Reaching everyone?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote: Phillip Linden:
This means we want SL to be able to reach everyone in the world, to be able to scale to 100's of millions of users and millions of servers, and to remain an open decentralized system in which creativity rules.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All right, I have a simple question, you plan to let this reach 100's of millions of users, so how do you plan to find 100's of millions of users who can afford to keep up with the grueling demand of computer specs? I mean just because LL can afford to buy the top of the line computers and a smattering of wealthy people who find the time/care about playing are able to, doesnt mean the majority of the SL populus can. I for one cannot afford to, even though I dearly enjoy the game. I play each day, fearing it could be the last day I can get my pc to pull itself together and function properly.
All right enough rambling, just wanted to get my point across, even though I'm sure someone else has had the same thoughts.

Happily, Dylan, if you've been reading and hearing more of what Philip's said lately--including the recent Town Hall and his appearance on Episode 10 of SecondCast, you'll know that "less lag" and higher viewer framerates are a priority to us.

Also keep in mind+heart that with technology, prices come down as performance increases. A lot that previously had to be rendered over the course of hours in the years before can now be done near-realtime.

I'm all for biggest bang on a budget, getting a cheap computer to run SL well. While my current computer was not "bargain basement", I was very judicious about getting something practical which I could enjoy Second Life on. I'm a firm believer in resourcefulness: doing a lot with a little.

Some speed boosts are nearby: coming soon in a future version of Second Life--keep watching the Announcements--occlusion culling! (E.g. stand in the middle of a house, and what's outside the walls that you can't see won't be drawn, quickening things up.)