I was thinking the same thing, especially in light of what Google recently announced. Even though the 160GB version's introduction was a huge leap in terms of storage, I still think that's rather small. I'd hope that the next Apple TV has 250-320GB of storage in it.
I'm going to throw out random claims of impending awesomeness. The new AppleTV comes with an iPod touch like remote that allows you to play all your stuff from the App Store including everything for the iPad (why hello ABC, nice to meet you). Standard HD capacity to go to 250GB and 320GB and, umm, I'll refrain from saying it'll have a coax input because I'm not *THAT* crazy
Apple has tons of room and reasons for shocking surprises on both the pricing and the carrier front.
They need to keep the primary focus from developers in a world where Android is looming. Meanwhile they currently have tremendous margins while they soon have iAd.
Mark my words: the prices are where the biggest surprises are going to be.
It's not the iPhone that is likely to see much in the way of surprising changes. The product that is likely to change significantly at some point in the coming year is the Touch. The screen on the Touch is too small for what the unit is now used for.
The Touch is close to optimal in size, in fact a slightly smaller version might be even better. You see it fills the niche of a Touch OS device that is pocketable and NOT a cell phone. There are a wide range of customers that can't have or don't want the extra features in an iPhone.
On the other hand I do believe Apple needs a device in the 5-7" range. This however would be a new device and not a Touch replacement.
Quote:
The current Touch form factor is ideal for a phone but the Touch isn't a phone.
Nope it is ideal for a device that you want to put in your pocket. That is the niche Touch tries to fill, that is a pocketable IPhone OS device that is cell phone free.
Quote:
One response to the iPad will be touch devices sporting larger screens than the current Touch. Hence, the logical move would be for Apple to make a larger screen on the Touch an upgrade to respond to the competition, such as it is.
It isn't that I'm disagreeing with the idea that a larger device is needed just that that needs to be an additional device. Besides Touch still sells well and with a few mods will continue to do so.
Quote:
Being as memory on the devices is now rather decent, instead of doubling memory Aple can choose to provide a larger screen using the lower cost of memory to maintain margin. If that screen sports a similar resolution to the iPad, it will make it even better suited as an e-reader, etc., not to mention allowing it to run any iPad app.
A big fail on your part if you think these devices have enough memory be that RAM of secondary storage.
Quote:
Regardless, the Touch is now in an awkward place re Apple's product mix and as such a significant shift is bound to happen. The iPhone, on the other hand, is pretty much set in terms of form factor. It can't get any larger or significantly shrink without being worse as a result. For the forseeable future the iPhone is pretty much set, just as Apple has been selling 13", 15" and 17" laptops for years.
Touch is fine right where it is at. Apple does need to round out the iPhone OS devices line up but that doesn't mean deleteing the position the current Touch holds.
I get the feeling that we won't hear a peep from Apple about the ATV at WWDC. At this point, Apple either has to kill off the ATV, or go for complete reconstructive surgery. I think they will opt to make it really great to compete with the GoogleTV, but something liek this surely will get it's own press event, say in September/October? Just my feeling on the subject. I will however welcome the change whenever Apple decides to announce.
*fingers crossed*
The Apple TV is alive and well. Games, DVR, Safari, OS 4.0 perhaps, etc.... Apple has been working on this stuff for some time now.
I disagree. An app store for the Apple TV would (potentially) give me access to BBC iPlayer, 4OD and Sky Player without hacking my box. There's plenty of applications that would make sense for the Apple TV.
Either way, I don't care if WWDC is full of surprises or not. As long as I know that iPhone OS 4 is coming, I'll be happy.
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time? Upgrading to OS 2 was horrendous, and took forever to get things right. And there have been other point releases that caused problems due to not enough quality testing in advance of release.
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
Unless, of course, Steve unveils something NO ONE has even heard of
It would be interesting if Apple releases the new iPhone and it looks nothing like the leaked stuff. And makes a fool out of those who leaked the purposely wrong prototypes. But that's just me and my spiteful self
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time? Upgrading to OS 2 was horrendous, and took forever to get things right. And there have been other point releases that caused problems due to not enough quality testing in advance of release.
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
I totally agree, and wait and see is my current motto...I am just wondering if you all think this will have gotten better after the oS 2 fiasco? I'm hoping Apple has been testing OS 4 for a really really long time.
the big surprise will be a foxconn worker is going to jump down from the flyloft, splat on the stage, and Steve will take the next iphone from his hand.
yes, this post is tasteless, but so is having your hardware assembled in what you know are concentration camps.
It would have taken away the surprise, if noone had expected a new iPhone. It's also no surprise that it sports a new design - and yes, a front facing camera isn't a surprise. If Apple wants to surprise (me) than better not with a simple iPhone upgrade that was anticipated by a majority.
Exactly. Everyone KNEW there would be a new iphone last year. Only a few details were unknown at that point.
And even without Gawker's trip into the illegal, there would have been leaks.
But who knows what rabbits are in Job's hat. He could talk about 10.7, there could be Safari upgrades like the rumored plugins/extensions. perhaps there's some ilife/iwork upgrades. for example, iweb supporting HTML5 (and hopefully user created templates and better 'code' insertion etc). Plus there are rumors of Final Cut Studio being revamped, perhaps also Logic Studio.
How about a new Mac Pro, a huge update to the Apple TV and so on.
Munster is, as is typical, talking out of his ass. The only difference is that he's not making over the top positive comments
I tend to think of myself as pretty informed about Apple rumors and patent speculation, etc.m but I totally missed this. Thanks for posting, it was an excellent read. Makes me very excited for the future. And hey, if Apple wants to sling out some DVR love, I won't complain a bit, I'll just lovingly wave good-bye to TiVo
50" wall mountable Cinema Display with TV tuner and an update on Apple TV...i wish...there is certainly room for surprises...it just might not be the time to announce anything big
Apple announces that it's making MobileMe free and launching its own internet search engine.
apple is way behind, unless they are going to annouce iwork web apps, search engine, free storage, and major safari upgrade (and please change that stupid 'mobileme' name).
I tend to think of myself as pretty informed about Apple rumors and patent speculation, etc.m but I totally missed this. Thanks for posting, it was an excellent read. Makes me very excited for the future. And hey, if Apple wants to sling out some DVR love, I won't complain a bit, I'll just lovingly wave good-bye to TiVo
Patently Apple is a great site... It's a great place to learn what Apple Labs are really up to.
apple is way behind, unless they are going to annouce iwork web apps, search engine, free storage, and major safari upgrade (and please change that stupid 'mobileme' name).
googlewebapps is definitely a better name. I like mobile me. The name represents exactly what it is, and has some personal appeal.
The only thing that could make the keynote interesting at this point is if Steve goes on stage and fumbles for the new iphone which he can't find, and then Jason Chen stands up in the audience and woefully hands over a bag full of iphone breakdown parts, but I doubt Steve has that sort of sense of humor.
To be honest, I don't see much point in Google TV. Sure, people watch Youtube and Hulu, but the problem is that Hulu would probably block Google TV from watching its shows, because that would make it too easy for people to drop cable.
Only problem I see with this line of thought is that Hulu doesn't post the episodes right away. If a show's supposed to air on normal TV on Wednesday, do you really want to wait until Hulu posts it to watch it?
The way I see it, adding Hulu (if GTV gets a partnership going) is padding the content available to you. There's only so much time you have to dedicate to watching live shows, so you're bound to miss a show here and there. By that time, Hulu might have it posted and you can jump right to it and watch. Also works during times where there's nothing of interest on live TV.
Quote:
The problem is, why have Google TV if you could watch the same content already? Are you really willing to spend $300-500 for a device that makes you type in stuff to get to the content you want? I don't think Apple TV has to worry, Google TV will implode, as few people will buy something that seems rather built in search of a problem.
If the search is as simple as typing "Mythbusters" (for example) into a search box and Google doing the work to pull a list of current, future, and archived episodes from a variety of sources, I'd gladly pay for that device.
Quote:
EDIT: Other people commented that Amazon and Netflix would be possible contenders as well for content. What's to stop the content providers from saying Netflix and Amazon can't stream to Google TV or Apple TV unless they have a deal? And such a deal would be unprecedented, because that would eat into cable subscriptions.
I don't see how they won't let that happen. The feature's available on the XBox, PS3, and Wii and cable companies don't seem to have an issue with it. Those are also third-party devices you plug into the TV just like GTV will be.
Again, Netflix and Amazon will just be additional sources of search. I'm guessing that there will always be an option to purchase the episode or movie via Amazon and that if you have a Netflix account, you tell GTV that when you set it up and it'll use that information when you pick from Netflix.
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time?
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
The previews I had seen suggest that 4.0 is far more stable than any previous release at the same stage in it's development.
Apple has plenty of room for big surprises on both the pricing and the carrier front!
Android looming on the horizon means Apple needs to increase their marketshare really rapidly now, if they want to keep the main focus from the developers - under Apple's own conditions.
Apple has lots of room for increasing their marketshare, because at the moment they have huge margins, iAds nearly ready and only a few of all possible carriers carrying them.
Comments
I was thinking the same thing, especially in light of what Google recently announced. Even though the 160GB version's introduction was a huge leap in terms of storage, I still think that's rather small. I'd hope that the next Apple TV has 250-320GB of storage in it.
I'm going to throw out random claims of impending awesomeness. The new AppleTV comes with an iPod touch like remote that allows you to play all your stuff from the App Store including everything for the iPad (why hello ABC, nice to meet you). Standard HD capacity to go to 250GB and 320GB and, umm, I'll refrain from saying it'll have a coax input because I'm not *THAT* crazy
They need to keep the primary focus from developers in a world where Android is looming. Meanwhile they currently have tremendous margins while they soon have iAd.
Mark my words: the prices are where the biggest surprises are going to be.
It's not the iPhone that is likely to see much in the way of surprising changes. The product that is likely to change significantly at some point in the coming year is the Touch. The screen on the Touch is too small for what the unit is now used for.
The Touch is close to optimal in size, in fact a slightly smaller version might be even better. You see it fills the niche of a Touch OS device that is pocketable and NOT a cell phone. There are a wide range of customers that can't have or don't want the extra features in an iPhone.
On the other hand I do believe Apple needs a device in the 5-7" range. This however would be a new device and not a Touch replacement.
The current Touch form factor is ideal for a phone but the Touch isn't a phone.
Nope it is ideal for a device that you want to put in your pocket. That is the niche Touch tries to fill, that is a pocketable IPhone OS device that is cell phone free.
One response to the iPad will be touch devices sporting larger screens than the current Touch. Hence, the logical move would be for Apple to make a larger screen on the Touch an upgrade to respond to the competition, such as it is.
It isn't that I'm disagreeing with the idea that a larger device is needed just that that needs to be an additional device. Besides Touch still sells well and with a few mods will continue to do so.
Being as memory on the devices is now rather decent, instead of doubling memory Aple can choose to provide a larger screen using the lower cost of memory to maintain margin. If that screen sports a similar resolution to the iPad, it will make it even better suited as an e-reader, etc., not to mention allowing it to run any iPad app.
A big fail on your part if you think these devices have enough memory be that RAM of secondary storage.
Regardless, the Touch is now in an awkward place re Apple's product mix and as such a significant shift is bound to happen. The iPhone, on the other hand, is pretty much set in terms of form factor. It can't get any larger or significantly shrink without being worse as a result. For the forseeable future the iPhone is pretty much set, just as Apple has been selling 13", 15" and 17" laptops for years.
Touch is fine right where it is at. Apple does need to round out the iPhone OS devices line up but that doesn't mean deleteing the position the current Touch holds.
Dave
I get the feeling that we won't hear a peep from Apple about the ATV at WWDC. At this point, Apple either has to kill off the ATV, or go for complete reconstructive surgery. I think they will opt to make it really great to compete with the GoogleTV, but something liek this surely will get it's own press event, say in September/October? Just my feeling on the subject. I will however welcome the change whenever Apple decides to announce.
*fingers crossed*
The Apple TV is alive and well. Games, DVR, Safari, OS 4.0 perhaps, etc.... Apple has been working on this stuff for some time now.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...-apple-tv.html
I disagree. An app store for the Apple TV would (potentially) give me access to BBC iPlayer, 4OD and Sky Player without hacking my box. There's plenty of applications that would make sense for the Apple TV.
Either way, I don't care if WWDC is full of surprises or not. As long as I know that iPhone OS 4 is coming, I'll be happy.
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time? Upgrading to OS 2 was horrendous, and took forever to get things right. And there have been other point releases that caused problems due to not enough quality testing in advance of release.
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
Unless, of course, Steve unveils something NO ONE has even heard of
It would be interesting if Apple releases the new iPhone and it looks nothing like the leaked stuff. And makes a fool out of those who leaked the purposely wrong prototypes. But that's just me and my spiteful self
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time? Upgrading to OS 2 was horrendous, and took forever to get things right. And there have been other point releases that caused problems due to not enough quality testing in advance of release.
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
Agreed!
Take a wait &see approach. Any new product or OS always has a few bugs. If you don't want to deal with them wait a while till things get worked out. Which usually doesn't take that long with APPLE
I totally agree, and wait and see is my current motto...I am just wondering if you all think this will have gotten better after the oS 2 fiasco? I'm hoping Apple has been testing OS 4 for a really really long time.
yes, this post is tasteless, but so is having your hardware assembled in what you know are concentration camps.
It would have taken away the surprise, if noone had expected a new iPhone. It's also no surprise that it sports a new design - and yes, a front facing camera isn't a surprise. If Apple wants to surprise (me) than better not with a simple iPhone upgrade that was anticipated by a majority.
Exactly. Everyone KNEW there would be a new iphone last year. Only a few details were unknown at that point.
And even without Gawker's trip into the illegal, there would have been leaks.
But who knows what rabbits are in Job's hat. He could talk about 10.7, there could be Safari upgrades like the rumored plugins/extensions. perhaps there's some ilife/iwork upgrades. for example, iweb supporting HTML5 (and hopefully user created templates and better 'code' insertion etc). Plus there are rumors of Final Cut Studio being revamped, perhaps also Logic Studio.
How about a new Mac Pro, a huge update to the Apple TV and so on.
Munster is, as is typical, talking out of his ass. The only difference is that he's not making over the top positive comments
The Apple TV is alive and well. Games, DVR, Safari, OS 4.0 perhaps, etc.... Apple has been working on this stuff for some time now.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...-apple-tv.html
I tend to think of myself as pretty informed about Apple rumors and patent speculation, etc.m but I totally missed this. Thanks for posting, it was an excellent read. Makes me very excited for the future. And hey, if Apple wants to sling out some DVR love, I won't complain a bit, I'll just lovingly wave good-bye to TiVo
Apple announces that it's making MobileMe free and launching its own internet search engine.
apple is way behind, unless they are going to annouce iwork web apps, search engine, free storage, and major safari upgrade (and please change that stupid 'mobileme' name).
I tend to think of myself as pretty informed about Apple rumors and patent speculation, etc.m but I totally missed this. Thanks for posting, it was an excellent read. Makes me very excited for the future. And hey, if Apple wants to sling out some DVR love, I won't complain a bit, I'll just lovingly wave good-bye to TiVo
Patently Apple is a great site... It's a great place to learn what Apple Labs are really up to.
apple is way behind, unless they are going to annouce iwork web apps, search engine, free storage, and major safari upgrade (and please change that stupid 'mobileme' name).
googlewebapps is definitely a better name. I like mobile me. The name represents exactly what it is, and has some personal appeal.
To be honest, I don't see much point in Google TV. Sure, people watch Youtube and Hulu, but the problem is that Hulu would probably block Google TV from watching its shows, because that would make it too easy for people to drop cable.
Only problem I see with this line of thought is that Hulu doesn't post the episodes right away. If a show's supposed to air on normal TV on Wednesday, do you really want to wait until Hulu posts it to watch it?
The way I see it, adding Hulu (if GTV gets a partnership going) is padding the content available to you. There's only so much time you have to dedicate to watching live shows, so you're bound to miss a show here and there. By that time, Hulu might have it posted and you can jump right to it and watch. Also works during times where there's nothing of interest on live TV.
The problem is, why have Google TV if you could watch the same content already? Are you really willing to spend $300-500 for a device that makes you type in stuff to get to the content you want? I don't think Apple TV has to worry, Google TV will implode, as few people will buy something that seems rather built in search of a problem.
If the search is as simple as typing "Mythbusters" (for example) into a search box and Google doing the work to pull a list of current, future, and archived episodes from a variety of sources, I'd gladly pay for that device.
EDIT: Other people commented that Amazon and Netflix would be possible contenders as well for content. What's to stop the content providers from saying Netflix and Amazon can't stream to Google TV or Apple TV unless they have a deal? And such a deal would be unprecedented, because that would eat into cable subscriptions.
I don't see how they won't let that happen. The feature's available on the XBox, PS3, and Wii and cable companies don't seem to have an issue with it. Those are also third-party devices you plug into the TV just like GTV will be.
Again, Netflix and Amazon will just be additional sources of search. I'm guessing that there will always be an option to purchase the episode or movie via Amazon and that if you have a Netflix account, you tell GTV that when you set it up and it'll use that information when you pick from Netflix.
Speaking of iPhone OS 4...what do you all think the chances are of it not being ready for prime time?
So do we think Apple has learned some valuable lessons on this front? I need and want the functionality promised by OS 4, but I don't want to deal with a buggy version.
The previews I had seen suggest that 4.0 is far more stable than any previous release at the same stage in it's development.
Android looming on the horizon means Apple needs to increase their marketshare really rapidly now, if they want to keep the main focus from the developers - under Apple's own conditions.
Apple has lots of room for increasing their marketshare, because at the moment they have huge margins, iAds nearly ready and only a few of all possible carriers carrying them.
We have seen nothing yet.