Steve Jobs believed HDTVs were a 'terrible business,' saw Apple TV set as unlikely, new book reveals

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  • Reply 21 of 91
    MacPromacpro Posts: 19,873member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Because TVs bring in more revenue than $99 boxes do. Unless Apple has a bunch of other stuff in the pipeline to drive revenue growth.

    Are you sure all HDTVs bring in a profit at all? I suspect many are sold at a loss or break even at best and no after sales. Remember, that $99 box as you call it sells stuff that Apple also makes profit on. I doubt Apple even care about making a profit on the Apple TV itself although I bet they do make one.
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  • Reply 22 of 91
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    Was that the illusion before the reveal by the magician?

    He envisioned TV in Isaacson's book and said it would be a TV set. So was this 2010 meeting before or after his discussion of TV with Walter?

    From the book:

    Quit quoting facts around here. No one here cares about facts. They just care that Apple doesn't release a TV so they can have a prideful sleep at night.
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  • Reply 23 of 91
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    rob53 wrote: »
    Here we go again, stupid information from Kane. Was she there? Who gave her this information? How many times do we have to say alleged or rumored or something like this before we quit listening to supposed journalists trying to make money on stuff they said, someone said, while someone else was supposedly attending a supposed meeting.

    Exactly. The only thing haunted around here is her book of bullshit.
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  • Reply 24 of 91
    If it weren't for the Kardashians and Honey Boo Boo no one would be watching TV any more.

    /s
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  • Reply 25 of 91
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    dubston wrote: »
    At present, TVs are low margin products which last consumers around 8 years or so. If Apple does make a TV set, I don't see them making huge changes with each new model. They would likely make design refinements, display quality upgrades etc. Enough to make them get decent market share in the crowded TV market. Apple will succeed, as usual with the harmonious integration of great software and beautiful hardware design.
    If someone buys a $99 Apple TV and connects it to a Smart TV, the TV will likely have Netflix and similar apps, like the Apple TV. Then the Apple TV becomes another device fighting for space with all the other content delivery possibilities.
    If Apple made a television set, it would heavily focus on the iTunes store as a first point of purchase for content. In other words, Apple would have control of the user experience with their own TV set. I do believe that Apple would make good margins on their own TV set, but the real profit would be in the content. I have to believe that Apple are building all those data centres with something big in mind. i am sure we will found out soon enough. Remember, Steve was known for spreading FUD to throw off the competition.

    I hope you're right and I completely agree. I've been posting comments like this for 7 years now. An integrated TV set is the future, but without securing the TV shows that TV won't happen. A TV that's accounted for over a 2-year period is the only way Apple can bring a premium TV (my dream) to market. And the only way this is possible is with a monthly all-you-can-eat TV plan as part of the product package. You'd search genre and search for your show and watch it. Boom!
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  • Reply 26 of 91
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,507member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Because TVs bring in more revenue than $99 boxes do. Unless Apple has a bunch of other stuff in the pipeline to drive revenue growth.

    You don't understand anything about profit margins.

     

    Luckily for AAPL shareholders, you didn't run Apple Inc.

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  • Reply 27 of 91
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    I've mentioned it before but I still think it would make sense for Apple to buy Elgato and incorporated the tuner into aTV. Perhaps an aTV could hook up to an HDTV or a Mac. The main issue with the current eyeTV is that many cable companies encrypt their HD content so if Apple were to buy it, they would still have to make deals with the cable companies. Having a real tuner does two things. One, they become the controlling UI with access to live channels and two, they become involved locally with the Emergency Alert System. If people come home from work and turn on the aTV as their primary access to local and streaming content that is basically controlling the living room. I really don't think the cables love the set top user interface they currently have and would embrace Apple's help in that area so long as they don't lose control of their content. Apple just needs to play nice, which sometimes proves difficult for them.

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  • Reply 28 of 91
    This article should be titled: "The Many (alleged) Lives of Apple's Connected TV"
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  • Reply 29 of 91
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    I think it's a ruse get the competition to waste R&D resources in designing and building a TV.
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  • Reply 30 of 91
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    mstone wrote: »
    I've mentioned it before but I still think it would make sense for Apple to buy Elgato and incorporated the tuner into aTV. Perhaps an aTV could hook up to an HDTV or a Mac. The main issue with the current eyeTV is that many cable companies encrypt their HD content so if Apple were to buy it, they would still have to make deals with the cable companies. Having a real tuner does two things. One, they become the controlling UI with access to live channels and two, they become involved locally with the Emergency Alert System. If people come home from work and turn on the aTV as their primary access to local and streaming content that is basically controlling the living room. I really don't think the cables love the set top user interface they currently have and would embrace Apple's help in that area so long as they don't lose control of their content. Apple just needs to play nice, which sometimes proves difficult for them.

    What percentage of Apple's customer base access media from a TV tuner? I was a child (not even a teenager) the last time I tried using bunny ears to tune in a station over the airwaves. I think the only way for this to work is for Apple to find a way to work with cable and sat companies, which may not be dissimilar to Apple's CarPlay partnerships.
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  • Reply 31 of 91
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member

    Tim Cook, December 2012.

     

    ""When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years," Cook said. "It's an area of intense interest. I can't say more than that."

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  • Reply 32 of 91
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    What percentage of Apple's customer base access media from a TV tuner? I was a child (not even a teenage) the last time I tried using bunny ears to tune in a station over the airwaves. I think the only way for this to work is for Apple to find a way to work with cable and sat companies, which may not be dissimilar to Apple's CarPlay partnerships.

    I am a cordcutter. I access televised content via "over-the-air" broadcast transmission as well as Amazon Prime Instant, Apple iTunes, Hulu Plus and Netflix Instant in addition to a few other methods. I believe I am the minority of Apple customers.
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  • Reply 33 of 91
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I am a cordcutter. I access televised content via "over-the-air" broadcast transmission as well as Amazon Prime Instant, Apple iTunes, Hulu Plus and Netflix Instant in addition to a few other methods. I believe I am the minority of Apple customers.

    So you going to cut that coax coming into your house? :smokey:
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  • Reply 34 of 91
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I was a child (not even a teenage) the last time I tried using bunny ears to tune in a station over the airwaves.

    This post has been reported to Greenpeace.
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  • Reply 35 of 91
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    gtr wrote: »
    Tim Cook, December 2012.

    ""When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years," Cook said. "It's an area of intense interest. I can't say more than that."

    And when I go out at night and see the moon I feel like I've gone backwards in time a few million years. Sometimes we're powerless to change things.
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  • Reply 36 of 91
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    gtr wrote: »
    This post has been reported to Greenpeace.

    It's a good thing I didn't stick with my original draft: I like to molest small woodland animals.

    dasanman69 wrote: »
    And when I go out at night and see the moon I feel like I've gone backwards in time a few million years. Sometimes we're powerless to change things.

    I don't think that's a fair statement since we're talking about technology. Also, if you go back 2 billion years the Moon would have been about 50,000 miles closer than it is now bringing the gap from about 239,000 miles to 189,000 miles (assuming the 1.5" per year is a constant, which I doubt it is) which means it was much larger back then.
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  • Reply 37 of 91
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post



    And when I go out at night and see the moon I feel like I've gone backwards in time a few million years. Sometimes we're powerless to change things.

     

    You may not have noticed but that statement confirms neither that Apple is working on either a hardware set or a set-top box, nor did I offer whatever I believed.

     

    Should we make a space for you and Tyler Durden to get into a disagreement?

     

    ;)

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  • Reply 38 of 91
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    It's a good thing I didn't stick with my original draft: I like to molest small woodland animals.

     

    I think changing that post really saved your bacon.

     

    File source: http://ohinternet.com/File:JeanLucPicardFacepalm.jpg

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  • Reply 39 of 91
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I don't think that's a fair statement since we're talking about technology. Also, if you go back 2 billion years the Moon would have been about 50,000 miles closer than it is now bringing the gap from about 239,000 miles to 189,000 miles (assuming the 1.5" per year is a constant, which I doubt it is) which means it was much larger back then.

    I don't think TC's comments are fair either, unless he goes home to a CRT TV that has knobs. TV nowadays is very different than it was 20, or even 10 years ago.
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  • Reply 40 of 91
    sudonymsudonym Posts: 233member

    Steve was the greatest CEO of all time.

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