Netflix

Fewer and fewer video stores are being seen in neighborhoods everywhere. With the advent of sites like Netflix, why leave the comfort of your own home when thousands of movies are available at your fingertips? You even have the added comfort of knowing that you will never have to pay a late fee, you can keep the movie as long as you want, and many movies are available to watch instantly!

The watch instantly feature is a definate plus for me. You see, I have an XBox 360, which means that I can watch those "watch instantly" movies through my XBox 360 directly to my TV! There is an occassional lag time that I have to contend with (I guess no one said that it is perfect), but the biggest problem is that there is almost too much choice. We now have a que of hundreds of movies and shows to watch. I think that I may be forgetting what sunshine looks like (although, in Michigan, there isn't often much of that anyway!).

Of course, there is also the pure pleasure of rummaging through stacks of videos, looking at the back of the boxes to make a selection. Now, even blockbuster is going out of the business of in-store rentals! The town that I live in now has 3 empty spaces where video stores used to be. The world is definately changing, and even though I am fully enjoying the benefits of those changes, I still wonder if they are all for the better? Will there come a day when everything will just come to me, and I won't have to leave the house at all?

Anna's 3rd post

I'm really interested in the subject of e-commerce and have first hand experience shopping online. The internet has revolutionized trade in many areas including retail and entertainment.

Netflix is a great example of e-commerce. Netflix is a relatively new way to receive movies. I get two dvds at a time for a ridiculously cheap price paid monthly. I never go to video stores anymore. They can no longer compete with Netflix, which delivers at a great price with no late fees. This is just one example of online commerce replacing face to face trade.

Traveling has changed as a result of the internet as well. I cannot imagine taking road trips without sites like Google Maps and Map Quest. GPS is now available on phones making traveling by car extremely easy. I fly all the time, and it is so nice using the online site Orbitz. It is really simple finding flights to fit your schedule, and they can even call you to update delays or gate changes. It makes flying less stressful.

The most obvious examples of e-commerce are retail websites. Whether it's an auction site like Ebay or a store's site like Urban Outfitters' they are becoming more and more popular. In class we learned that e-commerce now accounts for 4% of retail purchases. This isn't a surprise at all considering the convenience.