Famous WebTV Users:

(subject to change; based on word-of-mouth)

  • Pat Boone - 1950s crooner, father of now-Christian singer Debby Boone
  • Daisy Fuentes - former MTV VJ, "America's Funniest Home Videos" hostess (check out her official site)
  • Clint Howard - character actor, brother of director/actor Ron Howard (Richie of "Happy Days"). Check out the unofficial WebTV page, which appears in the August, 1999 issue of "Club WebTV" online newsletter.
  • Sally Kirkland - Oscar-winning actress of the movie "Anna"
  • Stevie Nicks - rock goddess of Fleetwood Mac (official site)
  • Wil Shriner - sometime TV host, brother of actor Kin Shriner of TV soap "General Hospital"
  • Courtney Love - lead grunge rock singer of Hole / actress, widow of grunge rocker Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
  • Ronnie Lott - pro-footballer
  • Barry Bonds - pro-baseballer
  • Chris Jericho, Francine Fournier, Axel Rotten, Diamond Dallas Page - pro-wrestlers
  • Janet Landgard, the actress who played Karen, the girlfriend of actor Paul Petersen's character in "The Donna Reed Show" TV series
  • Amy Brenneman - actress of TV's "Judging Amy" and formerly of "Hill Street Blues" and her parents
  • Fran Drescher - actress of TV's "The Nanny"
  • Celebs. used to promote WebTV: actor William 'Captain Kirk' Shatner (Star Trek & TV's "T.J. Hooker") and actor Tom Arnold (ex-husband of actress/commedienne Roseanne).
  • (If you know any more names, tell us!)
  • WebTV on TV court shows: "The People's Court" about a used WebTV unit purchase on eBay.com - plaintiff claimed defect, defendant claimed rule of sale being final. "Curtis Court" really about a horse farm rental dispute of broken partnership, where the plaintiff accused the defendant of not caring about anything on the farm, alleging that the defendant did nothing but sat there using WebTV and stuffing ice cream in her face...
  • WebTV was given away as a prize on TV's "Wheel of Fortune"!
  • WebTV was mentioned on TV's "Queen Latifah Show", where one guest accused another guest of eating and eating while sitting at WebTV all day...
  • WebTV was mentioned on TV's "Divorce Court" featuring a couple accusing each other of having an affair after meeting someone online...

WebTV Plus legend:

(to my best of research, knowledge, & word-of-mouth)

  • 56 kps(kilobits per second) modem
  • RAM(random-access memory)=16MB(megabytes)
  • 72 dpi(dots per inch) pixels resolution (yes, low scanning...)
  • baud requirement for WebTV dial-up connection: 14,400 ; 9000 for regular phone use // my phone line averages 28,000
  • e-mail storage capacity- 2 MB average ; photos/images sent & rec'd via .jpeg/.jpg, .gif, .wav, clickable links (a href tags opt.)
  • .jpeg/.jpg format: at 50% compression / .gif: 16 color-file both under 200,000 bytes (so no slow downloading or taking up entire page)
  • No attachments of the following: octet-streaming & zip files
  • No browser support: java (however, javascript- yes), some multimedia (limited: live cams & moving pictures)
  • Relies on 'transloader' to upload photos & images on web pages & e-mail signature storage
  • Big benefit: Periodic free upgrades, free local dial-up numbers (some), no hard drive/no crashes, no virus infections from PCers, Instant Messenger, RealAudio- better: Microsoft© Windows Media Player (set at 28K), .mpeg, shockwave (.swf) (not the 'plugin'), can use any size TV monitor & sit in recliner to surf, no extra space needed for placement of WebTV unit!
  • $24.95/month unlimited hours / services ; $10.00 off if you have a computer w/ ISP connection for it at same time as WebTV subscription service


Web Publisher Karen Catalioto was featured in the now-defunct "Access" Internet Magazine (in Sunday newspapers across the country, Arizona Republic being one of them):

• February 13, 2000

• Reader's Picks' What's Your Favorite Web Site? column:

• Karen Catalioto, 35, Web publisher, Phoenix.
HTML FOR WEBTV E-MAIL. home.pacbell.net/epaulnet/howto.webtv.html.
"This site dispenses information on how to upload photos, images and sounds for WebTV e-mail signatures."


~Thanks to Tom Stanton, staff writer, for his teamwork!


(If you'd like to know how WebTVers see all web pages // tools for WebTVers):

A good laugh for you...

I often see in the WebTV Usenet group comments about getting through to WebTV's (800)GO-WEBTV or (800)WE-CARE toll-free numbers, for technical help, that they either had to be put on hold, couldn't get through, or didn't get the proper directional assistance. Therefore, most newbie WebTVers usually get the help & satisfaction from the more experienced or elite WebTVers from the group!

WebTV Networks Office is based in Palo Alto, California. Founder: Steve Perlman, in 1996. Owner: Microsoft.

More...

(No, I haven't actually gone through this!)

...Some WebTVers have experienced slow dial-ups...

(No, no, rest assure nothing's like this in my life...)

Usually whenever we get an upgrade, there's bound to be a temporary bug (or monkey, in this case) in the system. Well, now we know what's been going on all along, (( dry, sarcastic LOL ))...

(wait for conversation)

more WebTV 'Comics' !

Riddle: Why did the computer go to the doctor? Because it had a virus.
(read off from a Popsicle brand ice pop wooden stick!)

Reference Technical Links...

This is what Beau dislikes about WebTV / Web life:

• None whatsover-- SURPRISE! However, read on...

This is what Cleo disliked about WebTV / Web life:

• Logging on,
• music on,
• surfing,
• building or upgrading Pages,
• Spam (junk (e-)mail),• flaming (insulting back-n-forth) in usenet / discussion groups & e-mails,
• no mail addressed to her / website exclusively about Beau & Shih Tzu,
• people putting online life ahead of offline,
• viruses / worms from PCers,
• and strangers communicating like buddies and sending corny virtual cards.

(Oh, well, then again, that's what cats are like- opinionated & frosty (meaning that's Cleo a.k.a. 'Miss Cleopatra'...). Sighing!)


Cleo & Beau definitely got along like buddies. They WERE there for each other whenever I was not available!

Consider yourselves forewarned!

[no longer]:
Click here to play Pacman (javascripted...may need reloading to play)



Don't you just love 'frames'...get it?

Misc...

Think: computer mouse ~ 'cat & mouse'...get it, too? And, how about: this frame is made of pewter --> rhymes with 'puter(!)

Click to go to details...


~ July 6, 2000 ~



My "Webtvgirl" e-mail contact

Smoke-free environment

Always recycle


MST

My "911: Afterthoughts" Site


WebTV founder Phil Goldman death news links, effect. 12/03:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/12/29/HHwebTVGoldman_1.html

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20031228005086&newsLang=en

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/28/MNGOLDMANP40.DTL

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/7597339.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/apbiz_story.asp?category=1310&slug=Obit%20Goldman

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/30/GOLDMAN.TMP

Here's an Obituary from the Los Angeles Times newspapers:

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-goldman1jan01,1,4162486.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california

Phil Goldman, 39; Silicon Valley Engineer Co-Founded WebTV

From Associated Press

January 1, 2004

Phil Goldman, a Silicon Valley engineer who co-founded WebTV before launching a Web-based e-mail service that promised to block unwanted spam, has died. He was 39.

Goldman died at home Friday in Los Altos Hills, west of San Jose. The cause of his death was being investigated, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County coroner's office said.

Over his career, Goldman worked on the cusp of technology and consumer electronics at firms such as Apple Computer, General Magic and Microsoft Corp.

In 1995, with former Apple colleagues Steve Perlman and Bruce Leak, he co-founded WebTV Networks, which allowed users to surf the Internet from their televisions.

"Phil was one of the brightest stars to ever shine over Silicon Valley," Perlman said. "A world-class technologist and entrepreneur, he was respected, not only for his brilliance and creativity, but for his character, integrity and untiring spirit."

Microsoft bought WebTV in 1997 for $425 million and changed the name to MSN TV.

Last year, Goldman founded Mailblocks, a Los Altos company that sells a Web-based e-mail system that promises to eliminate unwanted e-mail, or spam.

Earlier this year, it sued competing companies using similar technology to eliminate spam, claiming patent infringement.

Raised in Hillsborough, south of San Francisco, Goldman attended San Mateo High School and graduated from Princeton University in 1986 at the top of his class in the School of Engineering. He remained an active alumnus and endowed an engineering professorship at Princeton.

Goldman held 19 U.S. patents for inventions, and he also served on the board of directors of BraveKids, a charity that helps families with severely ill children find assistance and support through the Internet.

He is survived by his wife, Susan, and their two children; two brothers; and his parents.

Copyright 2004 Los Angeles Times


Materialization of this Page: March 13, 2000

-=1-year anniversary: approx. 3800 hits -- thanks for your support!

(Last updated: October 25, '09)
A fine web page is a work in progress. Explore, upgrade, and update!

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© 2000-2009 Karen Catalioto (a.k.a. Webtvgirl)
All Rights Reserved


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