Apple television predicted to headline three core product launches in 2013 - Page 3

It is strange that they don't mention anything about the MacPro on this "predictions" as Tim Cook wrote a letter to users stating that apple is "working on something really great" for the MacPro and that it will be coming on 2013. 

Here is my wish list:

 

1. Apple need to break its predictable product launch patterns.

2. The Big, the Small and the Ugly: 4.5"+ iPhone 6, 4" iPhone 6 and a low cost emerging markets iOS phone.

3. Much lighter regular ipad, retina ipad mini at 329$ and non retina iPad mini at 249$ or even 199$.

4. 799 and 999 macbook airs.

5. Apple TV set and cable box with full cable partnership.

 

If Apple doesnt do anything, its going to paint itself in a corner just like it did in the 80's Android is becoming the windows of the mobile market, Apple must at least offer something mainstream or its going to lose market share to the point its just a niche market. And then all the apps dev are going to leave the boat.

 

Apple is Doom TM

 

Far too soon. The next two updates will be either a spec bump or maintain current specs with a price drop to start "from $299". I believe apple will hold keep their cards close to their chest here and their strategy will be determined by what others do in this category. The third update from now is conceivably the first that could conceivable offer a 4x pixel (AKA retina) display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is basically on the money.

 

 

 

 

Them be fightin words.

 

You view things in such a silly manner at times. It's very simple. You look at what is available when combining options from Apple and whatever third parties to see if and how your needs can be met. Either you will or will not have a workable solution there. One thing is that an NVidia gpu option is a necessity. It's a soft requirement for certain markets that have historically purchased the mac pro. I disagree with your analogy on keeping things until they die, or at least the reasoning. If their needs aren't really growing, it doesn't matter, and they were unlikely candidates for a new purchase. I don't personally adhere to a strict upgrade schedule. It just comes down to what I have relative to what I require. I also disagree that everything else performs poorly. Real world testing is not in your favor. When it comes to workstation apps, it's hit and miss. Some things run faster on OSX. It's usually those with large linux followings. Others evaluate faster on Windows. There's no need to insert tribalism into computer purchases.

 

I'll put it clearer just in case it wasn't understood:

 

1- New Mac Pro with cube form factor

2- New Mac Pro with cube form factor

ever compare the cheapest iPhone in price with the cheapest Android . Off contract of course. Listen up - there are 30M millionaires in the US, and you don't have to be a millionaire to afford 1-2K, if that were so capitalism would collapse. There is plenty of market in the US and around the world. 

I've found references at least as far back as 2008, so 5 years is probably about right.

The interesting thing is that Munster is the one who keeps bringing up the Apple television. He did it in 2009, 2011, and now 2012:
http://www.reghardware.com/2011/10/24/apple_television_rumor/

Yes, I think Siri could significantly change TV. The technical problems seem especially challenging, though. Background noise would be a major problem since you're sitting 10 feet or so from the TV and there are other sounds (including the TV itself, of course). While it might not be too difficult to filter out the TV's sound, you'd need a good microphone and great noise filtering software.


That's exactly what many people fail to understand. Apple doesn't need to make cheap devices. The market for premium devices is huge.

Getting into cheaper devices would, of course, expand the market, but would reduce margins and profitability. It would damage the brand, possibly costing them some of the premium sales. And they'd have to cut corners in some places and offer products that are not as great as their existing products.

 

1) Lies

2) Lies

3) Lies

4) Doesn't have to be the TV that does it.

 

And that bothers me to no end.

 

Until I don't have to wear glasses to view the content, it will be useless. 

 

He released the Apple TV. I have physical proof that your sarcasm is meaningless.

 

You don't. You need a TV and one device. The Apple TV. Period. Swap out the stupid screen any time you want. Want it bigger, get it bigger. Want it in LCD or plasma? Get it in LCD or plasma. Get it in OLED, even. But your UI and ecosystem remains the same. Not that hard to get.

 

 

Sounds exactly like the experience of anyone who has ever owned an Apple TV already.

 

It is, absolutely. But not from a stupid, marginless panel.

 

Heard that about the iPhone nano and the xMac, too.

Seems that the things that "Apple has to do" are the things that it should be avoiding the most.

 

 

"Sorry, I can't hear you over the content. Because TV has sound, too."

 

2048x1536. They aren't going to magically change the ratio.

 

1. Really? When's the new Mac Pro coming out? How about the new iPhone? The new iPad? CHECK.

2. They already have that without silly sizes. CHECK.

3. I can't understand why anyone would want a non-retina device of anything, but this is obviously going to happen. WILLCHECK.

4. They don't need to.

5. Sure hope so.

 

What do you mean, "unlikely candidates"? They WERE going to buy what is new if it was exactly the same, it wasn't, and so they didn't. That's how the pro world operates: Whine about everything that changes in the slightest from what they already know. Or at least it's what they'd have you believe. Which is why it's only a fraction of my projection.

 

I don't get it; what's your point? As many people can afford a forced-data iPhone plan as cannot. The phone is meaningless.

I said iPhone and iPad mini not iphone and iPod touch. And I said design, not aspect ratio. And I agree with everything else you said.

People say a lot of things. It doesn't mean they'll actually buy it. They just think they will buy it. If they absolutely needed a new machine, they would have bought one when it became clear that Apple would not update the line for a while.

 

I see it as coming down to growth. If they're looking to leverage desktop users from older mac pros or windows users, the important parts are modernized storage, OpenCL/CUDA options, and cpu options. I think ignoring good gpu choices alone would be enough to kill any future viability for the platform. Thunderbolt wouldn't be a bad thing, but it's hardly necessary here. If they had a better way to route it than embedded graphics, that would work. I don't see embedded graphics as a good mac pro solution, as you can't really push them any higher than the latest imac. I don't think embedded solutions really exist with the 200W cards Apple has been using, and doing anything involving a lot of custom engineering seems out of focus for one of their lowest volume product lines. What do you think would attract people to an update at this point?

 

Marvin showed me this link a few days ago. While you can see the option without CUDA support took way longer than any of the others, this is partially because it's not well optimized to run on the cpu. The huge point of performance growth in a lot of these areas is pushing gpu based solutions. Now if you look at the smaller bars in context with each other, you still have an incredible difference between the 650m and the GTX580. One of the remaining issues is memory. Unless you have a Tesla in there, there's a large range of problems that aren't solvable in this manner. That won't change by next year, but it's an important factor for the health of the platform if it relies on being a workstation, given that this would be a strong use case. Some of the benchmarking tests run on anything, but if you're talking about multiple 4k seamless texture maps to a variety of attributes, you can just hose the available ram on these lighter video cards. I mention this because CUDA and OpenCL represent the best cost to performance ratio at the moment when it comes to computing gains if they can be leveraged.

Some sort of desktop Mac positioned between the iMac and the Mac Pro is the only product I want from Apple. I do not want an all in one but I don't need the overkill of the Mac Pro. Apple has nothing for the user that needs more than the mobile components mini and the Mac Pro.

MacBook Air with retina display and 756 gb hard drive? I can't wait! Then again, MacBook Pro with the option for more ram would also do the trick.

 

You monetize content management by selling Apple HDTVs used to manage content.

As I have said on another post it will probably be up to $150, but that would mean it to be a iPod without a screen and battery, with other ports, were also talking about $50 less to build the iPod touch 4 with they could do A5X dual core(graphics better for a tv). Plus minor improvement in speed. Cheaper materials and no need for as small so let's see here.

$70 off a Apple TV vs a iPod touch 4, Ot would estimate $30 more but in a year that could half.

I have the mini(32 gig wifi only) and I love it. But when that beast goes HD I'm selling it. The retina display mini will be a phenom!!!

Is it just me that at first glance at this article you thought "Apple to release Triple Core TV". Hah.

But the MacBook Air design was supposed to be "the future". It is the most, absolutely most, beautiful laptop design in the world, ever. To me, and I'm sure to many. The MacBook Pro Retinas seem a little... compromised. Their hardware and screens are off-the-charts amazing, but imagine that in the MacBook Air form factor... need not be as thin, but that sliver/wedge/triangle style... Absolutely perfect.

The MacBook Pro 15" Retina should have been more of a MacBook Air 15". In fact, the Airs should have replaced most of the MacBook Pro models this year, or at least the MacBook Pros should have become very, very much more Air-shaped.

 

That is taking a figurative statement out of context.

Take the design direction of the latest iMac, thinned down to a few millimeters at the edges… remove the computer components warranting the extra depth in the back and the frontside 'chin' (which is also missing from the Apple Display)…  What we end up with is a 16:9, millimeters-thick 'slab', 42" ~ 60" in size. That's what I imagine an Apple iScreen (or whatever they call their television) will look like.

 

Rather like a giant 'widescreen' iPad on a stand. Or wall mounted.

 

Probably the biggest challenge will be keeping the frame strong enough, but the lamination technique used for the new iMac display apparently adds quite a bit of tensile strength to the structure...

 

ThIs assumes there will be a television at all. I'm still not 100% convinced… only, 90%-ish...

Most digital television sets, including all smart TVs, are dedicated all-in-one computers with integrated tuners. Several manufacturers, including Sony and Samsung, base their sets on embedded versions of Linux. [The GPL license is included in the owners documents.] Apple will not use Linux because its iOS is Unix behind the scenes. If Apple introduces its own HDTV, then you can expect it to be an enhanced AppleTV with integrated display. The extent to which it is enhanced is the subject of some speculation. In the USA, the Apple HDTV will include a ClearQAM, and [legally required] ATSC tuners. Because so many cable providers and many power-power broadcasters transmit analog signals, there is a small demand for NTSC for the foreseeable future. It is anyone's guess whether the Apple HDTV will include an NTSC tuner. Each international model will be localized to conform with the national laws of the country in which it is sold.

 

As for physical dimensions, we can expect each Apple HDTV to be comparable in size but slightly thinner than smart TVs of comparable screen size for other manufacturers. There is no reason to even think of the iMac because [most] Apple HDTVs will have substantially larger displays. 

 

No ads?

 

philip

Most needed by whom? You? The 0.001%?

Like it or not but Apple isn't focused on you anymore. They haven't been since they took Shake off the market. Hell they basically said that the Pro market was no longer their major concern when they did that. It's consumer/prosumer as that is where the money is. If the Pros can find use for their stuff, great. If not, oh well. Even when this hinted Mac Pro comes out, you and yours will likely hate it anyway because it won't have some nifty processor that just it the market, won't be upgradable enough, blah blah. So why don't you just go buy that Windows/Linux box you keep threatening to buy and stop off topic trolling with your Mac Pro whining
Edited by charlituna - 11/25/12 at 10:08am

You assume that that is the game plan. You, and Munster etc, could be way off. Assuming that Apple is working on an All in One Monitor/Apple TV set up perhaps the reason this has been vaporware for the past 3+ years is that they are waiting for the component prices to come down enough that they can build what they want at the size and quality they want and keep it at no more the $999 of the current Cinema Display. 

 

$7.99 a month with ads, dependent on having a network connection and Hulu drops episodes and shows based on contracts all the time. 

 

But you do raise a good point. Pricing in iTunes (as well as quality and timing of releases) could use a vast improvement. Especially the whole season pass thing. It's absurd that a 'half hour' sitcom costs the same as an 'hour long' drama or that any of them are as much as $5 an episode. Even the standard $2.99 of the broadcast realm is too much. And the $1 off season passes is a huge no way.

 

I noticed that the CW did something wacky, probably as a test. They released their Beauty and the Beast remake show for a season pass of $10 right off the top of the season. I wouldn't be shocked if they did that to entice viewers to buy it to see how many folks get the show that way (they can likely see download numbers week over week) to supplement the standard ratings from Nielsen. If I'm right that is an awesome move. Nielsen counts a tiny fraction of folks so they could see some interesting numbers and the price is totally in line with what folks, especially the 18-25 crew that the CW skews to, would pay for a show. If it makes it all 22 eps it will be a huge bargain. I'd say even double that is a more reasonable price for a 22-26 ep season. but not any higher. If this goes well the CW could try this with other shows and it might spread to other networks. 

 

Nope. Because Apple does have in home options. Even for their iMacs. It's dependent on there being a 3rd party shop in your area that does in home but if there is then Apple Care has the option to arrange for that company to come to you if your product is still under warranty/Apple Care. They would use that for the TVs if such a product exists. 

 

And even if someone did bring in their TV to the genius bar they would treat it like they treat the current products. Check it in for overnight testing. Replace faulty hardware components, restore the software if that is the issue. It's really not a huge deal. 

 

I wouldn't be so sure it's the developers that are the issue. It's also possible that it's contractual. Apple might be more than willing to put HBOGO on the Apple TV but they might be demanding that users be allowed to subscribe directly and not have it tied to having cable service from a select list of companies, same as the other paid services on the ATV. Time Warner might be saying no way to that. Thus no HBOGO. 

 

And remember that any app can be on the Apple TV via Airplay, which isn't an issue for the vast number of apps since they are games and you'd need a controller anyway (which would be your iphone, ipad etc). The only apps that would be potentially useful in an independent sense are media playing apps like HBOGO, Pandora etc which are all tied to contracts. 

 

I wouldn't count on that. If they expanded the on board memory for more caching of rentals etc to say 64GB, added more HDMI and even coaxial for plugging in BluRay players and cable boxes for some new controller API, added bluetooth for using those clone "Nintendo" controllers then I could see the price going up to $149, even $199. But not likely more than that. 

 

You might want to restore your Apple TV cause I know dozens of folks with an ATV and they put in that info once and haven't again since they bought it. 

 

You are correct about the TV remote issue, which is why I wonder if perhaps Apple might be working on some kind of API for controlling outside devices via the ATV. Rather like how many video cameras can be controlled during importing from inside iMovie and Final Cut. Then you could just grab that old ipad you are using as a remote, fire up the remote app, turn on the tv etc and have at it. Even being able to type when needed via the soft keyboard instead of that annoying click wheel in the silver remote. 

 

In live action I agree. Outside of heavy CGI things like Avatar which were filmed from the start for 3D it is just a gimmick. 

 

But in that CGI and in Annies, if it is used right it can be very good. The trick is to be subtle and use it mostly for adding inner depth, not doing cute stunts (although the post credit stuff in Despicable Me still cracks me up). 

 

And I amstrongly for passive 3D not active. Those shutter glasses kill my eyes. I get migraines and I know many others that do. It's just not worth it for the gimmicks the movies tend to have. In my opinion, The Avengers showed that passive 3D is fine for a live action movie. I could even see Apple eventually trying to get some of the 3D annies etc into the store via their connections to Disney. It might be technologically possible now that we are moving into h.265. And if they let folks pay up via an iTunes Plus kind of deal to add the 3d to previous HD purchases, folks could bite. Might be an interesting experiment. I am loathe to pay $30 for a movie on iTunes right now but if it was that price to get access to the SD, 720p, (slightly higher quality) 1080 and 1080 3D I might go enticed. 

Edited by charlituna - 11/25/12 at 10:53am

 

He didn't. Munster is focused on Apple making scads of money and thus raising their stock value. The Mac Pro will not sell the units needed to fall into that focus. Thus he isn't talking about it. 

 

I would be careful about saying that the Mac Pro is 'confirmed'. Tim's letter and phrasing were just vague enough that he could be confirming a new Mac Pro or he could be saying they didn't talk about the Mac Pro because it is being nixed but the new thing isn't ready to talk about yet. We could be about to see the end of the Mac Pro as we know it in exchange for a more powerful iMac or even Mac Mini (with lack of user updating). 

Asking it to record an arbitrary program would be its strong suit. For the rest of that, pressing a button would be quicker, though voice control would be a nice fallback.


Plasma fans don't seem to notice the swimming of static in the image. I don't understand that.

It's also unfortunate the best home 3D requires the bulkier glasses.

That swimming static is only visible up close. If the viewer is at the correct distance for the given screen size he/she doesn't see it.

The one change I believe Apple need to be prepared for is a change of form factor for the iPad. Nothing terribly radical, but an enclosure adapted for use with a keyboard. A bit over a year ago Asus came out with a tablet with an optional keyboard that had a cradle to hold the tablet. The form factor was very interesting. M$'s surface is a variation on this. Neither system IMO is anything near being a substantial competitor for the iPad, but sooner or later they may become one. Apple would be well served in my view to come out with their own integrated (removable) keyboard that maintains the slim profile of the iPad. I am aware that there are third party adaptations which succeed in varying degrees, but I think Apple could do better. There are times when a keyboard is necessary.

 

That's what external cases are for. You want a laptop, buy a laptop.

No! This is a "both" option. You can buy the table by itself and, if you so desire, you can buy the keyboard that integrates with it, but is removable for those occasions when you don't need it. Take a look at the Asus and you will see that it is not a laptop at all and it is much more elegant than any of the "cases" for the iPad I have seen.

Tallest Skil was absolutely correct. "If you want a laptop, then you should buy a laptop." You may be salivating for the Microsoft Surface with their flipping/folding covers that convert the tablet into a laptop or the new Windows 8 laptops with the rotating display panel that converts them into incredibly thick tablets. Check back in 6 months. They will make Windows Me look like a roaring success.

 

Ooh! I saw a full-page ad for one of those in a magazine! "How horrid," I thought to myself, "they didn't learn from the last set of these in 2004?"

 

I mean REALLY. NO ONE wanted to use it then, no one will use it now. Quit shoving this filth down our throats and actually come up with something that people would want for once in your miserable existences. 

 

 

Hey, here it is! I imagine one side carries power to the screen and the other side carries data. How long before both of them just BREAK right off, would you guess? 

 

Or you read on a forum "I thought it was a tablet, so I snapped it out. Now the screen part doesn't work and the laptop part doesn't work. And Dell won't give me a new one for free! This is so unfair. I deserve a new one."

This is the current version of the Asus Tablet to which I referred. It uses a Tegra SoC and runs on Android, not Win 8 or such. You will note that the hinge assembly of the keyboard serves as a docking station. I spoke with the person who had it at some length and it had a number of shortcomings, such as poor battery life and nothing like the number of apps available for the iPad. The form factor, however was good. It was, IMO, much more elegant than any of the (third party) iPad keyboard solutions I have seen. These affairs come off as "second best" whether there really is an available product that is better or not.

 

This is a tablet, not a laptop. There are a lot of people dragging around all manner of make to keyboard solutions for the iPad. Apple could be selling their own keyboard and making money on it. Even if there were not direct electrical connection between the keyboard and the iPad, this solution would be entirely workable with a Bluetooth connection as is the case with most of the current offerings. One difference that is apparent between the Android and iOS systems is the provision for a touchpad which, of course would not work with the current renditions of iOS...which is no big deal,  but the keyboard is.

 

When the one I saw was closed, it looked a lot like the old Titanium MBP, except very, very thin.

 

If you will read my original post, I commented only about the form factor, explicitly stating that I did not view this to be an effective competitor for the iPad, but that, sooner or later (most likely later), there will probably be someone who comes up with a reasonable competitor for the iPad.

 

They are. It's called the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. You can even get cases that have slots for both the iPad and the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, and there are plenty of cases that have their own Bluetooth keyboards built in. 

 

But if you're doing this, you want a laptop. Your computing needs are basically suffering an identity crisis. This is to be expected, obviously, during this transition phase. Nothing wrong with it other than when people don't acknowledge that this is what is happening to them.

 

By the end of the decade, laptops will basically be phased out, and only bargain bin manufacturers (like Dell or HP, if they're even still making computers at all by then) would be making laptops.

If those things weren't so sad, then they would be funny.