Going to the Apple Store is like being a kid in a candy store.
I'm sure most consumers who are about to plunk down $500+ are willing to go a little out of their way to get to an Apple Store.
Do you really think the Cingular sales drones are really going to know what they are talking about?
Um, if you know you want it, why waste the time to go find an apple store? Are you expecting Apple people to tell you stuff you don't already know? And if you don't know you want it, then its not going to matter much if you went to the Cingular store then, is it?
Last year,for the first time, LCD sets outsold CRT sets. SD is running out of time. More people are buying large screen sets.
This will works with a monitor as well, all are high def these days.
either use a monitor with component input. Mine has that as well as VGA. Or get a cheap HDMI splitter to turn the HDMI output to DVI and audio.
By the end of this year, most tv sales will be high def of some sort.
Well, that's great, if everyone buys a new TV every year. But most people don't do that. They buy one and keep it for 5-10 years before buying a new one. So last years sales figures are great, but there's no way that the CRT TV is going to be outnumbered by LCDs in the next several years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
As usual, Apple is a bit ahead of the curve. I wouldn't be surprised if people go out and buy a hi def monitor just so that they can use their computer and the Tv.
Oh, that's rich. Now the AppleTV is such a killer product that its going to drive people to not only buy it, but then buy TVs it will work with? I don't think so.
And, I prefer to say "As usual, Apple is ahead of the curve and alienating a large segment of their customers by looking to the next big thing, rather then the peripherals that users have now". But, hey, if you like to pretend its a good thing that apple keeps turning their customers assets into dead-weight with their forward-looking decisions, that's fine.
Saw an interesting post somewhere, but I can't remember where, that showed for some the AppleTV is actually cheaper than a cable TV subscription. It added up the season pass costs for shows and showed that cable TV actually cost more per year than purchasing the shows from iTunes did.
Of course, this didn't factor in all the entertainment value available from the countless hours of excellent programming provided by cable TV...
It also assumed that you got good reception via old fashioned antennas for local/network programming.
Still a niche market, but an interesting twist.
Well, if all you watch on TV is a minimum amount of shows a week, know exactly what you want to watch and not watch, what you want to watch is available on the iTMS, not caring if the content is in HD or have digital picture quality, and have no desire for live content or news, anything new that you might not know about or movies (old or new), then its probably right.
BTW, people need to keep in mind that the AppleTV is not a $300 device, its a $1000 device, as it requires a separate computer/monitor to actually work. You can't just buy an AppleTV, hook it up to your TV set, and start purchasing shows directly to it.
That doesn't read like they don't intend to not do something. It sounds like they aren't going to come up with a number of new products in new catagories. It stops short of saying that they won't come out with ANYTHING in a new catagory.
[QUOTE=Louzer;1046018]Well, that's great, if everyone buys a new TV every year. But most people don't do that. They buy one and keep it for 5-10 years before buying a new one. So last years sales figures are great, but there's no way that the CRT TV is going to be outnumbered by LCDs in the next several years.{?quote]
Apple, like most other manufacturers, doesn't care a whit about people who aren't interesting in having what is needed to buy their product.
Like it or not, there are already almost 10 million people in this country alone, with large screen hi def sets. By the end of this year, that number will expand to at least 16 million.
You don't think that Apple isn't aware of these numbers (as is every other company)? You don't understand why Cisco bought Scientific Atlanta, and why Apple put in an early bid? You don't think that these people are already more inclined to buy this product than people like you who don't have one? Or maybe you do have one, but are just being dense.
This is a specialized product for now. Maybe in three years it will be mainstream. But, this is a race, in case you haven't noticed. If Apple waits until most people are ready, they will have lost.
The estimates are that Apple could sell a million of these a year. Apple is expected to have 30% of the set-top-box equivalent market in a few years. They won't get there if they wait.
Quote:
Oh, that's rich. Now the AppleTV is such a killer product that its going to drive people to not only buy it, but then buy TVs it will work with? I don't think so.
That's just a silly remark. Of course there will be people who do just that. The people in this industry think that this IS a killer product, even though you don't think so. I've seen this happen with other products over the decades. It will happen with this one as well.
Sometimes people on computer boards are the least qualified to evaluate products that aren't specifically directed at them.
You may not realize it, but people are being reported as walking out of auto showrooms because the cars they were interested in, didn't have proper iPod integration. Now, that's the tail wagging the dog! Why do you think so many auto manufacturers have been doing integration? It sells cars.
You obviously haven't heard of the well known "halo effect", where people buy a $200 iPod, and then go back and buy a $1,500 computer.
If this product gives people the opportunity to something they think is useful, different, and persuasive, they will change their way of thinking about it.
What you aren't taking into account, is that most people are already thinking about buying a large hi def Tv. This will, in a number of cases, be the product that pushes them to make that purchase now, rather than later.
You better believe it.
Quote:
And, I prefer to say "As usual, Apple is ahead of the curve and alienating a large segment of their customers by looking to the next big thing, rather then the peripherals that users have now". But, hey, if you like to pretend its a good thing that apple keeps turning their customers assets into dead-weight with their forward-looking decisions, that's fine.
Say what you want, but you are living in the past.
Things are now changing at a hectic pace, and most people want to keep up.
When your friends and neighbors are buying new products one wants to, at least, stay with them, and often to move one step ahead. You know the old expression "Keeping up with the Jones's.
Apple, like most other manufacturers, doesn't care a whit about people who aren't interesting in having what is needed to buy their product.
Like it or not, there are already almost 10 million people in this country alone, with large screen hi def sets. By the end of this year, that number will expand to at least 16 million.
Considering the lack of video content outside of the US, that 10 million is all Apple can realistically target. Since they can't advocate ripping DVD's for viewing on it, they're left with a pretty lame duck product for the rest of the world.
Quote:
That's just a silly remark. Of course there will be people who do just that. The people in this industry think that this IS a killer product, even though you don't think so. I've seen this happen with other products over the decades. It will happen with this one as well.
And will the number of people that do this be significant? Doubtful.
And what people? In what industry? The media center industry? Of course they see it as a killer product.
Quote:
Sometimes people on computer boards are the least qualified to evaluate products that aren't specifically directed at them.
And are you any different on this point?
Quote:
You obviously haven't heard of the well known "halo effect", where people buy a $200 iPod, and then go back and buy a $1,500 computer.
The comparison is a bit flawed. As long as the person who bought the iPod already had a computer (a safe assumption), his iPod doesn't require the $1,500 computer. The same can't be said of AppleTV; you must have both components for it to function.
If anything this will tarnish the halo effect as people see it in action at Apple Stores and buying without really paying attention to the fine print. They'll take it home and discover it doesn't work with their CRT TV or the cheap 4:3 LCD TV they have.
This will be no different than iPod games. Go into the iTunes and see how many people didn't bother to read the rather obvious print that games only work on 5G iPods and are complaining about it not working on their iPod Nano.
Quote:
What you aren't taking into account, is that most people are already thinking about buying a large hi def Tv. This will, in a number of cases, be the product that pushes them to make that purchase now, rather than later.
You better believe it.
I don't believe it. There is no hi-def content on iTunes currently. Do you really think people are going to be driven to buy a new hi-def TV so they can watch iTunes content that isn't hi-def? That will certainly be exciting for customers as they find themselves wondering why the downloaded copy of a movie doesn't look as gon on their new TV as it did on their old TV when they watched it on DVD. And it even sounds worse to boot.
Quote:
Say what you want, but you are living in the past.
Things are now changing at a hectic pace, and most people want to keep up.
When your friends and neighbors are buying new products one wants to, at least, stay with them, and often to move one step ahead. You know the old expression "Keeping up with the Jones's.
The AppleTV is already living in the past. 720p output for video versus 1080 available from HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. And just assuming 720 is bound for the iTunes store, how many people are really going to want to invest in repurchasing their videos in the new format, and then when 1080p comes out (in the AppleTV 2 presumably) buy it yet again?
Considering the lack of video content outside of the US, that 10 million is all Apple can realistically target. Since they can't advocate ripping DVD's for viewing on it, they're left with a pretty lame duck product for the rest of the world.
Even assuming that will be true several months from now, which it might not be, that's a large enough audience to begin with.
Quote:
And will the number of people that do this be significant? Doubtful.
It depends on what you mean by significant. A hundred people a month would not be, a thousand would.
[/quote]
And what people? In what industry? The media center industry? Of course they see it as a killer product.[/quote]
There is no "media center industry". Not yet anyway. Those who evaluate the cable, satellite, and broadcast industries think so.
Quote:
And are you any different on this point?
I sometimes get into trouble on this board, because I like to look at things from a consumer perspective, not a techie perspective. When Apple first opened the itunes store, many were saying that it wouldn't make it because of the DRM, and 128Kb encoding. I disagreed, saying that most people wouldn't care. Even now, people on the boards say that it will die because of it, yet, the sales of both the iTunes store, and the iPods keep going up. I keep repeating my statements, and continue to get flattened
The same is true about this. Most consumers don't see the issues the way people here do.
I see them the way you, and a number of others do, and for me, I agree with what you say.
But, I realize that I'm not the average consumer, any more than you are. for example, I have never bought anything from iTunes, though my wife has. I don't yet have an iPod, though both she, and my daughter do.
I will not buy the AppleTv if, and until, it does what I want, though my wife has already prodded me about it.
I was a manufacturer, and when making products, I had to look at things from the customers perspective. When I had my film lab, I had to do the same thing.
It teaches you to ignore your own desires, and to look at those come to you. I try to do that here as well.
Do I succeed? Not always, but generally.
Quote:
The comparison is a bit flawed. As long as the person who bought the iPod already had a computer (a safe assumption), his iPod doesn't require the $1,500 computer. The same can't be said of AppleTV; you must have both components for it to function.
It doesn't matter that she already has a computer. The halo effect is about people deciding to by a Mac when they buy their next computer, rather than buying another PC.
It also means that those who are starting out, usually young people, to buy their own computer, rather than continuing to use their parents', will be more likely to buy a Mac when they buy their iPod, as opposed to buying a PC.
Quote:
If anything this will tarnish the halo effect as people see it in action at Apple Stores and buying without really paying attention to the fine print. They'll take it home and discover it doesn't work with their CRT TV or the cheap 4:3 LCD TV they have.
Again, you make the assumption that people are stupidly going to buy something that they don't already think fits into their purchasing plans. Why do you think Apple has purchased all of those Sony widescreen hi def Tv's? Apparently, they are going to remove some iMacs from the front of the stores to demo the Apple Tv playing through those Sonys. customers will quickly understand what they will need.
Quote:
This will be no different than iPod games. Go into the iTunes and see how many people didn't bother to read the rather obvious print that games only work on 5G iPods and are complaining about it not working on their iPod Nano.
Sure, but this is a rather larger purchase than an iPod game, which is spur of the moment purchase at $5.
Quote:
I don't believe it. There is no hi-def content on iTunes currently. Do you really think people are going to be driven to buy a new hi-def TV so they can watch iTunes content that isn't hi-def? That will certainly be exciting for customers as they find themselves wondering why the downloaded copy of a movie doesn't look as gon on their new TV as it did on their old TV when they watched it on DVD. And it even sounds worse to boot.
I agree with you about the well known, and widely bemoaned lack of hi-def content on iTunes. But as Apple has said, there is now a fair amount of that on Apple's site, as well as a fair number of others. I wouldn't be surprised to see othes coming up with proper material shortly, as we saw with the 5G, esp. porn, which is popular on the iPods, as is to be expected.
Quote:
The AppleTV is already living in the past. 720p output for video versus 1080 available from HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. And just assuming 720 is bound for the iTunes store, how many people are really going to want to invest in repurchasing their videos in the new format, and then when 1080p comes out (in the AppleTV 2 presumably) buy it yet again?
I don't know why it is limited to 720p. If you know that, tell us.
It's possible that a firmware upgrade will allow 1080i, or p.
Once the sites get their hands on this, and take it apart, play with it, and analyse it, we won't know. Once they do, hopefully, we will find out if the hardware can manage it. If it can, then that update is all we would need.
Of course, after the odd $1.99 fee asked for the "n" update, I don't know how Apple would look at that. The update, however, according to Apple, can be applied to as many machines as you want it to, without having to pay for more than one.
Nah... Strategically not a good idea. Remember that Apple is not in the Windows support game so the Windows development side of any acquisition will always be phased out. In Adobe's case this would cause rioting in the streets and a probable call from the Feds and the EU Commission. Adobe is committed to Mac development so there's no point.
I've always thought a 3D graphics company to add value to the Motion/Shake compositing offering was always a possibility. Maya's been swallowed, Lightwave's a mess with a huge PC base. Softimage has no OSX codebase (but a port isn't out of the realms of possibility apparently). Luxology maybe? Modo is in mid-development with a good Mac base and loads of talent.
Who knows?
Softimage was bought by AVID, one of Apple Inc's biggest competitors in digital media
Comments
Can I walk in the Apple store, pick up an iPhone, keep my same number, and cancel my Verizon account all in the store???
I have never swapped carriers minus the times they were purchased and merged in which doesn't count.
Going to the Apple Store is like being a kid in a candy store.
I'm sure most consumers who are about to plunk down $500+ are willing to go a little out of their way to get to an Apple Store.
Do you really think the Cingular sales drones are really going to know what they are talking about?
Um, if you know you want it, why waste the time to go find an apple store? Are you expecting Apple people to tell you stuff you don't already know? And if you don't know you want it, then its not going to matter much if you went to the Cingular store then, is it?
I'm not so sure you're correct.
Last year,for the first time, LCD sets outsold CRT sets. SD is running out of time. More people are buying large screen sets.
This will works with a monitor as well, all are high def these days.
either use a monitor with component input. Mine has that as well as VGA. Or get a cheap HDMI splitter to turn the HDMI output to DVI and audio.
By the end of this year, most tv sales will be high def of some sort.
Well, that's great, if everyone buys a new TV every year. But most people don't do that. They buy one and keep it for 5-10 years before buying a new one. So last years sales figures are great, but there's no way that the CRT TV is going to be outnumbered by LCDs in the next several years.
As usual, Apple is a bit ahead of the curve. I wouldn't be surprised if people go out and buy a hi def monitor just so that they can use their computer and the Tv.
Oh, that's rich. Now the AppleTV is such a killer product that its going to drive people to not only buy it, but then buy TVs it will work with? I don't think so.
And, I prefer to say "As usual, Apple is ahead of the curve and alienating a large segment of their customers by looking to the next big thing, rather then the peripherals that users have now". But, hey, if you like to pretend its a good thing that apple keeps turning their customers assets into dead-weight with their forward-looking decisions, that's fine.
Saw an interesting post somewhere, but I can't remember where, that showed for some the AppleTV is actually cheaper than a cable TV subscription. It added up the season pass costs for shows and showed that cable TV actually cost more per year than purchasing the shows from iTunes did.
Of course, this didn't factor in all the entertainment value available from the countless hours of excellent programming provided by cable TV...
It also assumed that you got good reception via old fashioned antennas for local/network programming.
Still a niche market, but an interesting twist.
Well, if all you watch on TV is a minimum amount of shows a week, know exactly what you want to watch and not watch, what you want to watch is available on the iTMS, not caring if the content is in HD or have digital picture quality, and have no desire for live content or news, anything new that you might not know about or movies (old or new), then its probably right.
BTW, people need to keep in mind that the AppleTV is not a $300 device, its a $1000 device, as it requires a separate computer/monitor to actually work. You can't just buy an AppleTV, hook it up to your TV set, and start purchasing shows directly to it.
Read that quote carefully. "Broadly proliferate".
That doesn't read like they don't intend to not do something. It sounds like they aren't going to come up with a number of new products in new catagories. It stops short of saying that they won't come out with ANYTHING in a new catagory.
double negative city!
Apple, like most other manufacturers, doesn't care a whit about people who aren't interesting in having what is needed to buy their product.
Like it or not, there are already almost 10 million people in this country alone, with large screen hi def sets. By the end of this year, that number will expand to at least 16 million.
You don't think that Apple isn't aware of these numbers (as is every other company)? You don't understand why Cisco bought Scientific Atlanta, and why Apple put in an early bid? You don't think that these people are already more inclined to buy this product than people like you who don't have one? Or maybe you do have one, but are just being dense.
This is a specialized product for now. Maybe in three years it will be mainstream. But, this is a race, in case you haven't noticed. If Apple waits until most people are ready, they will have lost.
The estimates are that Apple could sell a million of these a year. Apple is expected to have 30% of the set-top-box equivalent market in a few years. They won't get there if they wait.
Oh, that's rich. Now the AppleTV is such a killer product that its going to drive people to not only buy it, but then buy TVs it will work with? I don't think so.
That's just a silly remark. Of course there will be people who do just that. The people in this industry think that this IS a killer product, even though you don't think so. I've seen this happen with other products over the decades. It will happen with this one as well.
Sometimes people on computer boards are the least qualified to evaluate products that aren't specifically directed at them.
You may not realize it, but people are being reported as walking out of auto showrooms because the cars they were interested in, didn't have proper iPod integration. Now, that's the tail wagging the dog! Why do you think so many auto manufacturers have been doing integration? It sells cars.
You obviously haven't heard of the well known "halo effect", where people buy a $200 iPod, and then go back and buy a $1,500 computer.
If this product gives people the opportunity to something they think is useful, different, and persuasive, they will change their way of thinking about it.
What you aren't taking into account, is that most people are already thinking about buying a large hi def Tv. This will, in a number of cases, be the product that pushes them to make that purchase now, rather than later.
You better believe it.
And, I prefer to say "As usual, Apple is ahead of the curve and alienating a large segment of their customers by looking to the next big thing, rather then the peripherals that users have now". But, hey, if you like to pretend its a good thing that apple keeps turning their customers assets into dead-weight with their forward-looking decisions, that's fine.
Say what you want, but you are living in the past.
Things are now changing at a hectic pace, and most people want to keep up.
When your friends and neighbors are buying new products one wants to, at least, stay with them, and often to move one step ahead. You know the old expression "Keeping up with the Jones's.
double negative city!
That was actually my tortured English in responding to EagerDragon.
When it's late, my thinking isn't always straight.
Apple, like most other manufacturers, doesn't care a whit about people who aren't interesting in having what is needed to buy their product.
Like it or not, there are already almost 10 million people in this country alone, with large screen hi def sets. By the end of this year, that number will expand to at least 16 million.
Considering the lack of video content outside of the US, that 10 million is all Apple can realistically target. Since they can't advocate ripping DVD's for viewing on it, they're left with a pretty lame duck product for the rest of the world.
That's just a silly remark. Of course there will be people who do just that. The people in this industry think that this IS a killer product, even though you don't think so. I've seen this happen with other products over the decades. It will happen with this one as well.
And will the number of people that do this be significant? Doubtful.
And what people? In what industry? The media center industry? Of course they see it as a killer product.
Sometimes people on computer boards are the least qualified to evaluate products that aren't specifically directed at them.
And are you any different on this point?
You obviously haven't heard of the well known "halo effect", where people buy a $200 iPod, and then go back and buy a $1,500 computer.
The comparison is a bit flawed. As long as the person who bought the iPod already had a computer (a safe assumption), his iPod doesn't require the $1,500 computer. The same can't be said of AppleTV; you must have both components for it to function.
If anything this will tarnish the halo effect as people see it in action at Apple Stores and buying without really paying attention to the fine print. They'll take it home and discover it doesn't work with their CRT TV or the cheap 4:3 LCD TV they have.
This will be no different than iPod games. Go into the iTunes and see how many people didn't bother to read the rather obvious print that games only work on 5G iPods and are complaining about it not working on their iPod Nano.
What you aren't taking into account, is that most people are already thinking about buying a large hi def Tv. This will, in a number of cases, be the product that pushes them to make that purchase now, rather than later.
You better believe it.
I don't believe it. There is no hi-def content on iTunes currently. Do you really think people are going to be driven to buy a new hi-def TV so they can watch iTunes content that isn't hi-def? That will certainly be exciting for customers as they find themselves wondering why the downloaded copy of a movie doesn't look as gon on their new TV as it did on their old TV when they watched it on DVD. And it even sounds worse to boot.
Say what you want, but you are living in the past.
Things are now changing at a hectic pace, and most people want to keep up.
When your friends and neighbors are buying new products one wants to, at least, stay with them, and often to move one step ahead. You know the old expression "Keeping up with the Jones's.
The AppleTV is already living in the past. 720p output for video versus 1080 available from HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. And just assuming 720 is bound for the iTunes store, how many people are really going to want to invest in repurchasing their videos in the new format, and then when 1080p comes out (in the AppleTV 2 presumably) buy it yet again?
Considering the lack of video content outside of the US, that 10 million is all Apple can realistically target. Since they can't advocate ripping DVD's for viewing on it, they're left with a pretty lame duck product for the rest of the world.
Even assuming that will be true several months from now, which it might not be, that's a large enough audience to begin with.
And will the number of people that do this be significant? Doubtful.
It depends on what you mean by significant. A hundred people a month would not be, a thousand would.
[/quote]
And what people? In what industry? The media center industry? Of course they see it as a killer product.[/quote]
There is no "media center industry". Not yet anyway. Those who evaluate the cable, satellite, and broadcast industries think so.
And are you any different on this point?
I sometimes get into trouble on this board, because I like to look at things from a consumer perspective, not a techie perspective. When Apple first opened the itunes store, many were saying that it wouldn't make it because of the DRM, and 128Kb encoding. I disagreed, saying that most people wouldn't care. Even now, people on the boards say that it will die because of it, yet, the sales of both the iTunes store, and the iPods keep going up. I keep repeating my statements, and continue to get flattened
The same is true about this. Most consumers don't see the issues the way people here do.
I see them the way you, and a number of others do, and for me, I agree with what you say.
But, I realize that I'm not the average consumer, any more than you are. for example, I have never bought anything from iTunes, though my wife has. I don't yet have an iPod, though both she, and my daughter do.
I will not buy the AppleTv if, and until, it does what I want, though my wife has already prodded me about it.
I was a manufacturer, and when making products, I had to look at things from the customers perspective. When I had my film lab, I had to do the same thing.
It teaches you to ignore your own desires, and to look at those come to you. I try to do that here as well.
Do I succeed? Not always, but generally.
The comparison is a bit flawed. As long as the person who bought the iPod already had a computer (a safe assumption), his iPod doesn't require the $1,500 computer. The same can't be said of AppleTV; you must have both components for it to function.
It doesn't matter that she already has a computer. The halo effect is about people deciding to by a Mac when they buy their next computer, rather than buying another PC.
It also means that those who are starting out, usually young people, to buy their own computer, rather than continuing to use their parents', will be more likely to buy a Mac when they buy their iPod, as opposed to buying a PC.
If anything this will tarnish the halo effect as people see it in action at Apple Stores and buying without really paying attention to the fine print. They'll take it home and discover it doesn't work with their CRT TV or the cheap 4:3 LCD TV they have.
Again, you make the assumption that people are stupidly going to buy something that they don't already think fits into their purchasing plans. Why do you think Apple has purchased all of those Sony widescreen hi def Tv's? Apparently, they are going to remove some iMacs from the front of the stores to demo the Apple Tv playing through those Sonys. customers will quickly understand what they will need.
This will be no different than iPod games. Go into the iTunes and see how many people didn't bother to read the rather obvious print that games only work on 5G iPods and are complaining about it not working on their iPod Nano.
Sure, but this is a rather larger purchase than an iPod game, which is spur of the moment purchase at $5.
I don't believe it. There is no hi-def content on iTunes currently. Do you really think people are going to be driven to buy a new hi-def TV so they can watch iTunes content that isn't hi-def? That will certainly be exciting for customers as they find themselves wondering why the downloaded copy of a movie doesn't look as gon on their new TV as it did on their old TV when they watched it on DVD. And it even sounds worse to boot.
I agree with you about the well known, and widely bemoaned lack of hi-def content on iTunes. But as Apple has said, there is now a fair amount of that on Apple's site, as well as a fair number of others. I wouldn't be surprised to see othes coming up with proper material shortly, as we saw with the 5G, esp. porn, which is popular on the iPods, as is to be expected.
The AppleTV is already living in the past. 720p output for video versus 1080 available from HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. And just assuming 720 is bound for the iTunes store, how many people are really going to want to invest in repurchasing their videos in the new format, and then when 1080p comes out (in the AppleTV 2 presumably) buy it yet again?
I don't know why it is limited to 720p. If you know that, tell us.
It's possible that a firmware upgrade will allow 1080i, or p.
Once the sites get their hands on this, and take it apart, play with it, and analyse it, we won't know. Once they do, hopefully, we will find out if the hardware can manage it. If it can, then that update is all we would need.
Of course, after the odd $1.99 fee asked for the "n" update, I don't know how Apple would look at that. The update, however, according to Apple, can be applied to as many machines as you want it to, without having to pay for more than one.
Nah... Strategically not a good idea. Remember that Apple is not in the Windows support game so the Windows development side of any acquisition will always be phased out. In Adobe's case this would cause rioting in the streets and a probable call from the Feds and the EU Commission. Adobe is committed to Mac development so there's no point.
I've always thought a 3D graphics company to add value to the Motion/Shake compositing offering was always a possibility. Maya's been swallowed, Lightwave's a mess with a huge PC base. Softimage has no OSX codebase (but a port isn't out of the realms of possibility apparently). Luxology maybe? Modo is in mid-development with a good Mac base and loads of talent.
Who knows?
Softimage was bought by AVID, one of Apple Inc's biggest competitors in digital media