“With Apple effectively announcing the end of all Power-based products, it is really hard to see how Apple hardware can survive until the Intel-based offerings show up. Given that Apple normally isn’t this stupid, it has led many of us to speculate that there is a summer announcement that will provide the market with its next iPod-like offering,” Rob Enderle writes for Designtechnica.
“What makes the most sense to me, and a number of the folks who have written to me, is a Media Center done right. Microsoft’s Media Center remains, much like the pre-iPod music players, too complex and difficult to use for the broad market. By focusing on a great music experience first and the creation of a perfect general-use host for the iPod, Apple could probably light a fire under this segment and dominate it, much like they did the MP3 space,” Endlerle writes.
“It could be based on any processor because this class of product typically does not run general applications. It could get ahead of the curve and release with Intel or with Power PC and be equally successful as a result… One thing is for sure: there is a big announcement coming, and like all things from Apple, it probably will only look obvious from hindsight,” Enderle writes.
Full article here.
the way i see it, they would want a new product to be released before the back to school shopping season is over…
The Paris Expo would be a great place to introduce, but it seems kinda late….
Thoughts?
upcoming events (from Apple.com/hotnews):
Siggraph — Los Angeles
Jul 31-Aug 4
IBC — Amsterdam
Sep 9-13
Apple Expo — Paris
Sep 20-24
Like it or not, Enderle and Thurrott are now the new accurate prognosticators. Unfortunately, Cringely and “Neo” are smoking crack.
Apple Expo Paris seems to be the perfect venue/time.
Where did this guy come from? I know he is not from the planet Earth.
Why do all these PC morons, keep continually trying to bring down the
best computer with the best system. Why not get over their jealousy and buy a Mac. If they can’t afford one, dig a hole, crawl in, and keep quiet. We Mac people are tired of hearing this BS.
i hate how enderle keeps assuming that apple is getting out of hardware?
was he born yesterday or something? cause even though ipods sell like crazy, it’s not a stable platform to base a company, and macs STILL make more money than ipods, even though ipods outsell them like 5 to 1.
not only that, but iPod sales are increasing Mac sales.
Alex K: “even though ipods sell like crazy, it’s not a stable platform to base a company”
I think companies like Creative are finding that out….
If Rob Enderle truely believes the switch to Intel will kill the market for Macs, he really is as clueless as they come.
If it happens, it will be the release of the Mac OS for non-Apple PCs that will kill the market for Macs, and Apple will do this only if they are no longer interested in manufacturing Macs. In other words, if they can’t make any money at it.
Despite that some people naively think Apple did not lose sales to Mac clones, the facts are otherwise. Towards the end, just before Apple pulled the plug (and depending on the models compared), most Mac clones were either cheaper, faster or better (and sometimes all three) than any Mac offerred at the time. Just about every Mac user I spoke to (mostly professionals who were diehard, pro-Apple, MUG members) were planning on buying, were buying, or had bought a clone.
MDN word “theory.” How fitting when discussing Rob Enderle’s “articles”.
Enderle normally is “this stupid.”
The only person who can accurately predict Apple’s next move is Steve Jobs.
“With Apple effectively announcing the end of all Power-based products”
That’s PowerPC, bozo. Please, at least get the name right.
“One thing is for sure: there is a big announcement coming”
When? Tomorrow? Next week? Next year? As a tech company I’d hope that Apple has a series of big announcements in the pipeline. Anyone can predict that.
“‘With Apple effectively announcing the end of all Power-based products’
That’s PowerPC, bozo. Please, at least get the name right.”
PowerPC is part of the POWER family. Enderle is (I can’t believe I’m saying this) correct.
http://www-03.ibm.com/chips/power/index.html
“and like all things from Apple, it probably will only look obvious from hindsight,”
Thats a hallmark of good well thought out product design. Something Apple excels at.
iTunes is already capable.
Try the incredibly odd ‘Lurid Lounge’ Podcast
There is actually a video feed from this podcast and while itunes loads it like any other podcast and will play it full screen, if you try and put it on your ipod it gives an error saying it cannot be played on this ipod.
Perhaps some future ipod or similar device then?
There is an open source project developing a Mac Media Center. If you can code or provide other support, they could use your help/support.
http://centerstageproject.com/
http://www.itheaterproject.com/
Enderele is missing what what most folks have begun to realize – it doesn’t matter what processor is in a Macintosh. What does matter is the software. And that is no longer processor dependent.
Steve Jobs isn’t a rube, he’ll use whatever processor works the best at the moment – including PPCs even if he’s commented in public about swearing off IBM.
Steve Jobs created choice. Choice is good for Apple. Choice is good for you.
It’s time for the iPorn Video Store and the iWack !!!!
Yay!
iTMS just hit half a billion downloads, if anyone is interested judging by the song counter on the Apple site.
Darn, I was working and forgot to try and buy something. I expected it to take another half hour. Must have been a feeding frenzy there at the end. Oh, well, maybe they’ll do something at 750,000,000. What, a couple of months?
How about if we all stop comments on this web site. Maybe then Enderie and all idiots like him, will go away.
This is a first. Enderle actually predicting something that Apple will do better than Microsoft. Usually he’s always dissing Apple for something and making excuses for Microsoft. Steve said it himself at the WWD conference that there are other things in the pipeline for Apple before the Mactels start showing up. But for Enderle to actually say Apple will do it better is a first I think.
Whatever Apple has in mind, we already had that idea and it will be coming to market any day now. My chief of technology told me so and he has never lied about our superior technology.