Digg founder says Apple iTV launch in September will 'change everything'

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  • Reply 141 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ericblr View Post


    From wikipedia"Early personal computers - generally called microcomputers - were sold often in kit form and in limited volumes, and were of interest mostly to hobbyists and technicians. Minimal programming was done with toggle switches to enter instructions, and output was provided by front panel lamps. Practical use required peripherals such as keyboards, computer terminals, disk drives, and printers. Micral N was the earliest commercial, non-kit "personal" computer based on a microprocessor, the Intel 8008. It was built starting in 1972 and about 90,000 units were sold. Unlike other hobbyist computers of its day, which were sold as electronics kits, in 1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold the Apple I computer circuit board, which was fully prepared and contained about 30 chips. The first complete personal computer was the Commodore PET introduced in January 1977. It was soon followed by the popular Apple II. Mass-market pre-assembled computers allowed a wider range of people to use computers, focusing more on software applications and less on development of the processor hardware."



    Interesting...



    I moved to Silicon Valley (Saratoga) in June of 1973. I worked for the IBM Palo Alto Systems Center on Page Mill Road-- across the street from HP, down the street from CMos, Commodore, Fairchild Semi, Xerox Parc, etc.



    There were 4 computer stores in the area (1974-1978): Byte Shop Palo Alto (Bob Moody); ComputerLand Los Altos (Sarkus Kasugian); Byte Shop Mountain View (Boyd something); Recreational Computing Sunnyvale (Tom Vander something. Later A ComputerLand San Jose.



    Working for IBM, a friend and I took long lunch walks down and up El Camino. We discovered microcomputers-- Pets, Apple 1, Cromemcos, etc. I was enthralled. Bought my Apple ][ in June 1978 and (with two partners) opened Computer, Plus Inc. Sunnyvale CA. in December 1978. Sold the stores and retired in 1989.



    In all that time I never heard of the "Micral N".



    Everyone I knew (including Woz, Jim Warren, John Draper) and other pioneers considered the Altair as the defining moment in microcomputers.



    I am sure there were lots of concurrent systems being built/sold, but the Altair was the Model T -- it made the microcomputer popular.



    .
  • Reply 142 of 258
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    I'm looking to ditch Comcast. I pay $130 a month and watch a fraction of the stations. But it is the fraction that are important to my kids and wife. If we went with any cheaper plan then they miss their stations. I'd like an "a la carte" style of getting television but at a subscription price. My hope is that the new AppleTV (keep the name) will be just that.
  • Reply 143 of 258
    macgregormacgregor Posts: 1,434member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by desarc View Post


    i'm very excited for what this thing can be, but "the iPad as a remote"?

    who the hell buys a remote that costs 5X as much as the device it's controlling?



    The iTV becomes the accessory to the iPad ... at the same time that it is its own device.
  • Reply 144 of 258
    @Cinemagic: I've got to disagree with you on this one for two reasons. Why not leave tuners to the aftermarket... There are too many ways one device would have to solve this.



    Mostly, your tv has a tuner and multiple inputs. Just switch. You won't be recording to the iTV anyway. I plan to put a Mac Mini next to the iTV for Front Row access to my iTunes library anyway. iTV will probably make this unnecessary but I can attach a tuner to my Mini and use it as a DVR.



    I've just decided this month that I don't like funding all the crap programming I don't watch so will be disconnecting cable TV soon anyway. This rumour seals that deal. Woot!
  • Reply 145 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Wrong! It was the Northstar nee Kentucky Fried Computer, The Ohio Scientific, The Smoke Signal Broadcasting...



    ... Actually, the first microcomputer was the Altair:







    Fred Roberts was the inventor.



    It was created in Albuquerque, NM.



    Guess who wrote the BASIC for it?



    See those little lights and switches-- you entered your programs and data a Byte-at-a-time...



    Now, That's a UI!



    http://www.vintage-computer.com/altair8800.shtml



    .



    That was the first microcomputer, not the first personal computer. A personal computer needs at least a keyboard and a display.
  • Reply 146 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacGregor View Post


    The iTV becomes the accessory to the iPad ... at the same time that it is its own device.



    Ohhh.... a very interesting way to look at it! Your own personal NetFlix streamer!



    I like the idea of that!



    ServeToMe/StreamToMe on the app store already do a pretty good job of streaming your private content.



    .
  • Reply 147 of 258
    grkinggrking Posts: 533member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    The original comment was not limited to "industry." It included products and markets. You seem to be creating a straw argument by focusing only on the term industry, and construing it in the most narrow way possible. Of course you are right, no one was really arguing that point in the first place. Can you think of any revolutionary products that are associated with one person that didn't have some kind of precursors? Or even an industry out of which they grew?



    I know that the original comment was not limited to industry. This is why I did not ask about markets etc, because as I said above, it is clear that SJ has transformed multiple industries.



    Here is the thing, there is an old quote by Daniel Moynihan



    "everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." It is all too common for people on any number of boards to make factual assertions that are incorrect. I simply asked the poster to say which industry SJ invented.



    To answer your question, I would argue that Ford invented the auto industry because he invented the production line. A look at the history of manufacturing, and you see that a product was made by one person (or group) from start to finish. Hence, the concept of the "Master" in a field. Fords invention, broke that process up, and made it possible to cheaply, rapidly, and efficiently produce cars, but it could have been any widget.
  • Reply 148 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by alandail View Post


    That was the first microcomputer, not the first personal computer. A personal computer needs at least a keyboard and a display.



    The Apple ][ did not include a display... wasn't it a Personal Computer?



    Apple seems to think it was!





    Edit: The early Apple ][s came with game paddles -- aren't game paddles required to qualify as a personal computer?





    Sorry to be so picky, but in the early days there were 3 classes of customers for microcomputers:



    -- hobbyist

    -- home personal

    -- business



    The Apple ]] was the first easy to sell/install/support computer for home personal use -- you bought a $7 RF Modulator and connected it to any TV or a separate B/W monitor.



    With the release of VisiCalc, the Apple ][ was the first microcomputer to penetrate business.



    The Apple ][ was never much of a hobbyist machine-- they got off (like the techies of today) rolling their own & building S!00 bus boxes.



    .

    .
  • Reply 149 of 258
    grkinggrking Posts: 533member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bartfat View Post


    I see a troll is missing the point here App stores certainly did exist before the App Store, but there was definitely no centralized location to get any third-party apps. So in that sense, there was no App Store before the App Store.



    Apple just does it better... much better than the competition But you can't say that Apple doesn't make things more accessible to people, which is why their products tend to be more popular than competitors'.



    I do not deny that Apple makes products better, but SJ did not invent the App store. And yes, there was a central location, it was called something like Handango.
  • Reply 150 of 258
    grkinggrking Posts: 533member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jwdav View Post


    You might better ask what industries did he kill or remake - what would not exist or be different without him.



    Personal computers existed before the Mac

    -The Apple II running Visicalc killed mainframe computing (reborn as Desktop Computing)

    -The Mac & the LaserWriter killed the printing industry (reborn as Desktop Publishing)



    Flash based music players existed with the iPod

    -The iPod, along with iTunes killed the music industry distribution & pricing model



    Cell phones existed before the iPhone

    -The iPhone killed cell manufacturers who had no platform (Android will finish them off)

    -The iPhone killed the traditional cell carriers role



    Tablets existed before the iPad

    - The ipad killed the netbook, and created a whole new category of device

    -The iPad will probably kill print publishing of books and magazines as we know it

    -The iPad/iPod is taking a chunk out of the gaming industry



    App stores existed before iTunes

    -The app store killed traditional software distribution & pricing

    -The app store may kill many roles the "the web" is currently used for



    Together, the ipad and the app store may take a piece out of the advertising industry.

    The AppleTV may take a chunk out of the cable carriers



    Add in that the genesis of the web came from designs found in next and HyperCard



    why should I ask that question, when the answer is clear, and undeniable. Yes Apple has transformed multiple industries, but that was not part of the original assertion to which I was responding



    Besides, the original poster made a factual assertion, and I simply asked them to supply an answer.



    Your post is, in some respects, all to common - if someone does not like something, they try and change the topic or change the question.
  • Reply 151 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    Let's not forget that Steve Ballmer of MS will introduce their version "Windows 7 TV" coming in the fall... of 2012...



    I like our plan... I like it a lot... Ballmer was overheard saying...



    One would have to hope that isn't the case... but I wouldn't be surprised.



    It's hard to fathom how Microsoft aren't killing it in this area. They have one of the best (if not the best) 10' interfaces available, one of the best home server products available, powerful cloud service and distribution potential, a strong gaming division with an established game/media store and pretty much the most experience with IPTV of any company on Gods green earth.



    It's like they have all the pieces but they don't have anyone that can put them together.



    From what I can see there is very little (if anything) the "iTV" could do that Microsoft couldn't already achieve with their existing services, a software update to the Xbox 360 and possibly a cheap Microsoft branded Media Center-only device based on Windows 7 Embedded.



    However, like you say, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't act until they are already behind Apple and Google in the market.
  • Reply 152 of 258
    iTV:

    Slideout keyboard, two batteries.

  • Reply 153 of 258
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The Madcapper View Post


    Hope you guys are looking forward to watching (yes watching) some comic books on your televisions for the first time too!



    Our app (Digital Comics) will certainly be ported over, and is already the only of it's kind in the app store, allowing for a completely automated comic book viewing experience.



    http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digit...354853921?mt=8







    Yes...I am, along with any other new media types.



    I expect an app store enabled aTV to appear. I don't expect DVR capabilities or any of the other "required" functionality as these are all done by other boxes and making this seamless is beyond the control of Apple...or even TiVO given the annoyance that cablecards can be on some cable networks.



    I'm not believing the $99 price point either. I'll believe $199...$99 seems to inexpensive and $199 compares to the Wii in terms of price...and with $10-$15 casual games I'll buy one just for that. Heck, even if the new price point for top tier aTV games are $20 that'd be a great alternative to casual console gaming vs the Wii.



    And that would be a real game changer.
  • Reply 154 of 258
    xtss33xtss33 Posts: 25member
    Only thing that worries me about iTV and the whole streaming content thing is the ISP. I've got premium service (?!?!?!) with Cox and lately I can't seem to watch more tha 5 minutes of Netflix before it pauses and recalibrates. This with supposedly 20 m download speed and a gigabit home network. And we all know about AT&T's track record as our mobile ISP. This is why I like the download method. Or perhaps better buffeting would do it. Hear that netflix?
  • Reply 155 of 258
    habihabi Posts: 317member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aizmov View Post


    Only $99! That's damn cheap. I guess Apple plans to make money on content.



    Time for Apple to consider offering movies in iTunes worldwide.



    I dont think its up to apple. Its the movie producers asosiations and tv-corporations that are the break in the matter. They dont want to make content watchable in the whole world at the same time. Anybody who wants to show a movie or tv-series (from the states) have to make an agreement on a national level for making the content watchable. They cant make an aggreement of the whole world at the same time. No that would be too easy.

    All the people in the world arent equal in the eyes of the film/tv-industry (not even in the industrial countries). Why do we have regions in DVD:s? TV/Film-industry is facing the same battle that the music industry lost allready. It seems that they have copied every aspect of the loosing side.



    Aslong as film/tv-industry isnt seeing their best intrest they will not make content available as a worldwide service via eg itunes or other service. I think this is because people are lazy and want to take the certain path that they know works now. but fail to see that it leads nowhere. The world is changing even if they dont want it to. Its time that the producers wake up to reallity and be part of the change even if the changephaze may be unconfortable but they should look at the new posibilities also....
  • Reply 156 of 258
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    On-demand-TV is the future of TV. YouTube is a great proof of concept.

    Because it fits better into the busy day schedule of a lot of people.



    Many suggest "Recording" as a key feature:

    Recording feature is NOT needed, because it will mostly be "video on demand"! = TV-networks happy.





    Also, VOD could potentially speed up the international process, bypassing local TV-networks and different TV-standards. Probably easier to manage.
  • Reply 157 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by desarc View Post


    i'm very excited for what this thing can be, but "the iPad as a remote"?

    who the hell buys a remote that costs 5X as much as the device it's controlling?



    Absolutely fabulous question! In some odd way, using my iPad as a remote cheapens it.
  • Reply 158 of 258
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by john galt View Post


    Years? Were your eyes open?



    I was young, I had too much free time and my standards were low. You're right, you can easily see how bad it is after even a matter of weeks.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by john galt View Post


    The irony... the final nail in Flash's coffin will be iTV... and pron



    The TV market is huge and to absolutely destroy Flash, they just need a mass-market media consumption device. They've done it with the iOS devices to an extent but the price will still put a lot of people off.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism


    While I agree that they could I doubt Apple would make into a plug or plug sized devices for two reasons.



    - "Over" engineering costs money and at the proposed $99 price I think that would require a more cheaply engineered, component priced and manufactured device.



    - Having it as a plug could affect WiFi data transfers (even though this is how the Airport Express works) require an IR wire or remove IR altogether (which I don't see) and make it an invisible device when some of the best advertising is to show off your product.



    Fo these reasons the smallest I'd expect is about the size of an iPod Nano in a Base.



    I was thinking of the Airport Express as you mentioned:



    http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/



    Then if you open an ipod touch, you see the last image here:



    http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPod-...eardown/1158/1



    The large grey middle bit is the battery so you really just need the top and bottom. You get bluetooth so no need for line-of-sight IR and you can automatically use the bluetooth magic pad and keyboard or pair up your ipod touch as a remote.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD


    It is not SJ history to sell cheap $99 boxes.



    They sell the iPod Touch for $199. Take off the screen and battery, have a cheaper manufacturing process and they can hit $99. Even if it's a very low profit-margin device, they'll make some money on content. This kind of device would just give them some control over content distribution and advertising. Think of all the service providers who sell proprietary cable boxes, now everyone has the same box with the same functionality.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum


    This is simply not true! Virtually all iOS apps run [in various stages of their development] on x86 iMacs using the iPhone Simulator. You can develop iOS apps this way without spending a dime.



    Yeah but it won't run packaged binaries on the App Store without translation and most likely the new iTV will be ARM-based and they won't maintain two native binaries. I think in the interests of being eco-friendly, they should convince people to give up their old ATVs.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum


    In fact, I can see the day that you tell your AppleTV: "Here's the things I am interested in (that I am looking to buy), please show me ads in this category-- let AppleTV be your private shopper (or at least ad filter).



    That's a good idea. No more will the single guy have to endure ads for tampons, thrush cream and hair products that need you to take more than one bottle into the shower. And if you're a parent, you can block all the ads for kids so they don't get big ideas about how to spend your money at Christmas. It also gives advertisers a way to track interest better as they can get usage data back (subject to a user agreement) like you can with Google ads. Targeted advertising will have a better return on investment so advertising is cheaper and less prevalent - that will be the start of the end for the TV because advertisers will look for the best value and when that funding goes, the TV subscription cost goes up or they go broke.
  • Reply 159 of 258
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Firefly7475 View Post






    Did anyone ever work out what this was for? Could it be the thumb button on the new WiiMote-style remote?



    It's a multitouch capacitive dimmer switch for SJs new house.
  • Reply 160 of 258
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cinemagic View Post


    Jobs doesn't like Blu-Ray.



    Jobs knows what he's doing. And no, Blu-Ray is not thriving. Search "blu-ray poor sales" on Google.
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