Something like this could be the best of both worlds with the right programmer/developer. Imagine playing a 1st player RPG/Shooter/Adventure/etc on the TV screen with your physical controls, but your "backpack" is your screen on the iPhone. Instead of "pausing" and going to your backpack, you just glance down and click. Much more realistic and doesn't stop gameflow. I know XBox has been trying this- not sure which games or if it even works yet.
I don't like the idea of needing 2 devices to play one game. What if you get a phone call in a critical part of the game?
Yikes! That device is much more incomplete than I had imagined.
I mean this sincerely: your comment is insightful. I think there is a huge difference between what consumers expect of their devices and what companies are willing to deliver. Both are interested in value, but they have contradictory intentions. For consumers, it is value for their expenditure. For manufacturers, it is about value for their shareholders. Some companies go with the "bilking idiots" plan, and do quite well. And then (IMHO) there is AAPL. AAPL seems genuinely interested in demonstrating consumer value. Many other companies look to me like they are always trying to sell me on their stuff.
AAPL seems genuinely interested in demonstrating consumer value. Many other companies look to me like they are always trying to sell me on their stuff.
It's unfortunate that more companies don't try to copy Apple in this way. It's the one thing Apple can't patent or copyright and it's the one thing that continually makes people measure their products against all others.
After just a few days, Apple TV has a much better rating on Amazon than the Fire!
The Verge has a different take on FireTV giving it an 8.8 in 2014 despite the Apple TV getting only a 7.8 back in 2012. I guess that CPU and RAM are nice but what's the point if you're not a gamer or are a gamer but would rather play "PC" games, or use an Xbox of PlayStation. It seems like an oddly narrow window for making that the deciding factor. It's certainly not because the Apple TV UI feels sluggish with only 1 core and 512MB RAM.
They also praise the voice search but also note it's limited. As much as I want it to be as simple as "Play season 7 episode 19 of The Big Bang Theory" or "Play the last night's episode of Elementary" or "Play the oldest unplayed episode of The Black List" I know that may still take some time but I would have thought that if they are showcasing voice commands that on the UI it would actually work for the entire UI. I find that to be a major shortcoming that I would think would have kept Apple from releasing it as is.
your 'potential' appears to be 'it could play games natively and be cheaper.' I see the potential more as an extension of the apple ecosystem with a compelling 'one remote' interface (people want to veg in front of their TV)
Why do you think console gaming is better than 'gaming that displays on a TV.' Apple's strategy is a personal game player, that displays on a TV. problem solved.
Chromecast: I want netflix on my dumb TV and I own an android phone and I'm cheap, for a few people (your market research redux). Hardly a strategy for profits. It's a gapping feature. And I see it's gaming strategy the same.
fireTV: much more impressive... as it ties into the amazon marketplace, and can run standalone. It's not ground breaking... but it's credible and tied to a singular ecosystem.
iPhones:
growing the iPhone market by 10 million (you said millions... not '10's of millions) a year is less than 5% YoY growth. I agree that larger phones are a good niche... but it's just that. a niche. I see the niche as the over 50yo crowd with presbyopia and/or don't want to replace their desktop with a laptop/iPad. It's a growing niche, and should be addressed, but it's not going to compete in Asia if it's over $700 ASP, and still be the quality of an iPhone.
Looking at rumors is hardly a predictor of what Apple will do....
Read this link and tell me that >4'' phones are small. Apple will release a 4.5+'' iphone and watch sales figures climb even further, proving me right. While Apple will never follow the cheaper phone trend, a larger phone is the way go to, along with a 4'' screen. I predicted with the release of the iPhone 5 that the iPhone 6 will mark a 4.5+'' screen, whether I was wrong or not remains to be seen. But market pressure is everything. Apple competes only in the high-end market and there is still more of it to be attacked by Apple. Additionally, surveys suggest a large iphone will help in China. Just too many factors for Apple to ignore, you watch, rumors so far are on my side. Grab some popcorn. Larger iPhone this year (hopefully along side a 4'' iPhone). These are internal documents directly from Apple. They are aware of the next segment to attack, defense won't help. The room for the iPhone to grow is shrinking and Apple needs to expand to raise profits, which afterall is always their task.
We shall see whom is correct.
As for the AppleTV, more than just games, apps, anything more than just a netflix machine. You refer to me a "cheap", seems a bit on the offensive, as though your argument can not stand on its own. Usually the side of a losing argument. It is actually more of a: buy what I need, not what I want kind of thing. I could take the 65 bucks and put it toward something else. Everyone has a system to justify what they buy and AppleTV failed mine. My macbook pro retina and iPhone did not. To attack my system is silly and rather stupid. One thing I would like us to teach in schools again is when to buy something because its needed (I use the needed word kind of losely because no one really needs a Chromecast) and what someone just wants for no reason. Saving is a beautiful thing.
Anyway, I will be back to check on this post, for a couple of days, and in September.
Comments
I don't like the idea of needing 2 devices to play one game. What if you get a phone call in a critical part of the game?
Yikes! That device is much more incomplete than I had imagined.
I mean this sincerely: your comment is insightful. I think there is a huge difference between what consumers expect of their devices and what companies are willing to deliver. Both are interested in value, but they have contradictory intentions. For consumers, it is value for their expenditure. For manufacturers, it is about value for their shareholders. Some companies go with the "bilking idiots" plan, and do quite well. And then (IMHO) there is AAPL. AAPL seems genuinely interested in demonstrating consumer value. Many other companies look to me like they are always trying to sell me on their stuff.
I don't like the idea of needing 2 devices to play one game. What if you get a phone call in a critical part of the game?
Airplane mode
Or iPod touch. I think the XBox version uses your iPad or a tablet if I'm not mistaken
After just a few days, Apple TV has a much better rating on Amazon than the Fire!
Doesn't airplane mode turn off bluetooth?
You can reenable it once you’re in.
Huh? Once you're in what?
It's unfortunate that more companies don't try to copy Apple in this way. It's the one thing Apple can't patent or copyright and it's the one thing that continually makes people measure their products against all others.
The Verge has a different take on FireTV giving it an 8.8 in 2014 despite the Apple TV getting only a 7.8 back in 2012. I guess that CPU and RAM are nice but what's the point if you're not a gamer or are a gamer but would rather play "PC" games, or use an Xbox of PlayStation. It seems like an oddly narrow window for making that the deciding factor. It's certainly not because the Apple TV UI feels sluggish with only 1 core and 512MB RAM.
They also praise the voice search but also note it's limited. As much as I want it to be as simple as "Play season 7 episode 19 of The Big Bang Theory" or "Play the last night's episode of Elementary" or "Play the oldest unplayed episode of The Black List" I know that may still take some time but I would have thought that if they are showcasing voice commands that on the UI it would actually work for the entire UI. I find that to be a major shortcoming that I would think would have kept Apple from releasing it as is.
Once you’re in Airplane Mode, you can reenable Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.
Ahh gotcha. I forget that one can do that.
No.
your 'potential' appears to be 'it could play games natively and be cheaper.' I see the potential more as an extension of the apple ecosystem with a compelling 'one remote' interface (people want to veg in front of their TV)
Why do you think console gaming is better than 'gaming that displays on a TV.' Apple's strategy is a personal game player, that displays on a TV. problem solved.
Chromecast: I want netflix on my dumb TV and I own an android phone and I'm cheap, for a few people (your market research redux). Hardly a strategy for profits. It's a gapping feature. And I see it's gaming strategy the same.
fireTV: much more impressive... as it ties into the amazon marketplace, and can run standalone. It's not ground breaking... but it's credible and tied to a singular ecosystem.
iPhones:
growing the iPhone market by 10 million (you said millions... not '10's of millions) a year is less than 5% YoY growth. I agree that larger phones are a good niche... but it's just that. a niche. I see the niche as the over 50yo crowd with presbyopia and/or don't want to replace their desktop with a laptop/iPad. It's a growing niche, and should be addressed, but it's not going to compete in Asia if it's over $700 ASP, and still be the quality of an iPhone.
Looking at rumors is hardly a predictor of what Apple will do....
A bit late but hopefully you will see this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2598676/Apples-iPhone-6-bigger-cheaper-declining-sales-court-documents-reveal.html
Read this link and tell me that >4'' phones are small. Apple will release a 4.5+'' iphone and watch sales figures climb even further, proving me right. While Apple will never follow the cheaper phone trend, a larger phone is the way go to, along with a 4'' screen. I predicted with the release of the iPhone 5 that the iPhone 6 will mark a 4.5+'' screen, whether I was wrong or not remains to be seen. But market pressure is everything. Apple competes only in the high-end market and there is still more of it to be attacked by Apple. Additionally, surveys suggest a large iphone will help in China. Just too many factors for Apple to ignore, you watch, rumors so far are on my side. Grab some popcorn. Larger iPhone this year (hopefully along side a 4'' iPhone). These are internal documents directly from Apple. They are aware of the next segment to attack, defense won't help. The room for the iPhone to grow is shrinking and Apple needs to expand to raise profits, which afterall is always their task.
We shall see whom is correct.
As for the AppleTV, more than just games, apps, anything more than just a netflix machine. You refer to me a "cheap", seems a bit on the offensive, as though your argument can not stand on its own. Usually the side of a losing argument. It is actually more of a: buy what I need, not what I want kind of thing. I could take the 65 bucks and put it toward something else. Everyone has a system to justify what they buy and AppleTV failed mine. My macbook pro retina and iPhone did not. To attack my system is silly and rather stupid. One thing I would like us to teach in schools again is when to buy something because its needed (I use the needed word kind of losely because no one really needs a Chromecast) and what someone just wants for no reason. Saving is a beautiful thing.
Anyway, I will be back to check on this post, for a couple of days, and in September.