Apple TV Mark 2?

Lots of talk about the perceived "failure" of the Apple TV typified by posts like this from Macworld. There's probably some truth in that, especially following Steve Jobs pronouncement at the D Conference that the Apple TV was "a hobby" for Apple. That's a pretty off the wall statement to make about one of your own products and most definitely not an off the cuff remark. A classic case of misdirection I believe. I've been using the Apple TV since it was released and it has the potential to be a killer device. The current plus points include:

• It's always on and there when I need it.
• It syncs pretty transparently.
• The UI is brilliant and so simple to use.
• YouTube support is something I never thought I'd use but it's pretty compelling

But there have been downsides:

• Due to the lack of availability of material on the iTunes store (here in the UK at least), I've had to rely mainly on Podcasts and material sourced from elsewhere.
• Invariably, most external content requires conversion and is time consuming and unwieldy.
• Even if more content were available, I can't buy from the iTunes store directly from the Apple TV
• If I want to play a DVD I have to rip it first - again time consuming and unwieldy
• Lack of support for external storage even though a USB port is built into the device.

One of the problems with the Apple TV Mark 1 was the timing of its introduction. Originally announced back in September 2006, launched at Macworld 2007 and finally released in April of 2007, the Apple TV has had to play second fiddle to both the iPhone and Leopard for most of 2007. As we know, scarce resources were diverted from the Leopard team across to the iPhone team in the middle of the year and since then Leopard has probably taken up most of Apples development time. So I think the Apple TV has suffered through lack of attention. So understandably, many people have switched from the Apple TV to the Mac Mini as their home entertainment hub. The Mac Mini provides a much more flexible option which removes the hassle and limitations of the Apple TV:

• Hook up a 500GB external USB drive
• support for a gazillion codecs so everything will play on it - no conversion required
• a DVD drive so you can watch your existing movies straight away
• Direct support for PVR such as EyeTV so you can use it as a VCR replacement
• Not forgetting it's a fully featured Mac so you can do everything that you can on a Mac - browsing, burning, you name it
• Add in a software package like Remote Buddy and control your Mac Mini from your Apple remote

Not forgetting of course that Leopard now includes FrontRow, the Apple TV interface. So what's next for the Apple TV Mark 2? Not withstanding the PVR capabilities (as I'm sure that Apple don't want you to record TV, they want you to buy from iTunes) I'm confident we'll see a new Apple TV at Macworld based on the Mac Mini form factor including an Optical drive. Things that would re-energise the Apple TV would be:

• The capability to playback existing DVD media (plus HD-DVD or Bluray?)
• The availability of HD material from the iTunes store
• The ability to buy video content from iTunes directly from the Apple TV
• The introduction of Movie rentals within the iTunes store
• The ability to extend the storage via an external drive
• The introduction of new capabilities to enable access to the other functions of the Mac OS via the Apple remote - simplified browsing, access other Macs on the network, etc.
• A tweak to enable the Apple remote to control the TV Volume

If we get really fanciful, how about some other cool features such as:

• Integration with Back To My Mac so you can access your Apple TV content from anywhere
• Integration with the iPhone or iPod touch to create the killer remote control
• Built in streaming from the Apple TV to the iPhone or iPod touch (as already demonstrated by the EyeTV)

Perhaps the new Apple TV will in fact be a new TV, the fabled Apple flat panel TV with a Mac Mini built right inside. Well it won't be long until we find out what Apples strategy is moving the platform forward, but rest assured, it's certainly not a hobby for them!

Technorati Tags: Apple TV, Leopard, Macworld 2008

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New Mac Pros

I've taken the decision to get a new Mac! With the amount of video editing I do (but more importantly, the amount of video encoding I do), I've reached the point where I need to seriously beef up my processor power. So the obvious choice for me is the Mac Pro. The only problem is that the current Mac Pro line is overdue for a revamp and I just know that if I order one today, the new machines will be released tomorrow! It's no secret that Apple are working on a processor change for the Mac Pro using the new Intel "Penryn" chips - (via Appleinsider and Engadget). The latest news from Yahoo indicates that Xcode (Apples software developement tools) have been upgraded to support the Penryn processor. A sure sign of the imminent release of new Mac Pros. So some questions... Will the new Mac Pros be launched at Macworld 2008? - I've an inkling that Apple won't wait for Macworld. As can be seen from last years Macworld, the January event is all about consumer products not pro level Macs. I think the new Mac pro will be launched before Xmas quietly and without fanfare, just like the last few revs of the MacBook and MacBook Pros. Will they change the case design? - Probably not, but then again, I really don't care! It's going under the desk anyway and to be honest, the current aluminum industrial design is just fine. So fingers crossed the new Mac Pros will be out any day now and the supply won't be constrained by the availability of the new processors. So what will be announced at Macworld.... Let the rumours begin!

Technorati Tags: Apple, Mac, Macworld 2008

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Ah! So that's why......

If like me you've been wondering where the latest Apple Cinema Displays have gone, you know, the ones with the built in iSight camera and HDMI port, well I think I may have a theory! Apple have a tradition of moving forward and abandoning old devices and interface ports. Demonstrated by the adoption of USB and dumping old legacy and serial ports along with more recently, the adoption of the ExpressCard/34 slot in the latest MacBook Pro when all but a handful of cards were available. Well, I think that is also going to be true of HDMI, and Apple will skip HDMI. My theory is that the new Apple Cinema Displays will adopt DisplayPort, a new standard ratified by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). To quote Wikipedia:

DisplayPort is a new digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1 approved on April 2, 2007) put forth by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It defines a new license-free state-of-the-art digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system. DisplayPort is a competitor to the HDMI connector (with HDCP copy-protection), the de facto digital connection for high-definition consumer electronics devices. Another competitor is Unified Display Interface,[1] a low cost compatible alternative to HDMI and DVI. However, the main supporter of UDI, Intel, has stopped the development of the technology and now supports DisplayPort. Newly featured in version 1.1 is the support of HDCP content protection and support for fiber optic cables as an alternative to copper, allowing a much longer reach between source and display without image degradation.[2] Revision 2.0 is planned for later release.

Apparently, the advantage of DisplayPort over HDMI is that it's scalable with a potential for a maximum data transfer rate of 10.8GB/sec and also is capable of transferring both video and audio in both directions supporting video chat. It's also licence free which will appeal to Apple! Nothing other than speculation I'm afraid, but I've a feeling we'll see something like this either before or at MacWorld 2008.

Technorati Tags: Apple

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