“Rumors that Apple plans to enter the home-appliance market are some of the most recent whispers to come out of Cupertino, California, sources recently told AppleInsider. The company will reportedly attempt to repeat the success it had when entered the existing portable digital music player market, only this time with a consumer appliance “done the right way.” Also, like the iPod, the product is said to exist as its own entity and product, rather than an extension of the Macintosh platform,” AppleInsider reports.
Apple’s version of the Bose Wave Radio? Certainly, Apple would not dare to compete with the likes of Miele on the vacuum cleaner front as there’s no way to improve on a Miele. Any ideas about which “consumer appliance” Apple can “do the right way?”
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple request: we need the Apple ‘iBox’ and ‘iPodCar’ products now – August 07, 2003
Apple’s new iTunes Car Stereo should debut this fall for holiday sales season – August 07, 2003
Plasma TV – like Gateway’s?
iphone that uses ichat, isight technology and rendevous together. that would be my best guess.
I love Apple but Bose is the sh*t. I own the lifestyle 50 hooked up to a amp and a pair gemi and is the best home system on the planet!!!!!! only one question …will bose fabricate the device, if not let it go apple!!!!! to my exp.. bose is better than jbl, harmon k, sony ETC…..
You’ve probably heard this before, but a Tivo replacement would be feasible. Steve has mocked the media center PC, but because it was so all-inclusive.
Tivo’s interface could use some help. iPhoto and iTunes could run on it (requiring .Mac interface, though). Perhaps iCal alarms could remind you to get off the couch.
But no games, and no other programs. Such things might interfere with its recording reliability.
This is most likely a tivo – like box. With super duper kick ass features.
If Miele buys Apple?
Or better.. Miele could display data on Mac with bluetooth? Like “want to here what I think about these socks?” (ie your wasching machine). I have analyzed food (ie inside the refigerator). “I am warning authorities…”
I dont’t know if I want my Miele to work like this after all?!
something like TiVo, with an even better software and Apple’s ease of use, and also a huge hard drive for storage and DVD playing function.
well, I wouldn’t say Tivo exactly. You have to understand the existing infrastructure that exsists for a Tivo service to work and work well. That is a whole lot of money to shell out for a piece of a market that is already somewhat dominated by Tivo. As opposed to the ipod, where there was no clear cut product leader, and no infrastructure needs.
However, I do say, the ibox can wholly exsist with every other function. iTunes (and iTunes sharing and music purchasing), iPhoto (and iPhoto sharing from other puters on a local network), DVD player/burner, and of course video in and out. This provides functionality that exists on all levels. Gonna use it as a network radio? No problem and no tv required. Just pick songs with the ipod sized lcd display built it. Want to use it as a jukebox and have the iTunes visualizer play on your TV? I do. And finally, the way to use it with your Tivo, use it to burn shows to DVD that you want to keep. Perhaps they can even figure a way to stream the already encoded mpeg 2 stream from the tivo through the usb port to an internal drive on the ibox. Of course, this would have been much better had Tivo built in a Firewire port.
I’m sorry “Please”, but you have an extra “the” in your statement. It should read: I love Apple but Bose is sh*t. Acually It’s not that bad, but it’s way over priced. The quality of a Sony at a premium price. Apple is a premium product at a premium price. Anyway, my hope is for the iChat phone, but I don’t think that’s it.
My prediction. Like TiVo, but will also rip the tunes you want right from its built-in satellite radio receiver. You tell it what you want, it finds it and records it in AAC/Fairplay, ready to sync with your iPod/computer with all song info attached. Ditto for multiple TV tuners (a huge TiVo oversight to make this available only for satellite users). Programmable through the internet, will also play iDVD, iMovie, iTunes, and iPhoto direct from computer with Airport. No plasma screens…Gateway’s BTW are less than full HD, I think, although better than regular TV. But, Apple 30 inch LCDs are coming.
People have some very vivid imaginations…I’m sure Steve gets a chuckle everytime he reads one of these bogus rumors.
The Apple of CES is Bang & Olufsen.
It is premium quality, premium design and premium prices (heck B&io; is even more premium in prices than Apple).
Bang & Olufsen may share Apples good design and ease of use, but they have a lot of catching up to do on the innovations front… Did they ever invent anything?
Apple is the Miele of the computers.
iBox home server would be fun fun. I would buy it today if it would be available.
It is just Apple creating a intercommunications standard between devices. making Rendezvous more ubiquitous. Just plug in a Rendezvous compliant appliance and you can monitor it and control it from any OS X PC in the house or over the Internet via you Airport dial in. Apple will probably be partnering with major Appliance makers and not developing it themselves.
I don’t see them releasing a Bose type device. With the iPod and the line out on the dock you can plug it right into any decent stereo system. The biggest thing missing for my iPod right now is a built-in dock for the car. All I want is a dock with a built-in tuner that replaces the radio/cd player in my car so i can plug my iPod right in and not have to deal with cords, or crappy FM transmitters that can’t broadcast 3 feet without tons of static.
A Tivo-like system would be great but I’d be really surprised to see it. Steve Jobs recently said something to the effect that they weren’t interested in doing anything TV related because when you watch TV you turn your mind off, but Apple is all about products that turn your mind on.
I’m sorry folks, but the George Forman Grill idea is already taken.
It’d be 99% easier, and a win-win for both parties, is Bose simply adds an iPod dock built into their Wave Radio. It would charge and even control the iPod via its remote. There is no reason for either company to compete with each other, in which case, both would lose. But, by combining their expertise, they would be a huge force in the audio industry.
Aryugaetu has nailed it!
Duh, people! It’s a vacuum cleaner which can either be run independantly or controlled by your Mac via 802.11b.
An Apple designed and branded robot slave that could get my beer and cook dinner for me… And since Apple designed it, it will be smooth and stylin’ so I could take it out and it could help me pick up chicks. While the nerds with the ugly Dell robots sit in the corner getting no action from any of the babes.
I agree with the iPhone. with the upcoming 3G cell phone technology in Asia and Europe, APPLE should jump on the opportunity to make a device like wireless video-phones using iSight and iChat… But then again, even though APPLE is an inventive and innovative Co., it does not seem to be very into this type of devices… Just have balls S. JOBS and come up with some brand new devices that will change the market, like you did with LISA! We know you can do it, you have the money, and you have the followers… Us…
“An Apple designed and branded robot slave that could get my beer and cook dinner for me… And since Apple designed it, it will be smooth and stylin’ so I could take it out and it could help me pick up chicks. While the nerds with the ugly Dell robots sit in the corner getting no action from any of the babes.”
Yes indeed: iRobot. Geddit?
Apple nose hair trimmers.
It’s obvious really.
Go Apple! Bose is a worthless company that overcharges for mediocre products. Their speaker quality is about on par with HK and Sony, but for twice the price.
I would like to see Bose fade quietly into oblivion. Not likely, I know; too many people like being overcharged. It makes them feel rich or something. Look at the popularity of “Luxury SUVs”. Unbelievable.
No highs, no lows, it must be Bose!