For the record, the article title is wrong. They are selling a
Squier Strat, not a Fender Strat. This will be a guitar built by a third party guitar manufacturer (in China, natch) to Squier specs. There is nothing "Fender" about this guitar except Squier's use of the parent company's trademark body shape, headstock shape, pickguard design, etc.
Why is the guitar not rechargeable and piping signal out via a Bluetooth or wifi link?
Is there some technical reason that one in this day and age still has to schlepp around and be tethered to cables?
It does add to the cost, and there are lot of other technical considerations. Latency can be a killer. IMO, Bluetooth would be way too slow. Also, the 2.4 GHz WiFi spectrum is too crowded already for many home users. Building the USB interface into the guitar is a reasonable step IMO for a guitar
at this price point.
Isn't this just the Rocksmith guitar?
The "Rocksmith guitar" is an Epiphone Les Paul Junior (one-pup P-90) with the Rocksmith 1/4"-to-USB cable. You can buy pretty much the same Junior at any Guitar Center across the country. You can also buy just the Rocksmith game with the 1/4"-to-USB cable and play pretty much any electric guitar.
BTW, Rocksmith is a great way to develop guitar skills in the guise of a console music game. I'd bet this Squier guitar will work fine with Rocksmith on a PS3 or Xbox, the same way the Rocksmith cable works will really any electric guitar into Garageband for the Mac. Typically, PC users will probably have to futz with finding the right drivers.
Regardless, anything that encourages the next generation of guitarists is OK in my book.