It's a deliberate reference/meme that is basically used to acknowledge the precedent of overly exuberant predictions of cost in an emerging technology but argue "however, this time it's true".
Of course, perilous territory for future irony depending on how your prediction plays out.
Long distance phone calls were charged per minute.
Texting was charged per character.
And if you have the capabilities to install your own solar it can pay itself back in 6 years. Not sure what that looks like with 100% battery coverage.
abirch · · focus · HN ↗
"It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter,..." Lewis Strauss
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_cheap_to_meter#Origins" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_cheap_to_meter#Origins
Oddly enough my power bill was metered and big.
qlte · · focus · HN ↗
Of course, perilous territory for future irony depending on how your prediction plays out.
m463 · · focus · HN ↗
Later, you were billed for time connected to the "internet" (compuserve or aol or whatever)
Around when the iphone came out, software went from tens or hundreds of dollars to pennies, then free.
On the other hand legal advice has always been expensive, because a good answer is worth it.
Medical advice is worth it. Investing advice is worth it.
(That said, I wonder if with home solar and batteries if electricity will ever "generally" go down in price to normal people)
pixl97 · · focus · HN ↗
Texting was charged per character.
And if you have the capabilities to install your own solar it can pay itself back in 6 years. Not sure what that looks like with 100% battery coverage.