People don't give a monkey's about "digital homes"

The report from the heavyweight magazine reckons that the whole idea of the "digital home" that all the techie big wigs are going on about have very little to do with the needs of real people, the firms having forgotten about the actual needs of consumers.

Microsoft, Intel and Sony are all looking to the digital home as a big hope for revenue growth, but The Economist says that normal people just want to be able to use the internet and share a family printer without hassle. They aren't interested in an "electronic nerve centre" in their homes or being able to drive the car using the fridge.

The Economist is investigating why the digital home idea is doomed to failure, not least because of the vendors' inability to agree on product standards, such as digital rights management. µ