The Duh factor
So Apple seems to have a history of creating things we never thought they would (the ipod) and taking terribly long to deliver things we think should be obvious (ipod phone).
I just thought I'd take a moment to take stock and gain a consensus on what would qualify under what should be no-brainers. I can think of two...
iPod phone (a real one)
Mac mini PVR
These simply must happen. Can't put it any simpler than that.
Did I miss anything else?
I just thought I'd take a moment to take stock and gain a consensus on what would qualify under what should be no-brainers. I can think of two...
iPod phone (a real one)
Mac mini PVR
These simply must happen. Can't put it any simpler than that.
Did I miss anything else?
Comments
MacPVR- I HATE commercials. Save me, someone.
802.11n- Let's face it..Wireless can be pretty flaky. Let's fix this and toss in more speed to boot.
W-USB- (Wireless USB) Are you as sick of cables as I am infesting your living space?
iPhone- I know it won't happen but man had Apple not given up on the PDA thing who knows? Well I really don't need a full fledged PDA OS. Calendar, Contacts, Email and iLife playback would be fine with me.
A Windows version of iChat that is included with the purchase of iSight cameras.
I low resolution setting for iSight for those not on DSL or cable.
A 3 pound notebook - either in the iBook range or the PB range - MacBook mini.
A mid level headless Mac, between the Mac mini and Mac Pro - one dual core, with quads in the Mac Pro range.
The finger print scanner for security on the MacBook Pros.
Built in iSight in the next generation of Apple Displays.
Originally posted by cubist
And of course, the Tablet.
Ya know, I am definately in the camp that Apple SHOULD do a tablet, but I'm not sure if right now I can argue that they MUST do a tablet.
Tablets are really going to take off when they are cheap enough to be purchased for school children. Hopefully, apple will be ready.
Originally posted by Voxapps
How about a smaller, lower-priced Cinema display (17-inch?) so Mini buyers aren't forced to go to at least two stores to buy a fully-functional system at a reasonable price? Not everyone wants, needs, or can afford a 20-inch display on an entry-level computer.
There's not enough margin for Apple to consider doing this. If you've noticed, over the last few years Apple's been slowly making their displays larger and larger. (Both the 15 and 17in displays were whacked). Apple would likely lose money if the offered a 17in display, due to their small market share. (Dell can sell more 30in displays for a lower price because they have the volume to do so.) That, and the price competition already in the LCD market, prevents Apple from offering a 17in display.
Originally posted by Mr. Dirk
There's not enough margin for Apple to consider doing this. If you've noticed, over the last few years Apple's been slowly making their displays larger and larger. (Both the 15 and 17in displays were whacked). Apple would likely lose money if the offered a 17in display, due to their small market share. (Dell can sell more 30in displays for a lower price because they have the volume to do so.) That, and the price competition already in the LCD market, prevents Apple from offering a 17in display.
I'm not so sure that Apple couldn't offer *something* in their stores to package as a complete system with a Mac Mini under, say, $1000 USD. Asking someone who buys a $500 computer to spend a minimum of $800 on a display borders on the ridiculous. (Point of reference: my company's Website gets 300K+ pageviews/week, and the most common screen resolution of visitors to the site is 1024x768, corresponding to typical 17" display resolution).
If Apple can't provide their own solution, they should bite the bullet and offer some attractively-priced third-party displays in their stores. Not every Mini customer has a display at hand, or even wants to use some ratty old beige CRT with their nice new Mac. (They buy a tiny computer to save space, and then occupy the saved space with a gargantuan CRT?)
One of the first rules of retail is keep the customer in the store. Why encourage them to go someplace else to get a display? ("Hey, as long as we have to go to Best Buy for a display, let's see what computers they sell. Maybe we can get the whole setup at the same time!")
Originally posted by G_Warren
And while you are at it, make it charge over USB - plug a cable into the front to charge it while using it (someone did a good mockup of this here or on AppleNova before) ending my battery woes with my current bluetooth mouse.
second.
Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
Ya know, I am definately in the camp that Apple SHOULD do a tablet, but I'm not sure if right now I can argue that they MUST do a tablet.
Tablets are really going to take off when they are cheap enough to be purchased for school children. Hopefully, apple will be ready.
It's easy to envision a future where all computers are either tablets (of various sizes) or servers. If technology keeps going as it is today, this will still take at least ten years (mostly due to business and IP concerns). Historically Apple has tried to be ahead of the mainstream, so theirs ought to appear fairly soon.
in apple-speak, how much longer than "soon" or "very soon" is "fairly soon"?
just curious
Originally posted by G_Warren
Hurry up with the damn Bluetooth mighty mouse! And while you are at it, make it charge over USB - plug a cable into the front to charge it while using it (someone did a good mockup of this here or on AppleNova before) ending my battery woes with my current bluetooth mouse.
Is it just me or does it seem that this makes it sort of sound like we're going for wireless just for the sake of it?
I mean, seriously, OK, it needs to be charged...so for that time, your basically turn it into a wired mouse.
Don't get me wrong, I can see some value in a wireless mouse (much less so in a wireless keyboard). But unless the convenience significantly outweighs (and maybe it does, someone tell me...and why) the cost (batteries, charging, etc.) It begins looking a little like using a gee whiz technology (wireless) just for the sake of using it.
And I HATE...I mean I really abhor cables.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
Is it just me or does it seem that this makes it sort of sound like we're going for wireless just for the sake of it?
I mean, seriously, OK, it needs to be charged...so for that time, your basically turn it into a wired mouse.
Don't get me wrong, I can see some value in a wireless mouse (much less so in a wireless keyboard). But unless the convenience significantly outweighs (and maybe it does, someone tell me...and why) the cost (batteries, charging, etc.) It begins looking a little like using a gee whiz technology (wireless) just for the sake of using it.
And I HATE...I mean I really abhor cables.
Depends on your point of view, but I find my bluetooth mouse rather useful. Keeps my desk far tidier, and saves USB ports. The only downside is that when my rechargeable batteries die (I use these to save buying AAs all of the time, so it doesn't cost me anything to run) I need to use my phone as a cursor while the batteries are on charge. A USB charging mouse would at least still be useable when the batteries die.
Originally posted by G_Warren
Depends on your point of view, but I find my bluetooth mouse rather useful. Keeps my desk far tidier, and saves USB ports. The only downside is that when my rechargeable batteries die (I use these to save buying AAs all of the time, so it doesn't cost me anything to run) I need to use my phone as a cursor while the batteries are on charge. A USB charging mouse would at least still be useable when the batteries die.
buy an extra pair of rechargeable batteries
and your agony is over.
Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
Mac mini PVR
Apple will never make a PVR. Never. I think that not having a PVR is the big reason the TV industry is so willing to help Apple with the video store. They would love nothing to see PVRs die a quick death.
Originally posted by jackbauer
Apple will never make a PVR. Never. I think that not having a PVR is the big reason the TV industry is so willing to help Apple with the video store. They would love nothing to see PVRs die a quick death.
That'll be why the biggest supplier of PVRs here (the UK) is one of the biggest 'TV companies', then...
Sky+ is a key part of the Sky strategy.
Originally posted by krispie
That'll be why the biggest supplier of PVRs here (the UK) is one of the biggest 'TV companies', then...
Sky+ is a key part of the Sky strategy.
Yeah, bad choice of words. I really meant the TV networks - ie: ABC,CBS,Fox,HBO,etc.
Originally posted by gar
buy an extra pair of rechargeable batteries
and your agony is over.
I do have a spare set, but they were only half charged as I used them in the light for my bike, so the mouse rejected them. Doh!