Microsoft Web TV® has teamed with La-Z-Boy |
Joey and Rachel just got one. Should you?"Friends" has devoted whole episodes to it, while "Frasier" still can't get over his. What piece of furniture is so hot that it's everywhere on TV? It's a recliner. In Herculon or leather, orange or black, tacky or so-so, it seems that guys just can't live without them. It probably started with the cave man. Can't you picture some guy arranging rocks and moss just so, for the perfect 'first' reclining chair? Recliners have gotten a bad rap over the years. In the beginning they were little more than gigantic upholstered nightmares, banished to the guy's den at the back of the house. It seemed no fabric could cover the bad taste. But, oh the comfort. There's nothing like putting up your feet and sinking into the soft squishy comfort of a reclining chair. Just don't tell your decorator. Jokes aside, however, recliners have been making a comeback. In the 90's, for example, they made their way into a number of famous TV living rooms. "Frasier" has an ugly gold model in his living room, "Raymond" put his right next to the sofa, and "Friends" have long featured matching recliners in Joey's bachelor pad. However, the millennium is here to stay, and recliners have entered the Space Age. When Joey's recliner fell apart from overuse, his bitter disappointment was soothed by the purchase of a new and improved model. It was probably the heating pad and massage fingers that won him over. Or maybe it was the beverage holder. It might be time to rethink the recliner after all. Recliners are now sleeker, better looking, even more comfortable, and full of interesting features. How about a buttery soft leather model with drink holders, a fold up desk, and a wireless keyboard to hook you to the Internet? Yes, Microsoft Web TV® has teamed with La-Z-Boy to make a recliner that's perfect for the couch potato and the computer geek. Now you can surf the net with your feet up, check your email, and sip on a tall cool one with the new La-Z-Boy "Explorer" e-cliner! The "Explorer", retailing for $1,000-$1,500 (depending on fabric), features a convenient beverage holder, storage for remotes and videos, a fold-out table, a WebTV keyboard, an AC/data adapter for plugging in a regular laptop computer, and a high-speed DSL port. Two months of WebTV® are included, but after that you'll need to subscribe to the service yourself. La-Z-Boy notes that "a tray table that folds out of the left arm and holds a Sony infrared keyboard that interacts with a WebTV® Plus receiver. The left arm also houses a fused adapter outlet providing surge protection, a high-speed laptop modem jack and a 120-volt electrical outlet, while the right arm contains a drink holder and storage space ideal for holding a remote control and TV Guide." The tray table swivels so you can easily swing it out of the way (keyboard intact) in case you have to get up to grab another snack. And if you're worried that all that web surfing will make you miss your favorite shows, consider this: you'll be able to search online TV listings, request reminder notifications for your favorite shows, and use a Picture-in-Picture feature that lets you watch TV and surf simultaneously. It's enough to make Tim the Toolman weep for joy. Does it do windows too? Maybe that's next year's model. |
| ~ Glenna Morton |