“Now that Apple’s finally released the iPod Photo, speculation is mounting over what the company’s next foray into consumer electronics might be. Topping the list of possible devices is some sort of entertainment server. “A 200 (gigabyte) Apple server at a reasonable price and possibly with PVR technology could be Apple’s next category killer,” Merrill Lynch analyst Milunovich wrote in the same note cited above: “We believe Apple could combine its iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD and AirPort Express technology on top of an embedded Linux (operating system) (possibly a scaled down MacOS) to field an entertainment server. It might connect to the Internet, but would likely not be used for Web surfing. By not trying to replace the PC or pull PC functions into the family room, it has a chance to be stable enough for entertainment use,” John Paczkowski reports for Good Morning Silicon Valley.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Does anyone think Apple would use an embedded Linux over Mac OS X in such a device?
What is the obsession with Linux. That is such a shit-box OS that has been adopted by the geek set who are sick of Windows and just don’t know any better.
Idiots.
“Comment: From: switcher Nov 30, 04 – 02:25 pm
COME ON COME ON COME ON APPLE! Release such a device and then I can ditch my Media Center!“
Say what??? Somebody actually bought a “Media Center”?? What a joke.
iWork– no way. It’s almost a certainty that based on the financial bailout M$ did for Apple in the 90s that Apple not seek out to directly compete until we’re all old and gray.
Regarding the topic– I’d buy one, then figure out I like it.
Erk– iChat on TV, check out:
http://www.apple-x.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1223
people don’t want to sit a foot away from their tv’s and watch them.. so why do that with a pc..
well i think we can all rest assured that the analysts will be the last ones to accurated predict what the next category killer is…
something you could plug your ipod into would be sweet.. that way you could have a protected format for movies, and music (as well as your own, obviously, unprotected photos) on an iPod and just plug it in to this Hub…
as for the DVD thing.. really it’s a problem because apple would have to start porting iLife apps.. so let’s not get ahead of ourselves here
by the way.. Whither the goddamn Canadian iTunes store, huh?
I’ve been waiting for such a device for quite awhile, often mentioning the need for it on these boards. I also sent Apple a long time ago an e-mail re: the need for a PVR system w/ DVD, audio, photo & video codecs (a la Quicktime). I also recommended to them that the remote needs to be just like an iPod, only thinner w/ same display. Hopefully they will also add a display on the television in conjunction with the wireless remote control’s display. If anyone could make such a device sell strong, it would be Apple, not TIVO or any other company. I think they have everything in place to make such a device very easy and enjoyable to use.
People mention that this would reduce the need for a computer… I believe this is completely false. Apple will definitely tie this in with their line of computers. People want to see entertainment on their entertainment systems. This is a very good idea.
Something I would love to see that I know won’t see the light of day is this kind of device that plays ALL video/audio/photo codecs such as the VLC Media player for Mac OS X. Doing this would truly make me pleased.
No one mentions here how good this could be for the H.264/AVC codec in regards to the PVR capability of this device. The quality of the video recorded could be great.
iTMS Canada, please Apple…
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=260296&selectedItemId=260293
That’s #3
(You heard it by ME first
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I don’t believe I would want a DVR from Apple. Considering Apple’s history in siding with business instead of consumers regarding what we can or can’t do with our music and movies, it would be way more restrictive and limiting than TiVo.
A TV solution is well overdue; TiVo isn’t it. The market is massive. Who’ll deliver?
Linux for a media-centre-like PC may make sense if x86 hardware is used but we are talking about an Apple product here. Apple do not need Linux because they allready have a Unix-based OS to run on its PPC hardware.
A lot of this is short-sighted. Think about “2001: A Space Odyssey” – I’ll bet Steve J is! The Home-Server (or Mac Digital Hub) will be a plain-looking remote box, hidden away, running 24/7, built in ADSL (perhaps 2 lines), massive HD, maybe dual processor, and totally wireless. It will have dedicated channels for video streaming to terminals (on request from the terminal) including overnight movie downloading from external sites, It will have built-in capacity for the Hub to be a local network-computing centre feeding Mac dumb terminals in little Jimmy and Sue’s bedrooms, the kitchen etc (come back Larry Ellison!). The iPod clickwheel could make it a perfect device for a remote control to scroll simple menus on a TV screen, control the HiFi etc.
Troll: I knew it wouldn’t be long before somebody had a go because I have a media center, that’s just based on pure ignorance and “must hate anything Micro$oft ever produced” childishness and shortsightedness. The Media Center as a concept is BRILLIANT, there are plenty of people using it, a quick search on google will prove that, and most people who use it love it! Period!
Since it got installed, my family love having instant access to all our home videos, CDs, DVD collection, and family photos in the family room on the main TV, as well of course as having entire collections of their favourite TV shows stored and easily accessible as well.
However, while we all love using it, I’m the poor sucker that has to maintain it, and that’s the problem with anything Micro$oft!! What I love about my 17″ Powerbook is that there’s hardly any real maintenance required, just an update from time to time.
To me, and I’m sure to plenty of others, a ‘digital hub’ refers more to a centralised access point for all your movies, pics, music etc where everyone in the family can access that stuff quickly and easy. I bought my Media Center so that they can do just that. (one of the reasons) I bought my Powerbook quite simply because it has the best tools for producing a lot of that stuff, (iMovie, iDVD).
If Apple has any sense, right now they are developing a Media Center type device, a true digital hub, something that integrates all kinds of media, including HD TV, and makes it easily accessible to all members of the family. Just because Tivo came first, doesn’t make it necessarily the best. There were plenty of mp3 player devices before the iPod came to market, but the iPod came to market and blew the rest away! An Apple produced product that gave you so much more than Tivo (and was a great deal more useable than a Media Center, i.e truly plug and play, not plug and pray) I’m sure would have the same effect if marketed right, and the follow on effect for their iMac, Powerbook etc sales would be enormous, I’m sur emuch greater than the effect the iPod is currently having. Give people a device to easily display and share their media, make it accessible to everyone, then all of a sudden they need devices to produce and prepare that media. Plus by integating iTunes into that product, they would be able to leverage the huge popularity of iTMS. Imagine being able to use your remote control to download songs right there on your TV. That’s music for the masses, not the (relatively) few geeks that store their CD collections and bought music on their computers.
It’s time for Apple to bring it on in the living room, plain and simple!
I’m certain that the time will come when they do just that. Old Stevie has a habit of talking things down until Apple are on the verge of announcing their new wonder product to the world, so I don’t read too much into his put downs of such devices, and of course, when/if he does deliver such a product, half the disparagers of such an idea on this site will be first in line queueing to get one, I’m sure!
I know I’ll be gettin’ one.
Me 2 !!!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> I can’t wait!