I do wonder what Apple is going to get up on stage to announce next. Tim Cook made it known that there will be new products "throughout 2014". Presumably this means a keynote before WWDC, likely in the time frame you suggested, March-April. The question is what. I'd love it if Apple has an Apple TV announcement worthy of its own keynote, but I doubt it. My money is on an iPad Pro. Larger screen, higher resolution and DPI than iPad Air, maybe some pro suites for iOS. Maybe during the same keynote they announce a new Apple TV.
Going really off track, I hope Apple releases an actual television. I don't care about business models or upgrade cycles or preserving margins... At this point I don't even care about a revolutionary way to bundle tv programming. I don't even care about Steve Jobs "simplest UI you can imagine" crap anymore. I just want to be able to switch between applicances connected to my tv without it taking 12 seconds between switches. Telvevison hardware and software is in a hideous ghetto at a time when TV content is in perhaps a golden age. Awful.
I know what you mean about switching channels. On a regular cable box it takes as long as it takes to press the button and that's how fast it SHOULD be. The iTV box is usually sold to people that don't want to pay for a typical cable/sat service or for conference rooms where they want to have people wirelessly connect their device to a big screen or just stream content and they aren't as finicky about channel switching.
I don't know if Apple, or anyone for that matter can fix that issue at this time. However, maybe a DVR capability?????? Maybe?
I haven't used an iTV other than in the Apple Store goofing around, but my biggest peeve is content and quick channel flipping. Even on some cable boxes, there are super fast ones, and there are slow. I remember back when I had Comcast, it was a LOT slower than when I switched to another cable provider, but I haven't surveyed what's out there.
To clarify, is it his grasp that is ‘bs’ or is it the policies of the president? Because your sentence reads the latter. :p
The idea behind the non-hobby Apple TV box is that you won’t be doing any switching. Because you won’t need to.
People talk about "how can Apple expect to sell TV's for $1200? Etc" but I don't think they quite grasp that an Apple television would also be an advanced game machine, a cloud based dvr, an integrated tv program mechanism, and a really refined piece of hardware and software. Like a big iPad. I WANT A BIG HORIZONTAL IPAD. in 16x9 though. F*** profit margins and upgrade cycles, Apple... Do it for the good of the earth. Citizens of first world countries are suffering. They can sell us either a box with these features, or shove those features into a beautiful slab of Jony Ive designed glass and charge confiscatory prices for it, for which I'll pay happily.
A giant, marginless, stupid LCD panel won’t do anything “good”. Hardware doesn’t have anything to do with the future of television.
I'll defer to Apple. Not some random know-nothing, know-it-all. Just about every source has said Apple continues to work on an actual television. Why create a magical box only to have it be in deference to some big dumb LCD panel? Nope.
Holy shit, thank GOD they fixed the broken pinch to close animation on the iPad. It drove me insane how sloppy and jarring that was. What drove me even more insane were all those people denying there was anything wrong in the first place (currently, it skips the last few frames of the animation and the icons just pop into place).
2. Explain how Apple making a television magically reinvents television content and viewing.
Just about every source has said Apple continues to work on an actual television.
Just about every source said it was certain to come out this year.
Why create a magical box only to have it be in deference to some big dumb LCD panel?
Uh… because the box is the only thing connected to the big, dumb panel. Because the box has all the content and the panel exists only to show you the content, and for nothing else. Because when the box has all the content, the panel needs THREE buttons: Power, volume up, and volume down. Everything else is meaningless. Everything bad about the experience you’ve cited is solved, immediately.
A giant, marginless, stupid LCD panel won’t do anything “good”. Hardware doesn’t have anything to do with the future of television.
You know, based on history, one would think you be just a TINY bit more humble in all your adamant proclamations about what Apple will and will not release, and whether or not it will be a worthwhile product. Not only have you been wrong about IF Apple was going to release a certain product on multiple occasions, while you continued to decry how horrible an idea it would be, those products have become incredible successes both in terms of sales, in terms of product quality, reviews, and customer engagement. But I digress..
It doesn't take alot of imagination, to try to think of how much greater potential Apple would have if it owned the entire panel, and how the current limitations and frictions of having a separate box would be negated. There's heavy rumors Apple is purchasing the creators of Kinect's original technology. What do you forsee in the future? Apple adidng yet ANOTHER unit to sell with the Apple TV, a sensor to be positioned awkwardly and plugged in, along with the Apple TV, to get a mess of cables and components sticking out of your TV? Is that REALLY the Apple way to you?
You don't see the merit in having a TV built upon iOS? In having a camera, mic, motion sensor, etc built in that could be used to access facetime, Siri, etc? In having a set that integrates more tightly with the rest of your iOS devices/macs, and vice versa? In not having to change input and use multiple remotes to get going? In not having to plug all that shit in? In having iOS run on top of everything, and below everything as in the current setup, with an intuitive control mechanism? You don't see the merit in ANY of that? It doesn't take much imagination at all.
Now, granted there are issues that Apple needs to solve, even apart from the whole content thing, the software, and the technologies involved. For example, how many SKUs to produce? There are alot more "mainstream" TV sizes than mainstream laptop/tablet sizes, ranging anywhere from 36" to 65", and everything in between might be the best option for some. However, obviously Apple is not interested in making a shitload of sizes, and will probably stick with 2-3max initially. Choosing those sizes to cover the needs of most will be the tough part. Another issue is distribution and point of sale. Most Apple stores are packed pretty tightly, so such a large product will need some store rearrangement. However, this isn't unsurmountable, as it can be mounted o a wall and take up minimal space.
These solvable issues not withstanding, I don't see how you can't see the possibility of how engaging a device a full Apple TV can be, compared to the current solution we have now. As for margins, even if there's very small, every sale will be a net positive for Apple as long as it gives people easier access to the iOS ecosystem, as well as further enhancing the halo effect of Apple products and increasing stickiness. It's not like this product will cannibalize sales of iPhones/iPads/Macs, etc. It's in another category. The question becomes, if executed correctly, does this product deserve to exist? I don't see how you can be so adamant that the answer NO, given all that Apple could achieve in terms of user experience, without being restrict to a damn box you have to plug in, that plays 2nd fiddle to everything else. It also shows that you have very little belief that Apple can significantly improve the entire experience, which is a ludicrous believe given their history. Try to step back and not be so confident in your own assertions for once. Not sure why I spent the time to spell this out, as I'm sure to get a belligerent/sarcastic response.
Seems like Apple wants people to start testing the bug fixes, but is holding back whatever new features they have planned for 7.1 for a later build.
Wouldn't make sense to have people start testing 7.0.5 then change version numbers in the middle.
My crystal ball thinks that maybe we might find something out on Tuesday. It's still a little cloudy, but I have a gut feeling there will be some form of an announcement on Tuesday.... When I get them, it's not indigestion.
Pull your socks up Apple! Your software should be PERFECT - after all, you control every aspect of the hardware involved.
A seamless UI should be your major selling point - trying to get my mum off her 10 year old N73 isn't going to work if she hears your latest and greatest offerings crash.
And fix the persistent iTunes 'Waiting for device to update' bug whilst you're at it.
I'll defer to Apple. Not some random know-nothing, know-it-all. Just about every source has said Apple continues to work on an actual television. Why create a magical box only to have it be in deference to some big dumb LCD panel? Nope.
My favourite user on Apple Insider of all time is Spam Sandwich. You've just moved into 2nd place.
What do you forsee in the future? Apple adidng yet ANOTHER unit to sell with the Apple TV, a sensor to be positioned awkwardly and plugged in, along with the Apple TV, to get a mess of cables and components sticking out of your TV? Is that REALLY the Apple way to you?
So mid-air gesture controls are terrible in iOS but magical and revolutionary when used for a television? Great. They bought it for patents. The patents will translate to physical touching on future, larger touchscreen devices. Simple. As for television gesture use, common sense tells us otherwise.
In having a camera, mic, motion sensor, etc built in that could be used to access facetime, Siri, etc
No, I don’t really see a point to FaceTime to your living room. Makes no sense whatsoever.
In having a set that integrates more tightly with the rest of your iOS devices/macs, and vice versa?
Except you don’t need that. You have the box that does that. And you know what? When we switch from HDMI to MHL, you’ll have one cable instead of two. How difficult. It’s far easier buying a new box every three years than a TV that costs 10x as much.
In not having to change input and use multiple remotes to get going?
My future already gets rid of that. You have one remote in my future, and you have no inputs either. EVERYTHING is done by the Apple TV.
In not having to plug all that shit in?
Again, two cables now, one cable soon.
It doesn't take much imagination at all.
Which is why I’m so surprised that so many people miss the very obvious here. No one wants to buy a TV every three years. TVs are being kept longer than they’ve ever been before.
My solution revolutionizes how content gets to you, first and foremost. That’s the single most important thing to change, period. TV has been the presented to us in the same way for fifty years. The most recent development is recording for the purpose of pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, etc., meaning literally VHS and Betamax. That’s it. Solving that takes precedent. But hey! Look at this! We already have a physical hardware solution that solves the hardware tangle problem once the software is revolutionized!Changing inputs too difficult? Never need to change them again. Have one box on one input do EVERYTHING. Then there’s not even a QUESTION of what sizes of panel to make. LET PEOPLE BUY WHATEVER PANEL THEY WANT IN WHATEVER SIZE.
I know where point A is. I know where point B is. I know the best route to get there. If I don’t know where the best rest stops are along the way, I couldn’t care less. That’s the difference between being wrong about a product name and being wrong about a company’s vision.
2. Explain how Apple making a television magically reinvents television content and viewing.
Just about every source said it was certain to come out this year.
Uh… because the box is the only thing connected to the big, dumb panel. Because the box has all the content and the panel exists only to show you the content, and for nothing else. Because when the box has all the content, the panel needs THREE buttons: Power, volume up, and volume down. Everything else is meaningless. Everything bad about the experience you’ve cited is solved, immediately.
Every TV manufacturer hates the future you've presented and will do everything in their power to ensure it never happens.
They don't want to sell big, dumb panels that plug into other manufacturers' devices. They want to sell you a big, "smart" panel that has all the capabilities of all your peripheral boxes. They are working toward a future where the TV itself is the gateway to content, no box required.
The only way there will ever be a TV with only three buttons is if Apple makes it.
They don't want to sell big, dumb panels that plug into other manufacturers' devices. They want to sell you a big, "smart" panel that has all the capabilities of all your peripheral boxes.
Maybe they should stop making devices with HDMI ports, then.
I don’t care what TV manufacturers make or what worthless software and “features” they put into their panels. The point is that when the Apple TV stops being a hobby, no one will ever use any of it. They’ll have wasted that time and effort on nothing.
The only way there will ever be a TV with only three buttons is if Apple makes it.
Now, granted there are issues that Apple needs to solve, even apart from the whole content thing, the software, and the technologies involved. For example, how many SKUs to produce? There are alot more "mainstream" TV sizes than mainstream laptop/tablet sizes, ranging anywhere from 36" to 65", and everything in between might be the best option for some. However, obviously Apple is not interested in making a shitload of sizes, and will probably stick with 2-3max initially.
I'd say it's a good bet they won't do 3 sizes. Not only not right away, but not ever. Want a TV in your kitchen? That's an iPad. Apple Television (iTV) will be designed for the living room (or a bar). Probably in 2 sizes I'd say: 50" and 60". It's never Apple's mission to cater to everyone as you well know, they'll make the best TV which everyone will aspire (and perspire, lol) to own.
Quote:
Another issue is distribution and point of sale. Most Apple stores are packed pretty tightly, so such a large product will need some store rearrangement. However, this isn't unsurmountable, as it can be mounted o a wall and take up minimal space.
They could easily fit in 2 non-wall-mounted TVs per store. One in each size. That's all they would need. As it is they have TVs attached to Apple TVs in their stores.
Comments
I do wonder what Apple is going to get up on stage to announce next. Tim Cook made it known that there will be new products "throughout 2014". Presumably this means a keynote before WWDC, likely in the time frame you suggested, March-April. The question is what. I'd love it if Apple has an Apple TV announcement worthy of its own keynote, but I doubt it. My money is on an iPad Pro. Larger screen, higher resolution and DPI than iPad Air, maybe some pro suites for iOS. Maybe during the same keynote they announce a new Apple TV.
Going really off track, I hope Apple releases an actual television. I don't care about business models or upgrade cycles or preserving margins... At this point I don't even care about a revolutionary way to bundle tv programming. I don't even care about Steve Jobs "simplest UI you can imagine" crap anymore. I just want to be able to switch between applicances connected to my tv without it taking 12 seconds between switches. Telvevison hardware and software is in a hideous ghetto at a time when TV content is in perhaps a golden age. Awful.
I know what you mean about switching channels. On a regular cable box it takes as long as it takes to press the button and that's how fast it SHOULD be. The iTV box is usually sold to people that don't want to pay for a typical cable/sat service or for conference rooms where they want to have people wirelessly connect their device to a big screen or just stream content and they aren't as finicky about channel switching.
I don't know if Apple, or anyone for that matter can fix that issue at this time. However, maybe a DVR capability?????? Maybe?
I haven't used an iTV other than in the Apple Store goofing around, but my biggest peeve is content and quick channel flipping. Even on some cable boxes, there are super fast ones, and there are slow. I remember back when I had Comcast, it was a LOT slower than when I switched to another cable provider, but I haven't surveyed what's out there.
People talk about "how can Apple expect to sell TV's for $1200? Etc" but I don't think they quite grasp that an Apple television would also be an advanced game machine, a cloud based dvr, an integrated tv program mechanism, and a really refined piece of hardware and software. Like a big iPad. I WANT A BIG HORIZONTAL IPAD. in 16x9 though. F*** profit margins and upgrade cycles, Apple... Do it for the good of the earth. Citizens of first world countries are suffering. They can sell us either a box with these features, or shove those features into a beautiful slab of Jony Ive designed glass and charge confiscatory prices for it, for which I'll pay happily.
A giant, marginless, stupid LCD panel won’t do anything “good”. Hardware doesn’t have anything to do with the future of television.
Seems like Apple wants people to start testing the bug fixes, but is holding back whatever new features they have planned for 7.1 for a later build.
Wouldn't make sense to have people start testing 7.0.5 then change version numbers in the middle.
Wouldn't make sense to have people start testing 7.0.5 then change version numbers in the middle.
But how will they fix the bugs brought on by the new features if they don’t include them in the betas?
I'll defer to Apple. Not some random know-nothing, know-it-all. Just about every source has said Apple continues to work on an actual television. Why create a magical box only to have it be in deference to some big dumb LCD panel? Nope.
Holy shit, thank GOD they fixed the broken pinch to close animation on the iPad. It drove me insane how sloppy and jarring that was. What drove me even more insane were all those people denying there was anything wrong in the first place (currently, it skips the last few frames of the animation and the icons just pop into place).
1. Explain where I’m wrong.
2. Explain how Apple making a television magically reinvents television content and viewing.
Just about every source said it was certain to come out this year.
Uh… because the box is the only thing connected to the big, dumb panel. Because the box has all the content and the panel exists only to show you the content, and for nothing else. Because when the box has all the content, the panel needs THREE buttons: Power, volume up, and volume down. Everything else is meaningless. Everything bad about the experience you’ve cited is solved, immediately.
I hope iOS 7.1 incorporates a fix for the 5S multi-sensor calibration issues.
A giant, marginless, stupid LCD panel won’t do anything “good”. Hardware doesn’t have anything to do with the future of television.
Seems like Apple wants people to start testing the bug fixes, but is holding back whatever new features they have planned for 7.1 for a later build.
Wouldn't make sense to have people start testing 7.0.5 then change version numbers in the middle.
My crystal ball thinks that maybe we might find something out on Tuesday. It's still a little cloudy, but I have a gut feeling there will be some form of an announcement on Tuesday.... When I get them, it's not indigestion.
A seamless UI should be your major selling point - trying to get my mum off her 10 year old N73 isn't going to work if she hears your latest and greatest offerings crash.
And fix the persistent iTunes 'Waiting for device to update' bug whilst you're at it.
My favourite user on Apple Insider of all time is Spam Sandwich. You've just moved into 2nd place.
My favourite user on Apple Insider of all time is Spam Sandwich. You've just moved into 2nd place.
I don't know if that's good OR bad. Should I take it as a compliment?
So do I amuse you?
So mid-air gesture controls are terrible in iOS but magical and revolutionary when used for a television? Great. They bought it for patents. The patents will translate to physical touching on future, larger touchscreen devices. Simple. As for television gesture use, common sense tells us otherwise.
No, I don’t really see a point to FaceTime to your living room. Makes no sense whatsoever.
Except you don’t need that. You have the box that does that. And you know what? When we switch from HDMI to MHL, you’ll have one cable instead of two. How difficult. It’s far easier buying a new box every three years than a TV that costs 10x as much.
My future already gets rid of that. You have one remote in my future, and you have no inputs either. EVERYTHING is done by the Apple TV.
Again, two cables now, one cable soon.
Which is why I’m so surprised that so many people miss the very obvious here. No one wants to buy a TV every three years. TVs are being kept longer than they’ve ever been before.
My solution revolutionizes how content gets to you, first and foremost. That’s the single most important thing to change, period. TV has been the presented to us in the same way for fifty years. The most recent development is recording for the purpose of pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, etc., meaning literally VHS and Betamax. That’s it. Solving that takes precedent. But hey! Look at this! We already have a physical hardware solution that solves the hardware tangle problem once the software is revolutionized! Changing inputs too difficult? Never need to change them again. Have one box on one input do EVERYTHING. Then there’s not even a QUESTION of what sizes of panel to make. LET PEOPLE BUY WHATEVER PANEL THEY WANT IN WHATEVER SIZE.
I know where point A is. I know where point B is. I know the best route to get there. If I don’t know where the best rest stops are along the way, I couldn’t care less. That’s the difference between being wrong about a product name and being wrong about a company’s vision.
1. Explain where I’m wrong.
2. Explain how Apple making a television magically reinvents television content and viewing.
Just about every source said it was certain to come out this year.
Uh… because the box is the only thing connected to the big, dumb panel. Because the box has all the content and the panel exists only to show you the content, and for nothing else. Because when the box has all the content, the panel needs THREE buttons: Power, volume up, and volume down. Everything else is meaningless. Everything bad about the experience you’ve cited is solved, immediately.
Every TV manufacturer hates the future you've presented and will do everything in their power to ensure it never happens.
They don't want to sell big, dumb panels that plug into other manufacturers' devices. They want to sell you a big, "smart" panel that has all the capabilities of all your peripheral boxes. They are working toward a future where the TV itself is the gateway to content, no box required.
The only way there will ever be a TV with only three buttons is if Apple makes it.
They don't want to sell big, dumb panels that plug into other manufacturers' devices. They want to sell you a big, "smart" panel that has all the capabilities of all your peripheral boxes.
Maybe they should stop making devices with HDMI ports, then.
I don’t care what TV manufacturers make or what worthless software and “features” they put into their panels. The point is that when the Apple TV stops being a hobby, no one will ever use any of it. They’ll have wasted that time and effort on nothing.
The only way there will ever be a TV with only three buttons is if Apple makes it.
Agreed.
Now, granted there are issues that Apple needs to solve, even apart from the whole content thing, the software, and the technologies involved. For example, how many SKUs to produce? There are alot more "mainstream" TV sizes than mainstream laptop/tablet sizes, ranging anywhere from 36" to 65", and everything in between might be the best option for some. However, obviously Apple is not interested in making a shitload of sizes, and will probably stick with 2-3max initially.
I'd say it's a good bet they won't do 3 sizes. Not only not right away, but not ever. Want a TV in your kitchen? That's an iPad. Apple Television (iTV) will be designed for the living room (or a bar). Probably in 2 sizes I'd say: 50" and 60". It's never Apple's mission to cater to everyone as you well know, they'll make the best TV which everyone will aspire (and perspire, lol) to own.
They could easily fit in 2 non-wall-mounted TVs per store. One in each size. That's all they would need. As it is they have TVs attached to Apple TVs in their stores.
I don't know if that's good OR bad. Should I take it as a compliment?
So do I amuse you?
It was a compliment to him. Clearly that you are interested in what I think of you makes you a complete legend.