How Apple will take the living-room.
In the past few weeks I keep hearing that Apple probably has something planned that not many people expect, and obviously it's not the iTV. Judging by their homepage, it could be big. The iTV is coming we know this, and if you were a betting man, you'd put your house on the line that an iPod Phone or an Apple Phone is coming this year too. I'd say it's pretty much guaranteed before summer. Apple is currently growing in two directions, and may I add, at a rapid rate. They are becoming more of a consumer electronics company, while becoming bigger in the computer and OS world at the same time. And they are able to achive this because of Steve Jobs' management. In '97 he took the research and development for 40 products, and made it 10, and now iPod + iTunes and Mac are two separate teams. He Micromanages them accordingly. Also, I hate to say it, but they are where they are now, because they do actually think different. They didn't name their iPod the 61 25 KL boom-box, cause that would be stupid. Yet 99% of other computer and consumer electronics companies continue to do these stupid things. Microsoft calls their keynote presentation app. "Powerpoint", and Apple calls theirs "Keynote". Enough said!
They want the living room, that's no secret. What is a secret though is how they are going to achive it. I think they will own the living-room in two stages; Stage one, the decoy. The iTV will stream all your media from your computer to your TV, and media from the web like Youtube, Movie trailers, websites etc. to your TV while you sit on your couch. Apple will probably set it up so you can buy TV Shows, Movies and songs etc. from the iTS sitting on your couch. And with a Mini version of OS X running under a Front Row like interface, you can bet it'll be an enjoyable experience. Stage two, all guns blazing. iTunes TV show subscritption service, with some live content, and an Apple all-in-one TV, accompanied with a series of different speaker and audio systems to suit everyone from the audiophile to the amateur movie buff. If you want a simple set-up, you can have it. Right out-of-the-box you can plug in the TV, and away you go. These days that just isn't possible, and Apple can change that. The TV will come in black, it will have a slot-load standard DVD player, iTV technology built-inside, a user replaceable hard drive inside, and "one" TV-Edition Apple Remote®. For the first time ever, if you wanted to, you could have one remote and one appliance in your living-room, yet still be able to do everthing you could do before. Throw away your VCR, your DVD player, your TV, you cable/satellite box, and all those remotes (sell them if you can) cause Apple is coming to the living room, and you can bet your bottom dollar they are coming in style. That's how I think they will both take and change the living-room forever. The all-in-one TV + iTunes TV. They'll have to make room for another tab on their homepage, and they'll call it "TV + iTunes".
I forgot to add, I'm calling this one for 2008.
They want the living room, that's no secret. What is a secret though is how they are going to achive it. I think they will own the living-room in two stages; Stage one, the decoy. The iTV will stream all your media from your computer to your TV, and media from the web like Youtube, Movie trailers, websites etc. to your TV while you sit on your couch. Apple will probably set it up so you can buy TV Shows, Movies and songs etc. from the iTS sitting on your couch. And with a Mini version of OS X running under a Front Row like interface, you can bet it'll be an enjoyable experience. Stage two, all guns blazing. iTunes TV show subscritption service, with some live content, and an Apple all-in-one TV, accompanied with a series of different speaker and audio systems to suit everyone from the audiophile to the amateur movie buff. If you want a simple set-up, you can have it. Right out-of-the-box you can plug in the TV, and away you go. These days that just isn't possible, and Apple can change that. The TV will come in black, it will have a slot-load standard DVD player, iTV technology built-inside, a user replaceable hard drive inside, and "one" TV-Edition Apple Remote®. For the first time ever, if you wanted to, you could have one remote and one appliance in your living-room, yet still be able to do everthing you could do before. Throw away your VCR, your DVD player, your TV, you cable/satellite box, and all those remotes (sell them if you can) cause Apple is coming to the living room, and you can bet your bottom dollar they are coming in style. That's how I think they will both take and change the living-room forever. The all-in-one TV + iTunes TV. They'll have to make room for another tab on their homepage, and they'll call it "TV + iTunes".
I forgot to add, I'm calling this one for 2008.
Comments
Throw away your VCR, your DVD player, your TV, you cable/satellite box, and all those remotes (sell them if you can) cause Apple is coming to the living room...
Really? I can throw away my satellite box? Apple will be offering live programming? Awesome!
I don't see an Apple TV anytime in the near future, maybe the not too near but not too far future, but definitely not the Near future.
As for TV Subscriptions, well it's a thought, but as long as they don't do Music Subscriptions (as that Macnut said back when the iTunes Music Store came out, "You Rent an Apartment, Not Music") I'm not sure I would care.
Sebastian
so i will be sticking my core(non2) duo mini under the 50"Sony..
BUT i havent tried that yet, and i realised i wasnt sure if it would work... so ive just disconnected EVERYTHING and moved me mini into the TV room.
it worked (like i couldnt have relied on that!)
and to be honest THAT is all i need, iTunes is there, DVD player is there, iPhoto is there, and as for all those movies ive been compressing for the last several months?
they are on a 400Gb Freecom HD (no fan)
so with two boxes about the size of 3 video cassettes (at the biggest) i have all this functionality ALREADY.
i dont think i really NEED iTV
what MORE is it going to give me? seriously?
I dont think i really NEED iTV
what MORE is it going to give me? seriously?
I dunno, maybe a wireless HD internet connection, the ability to watch online videos, view webpages, buy songs, buy music videos, buy TV Shows, buy Movies and buy other types of digital media from your couch using a 6 button remote.
i dont think i really NEED iTV
what MORE is it going to give me? seriously?
You say that now, just wait until Steve tells you that you need it.
he has just warmed up the RDF with that teaser on the homepage.
You say that now, just wait until Steve tells you that you need it.
he has just warmed up the RDF with that teaser on the homepage.
I sometimes disagree when people say RDF. I was wishing a device like this would come out. While everyone else was trying to make the TV a computer, Apple knew not to. I was wishing they were thinking about the living-room this way, and indeed they were. When I saw him demonstrate iTV, I thought YES! That's exactly what I was thinking! Before it came out, I was thinking about a small box with a front row interface.
I sometimes disagree when people say RDF. I was wishing a device like this would come out. While everyone else was trying to make the TV a computer, Apple knew not to. I was wishing they were thinking about the living-room this way, and indeed they were. When I saw him demonstrate iTV, I thought YES! That's exactly what I was thinking! Before it came out, I was thinking about a small box with a front row interface.
my guess is that there will be much more functionality to the box than steve has provided with the showtime teaser.
you know ive been waiting for new macs all last year... finances have finally made me realise i will be getting a core2Duo MINI IF they release one in a few days time.
so i will be sticking my core(non2) duo mini under the 50"Sony..
BUT i havent tried that yet, and i realised i wasnt sure if it would work... so ive just disconnected EVERYTHING and moved me mini into the TV room.
it worked (like i couldnt have relied on that!)
and to be honest THAT is all i need, iTunes is there, DVD player is there, iPhoto is there, and as for all those movies ive been compressing for the last several months?
they are on a 400Gb Freecom HD (no fan)
so with two boxes about the size of 3 video cassettes (at the biggest) i have all this functionality ALREADY.
i dont think i really NEED iTV
what MORE is it going to give me? seriously?
It think itv's point is to try and give you that functionality without buying another computer and at lower price, that mini alone must have set you back at least 650, no way the average consumer is gonna be satisfied with prices like that.
For people like you and me though, yeah iTV may not rock our worlds, but if itv is just a cheaper hub allowing people to do these things through their current computer, that's something that may shake things up.
...
I don't see an Apple TV anytime in the near future, maybe the not too near but not too far future, but definitely not the Near future.
...
Yeah and when all far near future issues are fixed than they probably
won't look across the pond. This is just a hunch.
I dunno, maybe a wireless HD internet connection, the ability to watch online videos, view webpages, buy songs, buy music videos, buy TV Shows, buy Movies and buy other types of digital media from your couch using a 6 button remote.
you cant type a password in with a 6 buttom remote can you?
i dont really want to sign up to one click (whatever its called) in iTunes and i do buy likely more than the average amount of stuff online, and if Tescos hurry up and get their act together with home delivery in my area i will possibly never leave the house again
i have a wireless router, and its the first time i bothered checking the movie trailers... WOW i loved it... so if Apple can get the movie download thing sorted for the UK then i will be twitching
//ecking//
//For people like you and me though, yeah iTV may not rock our worlds, but if itv is just a cheaper hub allowing people to do these things through their current computer, that's something that may shake things up.//
yeah not for me but totally agree
Yeah and when all far near future issues are fixed than they probably
won't look across the pond. This is just a hunch.
TV is outdated anyways.
Sebastian
meh, I doubt anything Apple can produce will satisify my audiophilic needs.
Speakers the size of San Francisco?
Sebastian