them are likely to admonish Sprite. "Chee! How can that drink (Sprite is not easily pronounceable by six to 12 year olds) call all drinks bakwaas?" was one comment overheard from a nine-year old during the commercial. "Pepsi is the best." One will have to wait and watch how many kids react similarly and whether the Sprite campaign will spring back in Coke's face.Feel free to email with your comments to wanvari@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in or television@hotmail.com.