MW slogans point to outer space.
1. This one is going to be big. Even by our standards." Yeah, a sattelite is certainly bigger than anything Apple has ever made.
2. "Count the hours. Count the minutes."
Sounds like a space shuttle launch, no? Or a countdown of some sort. Also ties in with #4.
3. "Way beyond the rumor sites. way beyond."
Yeah, outer space is "way beyond." besides, where have you seen the rumor sites discuss some thing Apple would do in space? Like launching satellite(s)?
4. "It's Like a backstage pass to the future"
Which tells me we will see what these satellites will do, but they will not be launched until later this year.
5. "Where no PC has gone before"
uh, this one is pretty self-explanitory.
What would Apple do with sattelites or outer space? I know this is just imagination run rampant and a stretch to imply all these slogans equate to what I am saying, but it is feasible I guess... <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: Horned_Frog ]</p>
2. "Count the hours. Count the minutes."
Sounds like a space shuttle launch, no? Or a countdown of some sort. Also ties in with #4.
3. "Way beyond the rumor sites. way beyond."
Yeah, outer space is "way beyond." besides, where have you seen the rumor sites discuss some thing Apple would do in space? Like launching satellite(s)?
4. "It's Like a backstage pass to the future"
Which tells me we will see what these satellites will do, but they will not be launched until later this year.
5. "Where no PC has gone before"
uh, this one is pretty self-explanitory.
What would Apple do with sattelites or outer space? I know this is just imagination run rampant and a stretch to imply all these slogans equate to what I am saying, but it is feasible I guess... <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: Horned_Frog ]</p>
Comments
Could this be related? If it is, well this "hype" campaign must be the sickest thing I've come across in my whole life. :-)
Now, things in space are not normally trivial things. Very expensive radiation-hardening, etc., etc. But if instead of one (or a few) big satellites, what if there were a very large number (1000+) of inexpensive, redundant satellites that were expected to fail after a much shorter period of time?
It would be cool if Apple could end up doing for only a couple million what Teledesic has failed to with billions. But it probably won't happen.
This would also fit the "Cube will be resurrected" press release, as the Cube was the original space-server, and still makes a lot of sense.
It'd be nice if someone could explain how exactly that guy was going to transmit data to space and back.
Alex
<a href="http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/" target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/</a>
It says: "In October 2001... one PowerMac G4... inside a sattellite... will make history."
However, the whole thing isn't written in the past tense, but in the future.
If it's not really old news (which it may well be, since I don't find this one too extremely spectacular and wouldn't have cared), I'd be willing to bet that Apple is completely fooling us all with this "hype" campaign.
But seriously, I think they've either been in contact with aliens, and therefore have alien technology that they will unleash on us, or it's a mouse we can talk to, if we wanted to make, say, transparent aluminum (or aluminium for those that can't spell).
<strong>Maybe it's satellite broadband. Instead of AirPort, we'll have SpacePort.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Gigawire?
the mind boggles. :eek:
now, the question is, would apple do this on their own tab, or would they create a partnership with one of the big two - AOL/Time Warner or Microsoft? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: rok ]</p>
These things were like the small Motorola radios you see EXCEPT they had a little more power. I think a 5 mile range on semi-flat land.
I thought it was cool and all but then he said something I found to be interesting..
"Yeah, in the manual it says these things can send a signal to the moon, line of sight."
These radios were $540 each, used AA batteries and made me start thinking about satellite broadband. They were also made by Motorola.
Maybe Apple gives you a free one with a years worth of service to AirSurf?.
ANyone know the bandwidth limitations on UHF communications via Satellite?
MSKR
Actually, I was watching Discovery the other day and they were discussing Microsofts interests into a "global" wireless broadband internet. Apple could EASILY team up with the devil and make a global "Airport" network.
I'd die and go to heaven! There's nothing more pathetic looking than a guy running all over campus with his iBook looking for a vacant Ethernet port. Give me Airport anywhere!
Mac Guru
And then apple posted todays tagline. Interesting. I stand my my guest that it goes beyond hardware and software and also includes a "breakthrough" service of some sorts.
imagine this in satellite form.
<a href="http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html" target="_blank">Long Range Airport? 802.11b</a>
MSKR
iMac LCD with 2 years high speed digtial satellite broadband connection via airport/gigawire or whatever....
i would love satellite broadband...i live out in the middle of nowhere and will be years till dsl or cable internet reach me...and the phone lines ain't that great out here either...lots of disconnects....but a great view of the sky and nothing between my house and the heavens, so SJ please throw a couple of hundred G-4 servers up in space (or however many you need for worldwide coverage)...g
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: thegelding ]</p>
He mentioned something of a partnership between Sony and Apple and other's I think. Could some other big players be set to band together in pre-emptive satellite internet initiative described under the catch phrase GIGAWIRE! Still doesn't prove that Kormac does anything more than read the right tech pages, but it is interesting I think. They'd be not really partners, but rather two major players/early adopters of a standard. Perhaps even one developed by Apple.
One thing's for certain, such a service, if it could be deployed in the next three months, and done so with a level of mac exclusivity would do two MAJOR things. 1) Produce at least an 18 month lead on anyone else. And 2.) Because of 1, sell more Mac laptops (to PC users no less) than 3 Apples could make.
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
go to <a href="http://www.appleturns.com," target="_blank">http://www.appleturns.com,</a> and really get those wheels turning. screw cat-5 cables, man, just give me a little bit of a internet broadcast signal, and i can surf the web ANYwhere, ANYtime.
now, folks, THIS is progress.
p.s. not that i am bitter or anything, but on the old AI threads, i was one of the first (if not THE first) people to theorize if this was possible. 'course, i can't seem to take credit anymore... darn it. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
<strong>Hmm, the other day my brother showed me some hand held radios he had purchased (he's a techno-geek to the max).
These things were like the small Motorola radios you see EXCEPT they had a little more power. I think a 5 mile range on semi-flat land.
I thought it was cool and all but then he said something I found to be interesting..
"Yeah, in the manual it says these things can send a signal to the moon, line of sight."
These radios were $540 each, used AA batteries and made me start thinking about satellite broadband. They were also made by Motorola.
Maybe Apple gives you a free one with a years worth of service to AirSurf?.
ANyone know the bandwidth limitations on UHF communications via Satellite?
MSKR</strong><hr></blockquote>
Uhh...I think it can be up to a couple of megabits per connection. The latency would be horrible though. Also, it needs to be line of sight or the fast signal drops very quickly.
I think that if apple were to do this, then not only would it kick amjor ass, but then I would buy a laptop...that simple, if I could be sitting around at lunch or free period with my laptop surfing the internet wire free, then pick it up walk to the hill couple hunred feet away, and still be connected, damn I would Love that, needless to say that If it could work in a car...oh my god(unless I was driving of course)...on planes...wow this is a bit far fetched, but I definatly see the future involving always connected wireless broadband.
if apple DID manage to somehow get this under their belt, I seriously believe that they could turn the marketshare tables by well at least a 1/4
but then again if apple earned 25% of the marketshare...wow, thats a huge leap...now I'm getting ahead of myself....I'm sure microsoft(as much as I don't WANT this) will be the first to jump on that boat....with near limitless resoucres at his desposal bill gates could easily monopolize this market as well(look at the multi million dolalr x-box and xp campaigns)
oh well, at least this will probably be the future either way(I just really hope apple gets on it first and actually manages to reel in the pc users)
Just a how of hands...if this WAS exlusive to Macs purchased on or after 1/7/02, how many would buy a new computer? I know I would.
Also, would Earthlink would have to be involved, either as the ISP or if Apple bought them out.
Anotehr cool feature would be a free dialup account for times when weather or something interfered with you connection.
Also, after the discussed "free" period, how much $$$ per month are we talking here? If it was $100 per month, would it be worth it?
I need to go change now... :cool: <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />