steve's remote...
ok, since you eager bevers locked that other thread so fast, I'll have to start a new one.
Does anybody know what kind of remote he is using?
Why is it so big? What kind of connection does it use? Isn't it awfully similar to an ipod in size?
And here comes the FH part:
How would the ideal Apple remote control be? One that could control your mac entirely. And Airport express.
It would have to be bluetooth. Long range bluetooth. It would have to have a small screen to browse stuff. And a scroll wheel... like the ipod.
So my question is:
Wouldn't the ipod be an ideal remote if it incorporated long range bluetooth?
(If This has been discussed before, I apologize).
Does anybody know what kind of remote he is using?
Why is it so big? What kind of connection does it use? Isn't it awfully similar to an ipod in size?
And here comes the FH part:
How would the ideal Apple remote control be? One that could control your mac entirely. And Airport express.
It would have to be bluetooth. Long range bluetooth. It would have to have a small screen to browse stuff. And a scroll wheel... like the ipod.
So my question is:
Wouldn't the ipod be an ideal remote if it incorporated long range bluetooth?
(If This has been discussed before, I apologize).
Comments
Originally posted by cubist
A presentation clicker doesn't need a lot of functions. At most, it will have "Forward" and "Back". FWIW, it could even be a dummy, with someone offstage watching his hand movement. Or, it could be a glorified garage door opener. The key requirement for it is that it is reliable. It's not something you'd want at home.
Yes, this is pretty obvious.
It is also pretty obvious that streaming music to your livingroom stereo from your mac is pretty stupid if your mac is located in another room. So what I am getting at is that the airport express / AirTunes product really needs some kind of remote control.
Given that we need some kind of remote. Should Apple make one? what would it be like, and could a wifi or bluetooth 4th gen ipod actually do the job best?
www.sallingclicker.com
Originally posted by TednDi
you can use your phone right now (though I still want apple to make me an ipod/ipne combo (see apple phone thread in digital hub)
www.sallingclicker.com
yup, I know.
But there are still very few long range bluetooth phones out there and my Z600 isn't very good at scrolling through several thousands of mp3's either. But it's the best alternative yet.
Originally posted by Kishan
does anyone know if there is a way to use a WiFi enabled pocket pc to remotely control iTunes over a 802.11b/g network? If Apple isn't going to release its own PDA/remote thingy, wouldn't enabling current PDA's to do this kind of job be the next best thing? Apple has shown with iTunes that it can do a better Windows app than Microsoft can!
a wifi device would definitly be inovative. it would open the posibilites to control just about everything hooked to the net.
If apple made a remote it sure as hell shouldnt run on bluetooth.
What you have to remember is that not everyone owns a bluetooth hub/receiver. Why not make it WiFi to go along WITH the Airport Express. WiFi would be the most obvious choice because of its long range (compared to BT) and the fact that everyone using one of these deviced obviously has some form of the airport, so they have the 802.11 base covered.
i realize BT uses less power which = more battery life, but it seems that WiFi should be the obvious choice.
Originally posted by New
ok, since you eager bevers locked that other thread so fast, I'll have to start a new one.
Does anybody know what kind of remote he is using?
Why is it so big? What kind of connection does it use? Isn't it awfully similar to an ipod in size?
And here comes the FH part:
How would the ideal Apple remote control be? One that could control your mac entirely. And Airport express.
It would have to be bluetooth. Long range bluetooth. It would have to have a small screen to browse stuff. And a scroll wheel... like the ipod.
So my question is:
Wouldn't the ipod be an ideal remote if it incorporated long range bluetooth?
(If This has been discussed before, I apologize).
Well I feel better for starting that other thread now. The thing about his remote that's so weird is that it seems to have a screen. No remote on the Apple Store page has a screen. It would certainly be nice if someone could provide a link to whatever it is...
If it's going to have wifi, it you'd expect it to be comparable to the current ipods in size, just judging from the AE cards, which are comparable to the size of HDs that go into ipods.
What I wonder is if you'll be able to stream different music to different stereos simultaneously. Then one computer would be able to be a digital music center for a whole house, or set of dorm rooms...
Originally posted by zpapasmurf
Why does everyone talk about bluetooth.
Everyone talks about bluetooth because it rocks. It has truly improved the quality of my life and the lives of my coworkers. Connecting my Palm and Powerbook to the internet though my phone is incredible. And I would hate to have to plug two cradles for my phone and Palm into my 'Book just to sync about 5k of address or calendar data. Bluetooth supports automatic network discovery like Rendezvous so sending contacts between phones is a snap. Not to mention the fact that sending sms messages on a tiny little phone sucks compared to using your Mac's full-size keyboard. Basically, because of bluetooth, I never have to "dock" my Powerbook. My printer, mouse, phone and Palm...all connect over bluetooth. (If only it could transmit power
Just wait, when Bluetooth 2 comes out at twice the current bandwidth, its going to explode.
I'm sorry that you don't see the beauty of bluetooth, but Apple should not hold back innovation because of luddites.
A remote that communicates via its own wireless (probably 802.11) to control the music living on your computer onto its own player in multi zones.
Maybe Jobs saw these guys at D and decided to hold off on announcing something similar because it wasn't as cool. A wireless IPOD seems ideal, but take a look at the Sonos Controller (http://www.sonos.com/products/controller). It has a color screen, and ipod looking scroll wheel. Ipod on steroids?
Something like this from Apple would definatly be the COOL 2004 Anniversary product everyone is hoping for.
Originally posted by dmjunkie
All this sounds like what Sonos (http://www.sonos.com) has done. They announced their product at the same D tech conference as Jobs announced the Airport Express.
A remote that communicates via its own wireless (probably 802.11) to control the music living on your computer onto its own player in multi zones.
Maybe Jobs saw these guys at D and decided to hold off on announcing something similar because it wasn't as cool. A wireless IPOD seems ideal, but take a look at the Sonos Controller (http://www.sonos.com/products/controller). It has a color screen, and ipod looking scroll wheel. Ipod on steroids?
Something like this from Apple would definatly be the COOL 2004 Anniversary product everyone is hoping for.
As I recall Steve saw this product at, was it NAB?, and wandered away mumbling something about "infinging on our patents". I don't remember where I saw that article, though.
TOOO EXPENSIVE, though. $900? Ouch! Most of us already have stereos so don't need an amp. Since AEx doubles as a wireless NAT router, you can just think of getting the airtunes for free (or for the Apple premium, whichever). If the controller is ~ $150 (or even more), I can't see Sonos competing with this.
Originally posted by edgar_is_good
As I recall Steve saw this product at, was it NAB?, and wandered away mumbling something about "infinging on our patents". I don't remember where I saw that article, though.
TOOO EXPENSIVE, though. $900? Ouch! Most of us already have stereos so don't need an amp. Since AEx doubles as a wireless NAT router, you can just think of getting the airtunes for free (or for the Apple premium, whichever). If the controller is ~ $150 (or even more), I can't see Sonos competing with this.
I think the conference was WSJ D - All things Digital. I haven't heard anything else regarding the patents infringment, so it was probably typical hothead Jobs.
I too have an Amp (expensive one too) in my living room. What I don't have is an amp in my bedrooms, kitchen, patio, ect... Each player is about $500 which seems expensive, but is relativly cheap if you consider how much a Creston system costs for an entire hosue, or how much it would cost to put an amp in every room. The controller isn't cheap either at $400, but it seems resonable for the features it has. I think the ROI is when you use it in more and more rooms. For a 1 room system conected to your amp, it doesn't make sense. Hell for that, I will just run a long RCA cable from my computer to my amp, and run Remote desktop off a PDA or Laptop on my couch to control it.
The thing about the AEx that just doesn't work for me, is I still have to go to my computer to control the music. OR...create some hack to control it through a PDA or laptop.
The ability to be anywhere in the house and with that one remote then control any and all music in the house is the key selling point for me. If I am on my couch listening to music and decide to fatten myself up and go to the kitchen, I should be able to bring my remote with me and in the kitchen change the music I hear in the living room, and at the same time decide to play the same music or maybe switch to something else in the kitchen.
I can't do that with anything else out there right now I don't think.
Originally posted by dmjunkie
I think the conference was WSJ D - All things Digital. I haven't heard anything else regarding the patents infringment, so it was probably typical hothead Jobs.
Nope, you even said it yourself....
and ipod looking scroll wheel
The iPod scroll wheel concept is patented.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Nope, you even said it yourself....
The iPod scroll wheel concept is patented.
I am sure the underlying technology Apple uses in the IPOD scroll wheel is patented, but not the general design concept. You cannot patent that specially considering there are other things prior to the ipod that were similar.
If the scroll whell design concept is patented, then apple would have been sued by Sony whose VCR remotes years ago had a very similar scroll wheel with a button in the middle. I had one, and it is a dead knockoff, but uses a different underlying technology to control the scroll itself.
no company in its right mind would use a clearly patented technology. Whatever Sonos is using must be using a different technology....hopefully.
Originally posted by edgar_is_good
Certainly there's nothing out there now, but I was saying, if Apple could market a remote for under $200 with an ipod interface, I think that would kill the Sonos market.
I agree...A $200 ipod looking remote from apple would great. The only piece remaining is how would I power the speakers in the other room? I would just have to buy an Amp for each room. Time will tell I guess.
and the horses are out of the gates...Sonos takes an early lead with Apple right on its heels.....
and the winner is.......???
Originally posted by dmjunkie
I agree...A $200 ipod looking remote from apple would great. The only piece remaining is how would I power the speakers in the other room? I would just have to buy an Amp for each room. Time will tell I guess.
I think the logic is that you don't need an amp in every room...perhaps just your den or living room. Most rooms will probably let you get away with small, powered speakers.
Originally posted by Michael Wilkie
I think the logic is that you don't need an amp in every room...perhaps just your den or living room. Most rooms will probably let you get away with small, powered speakers.
Powered speakers = (small) amplifier
Originally posted by edgar_is_good
Powered speakers = (small) amplifier
I understand. The point is though that a dedicated amp is not necessary for smaller rooms.