“Apple FrontRow provides a basic media experience including Music, Photos, DVD, and Video. They don’t even match the functionality provided by the initial MCE (Microsoft Windows Media Center) release,” Casey Chesnut writes for brains-N-brawn. “Lack of TV recording is the biggest missing feature. Its only ‘innovation’ is the 6 button remote control. To get a good idea of its UI and its feature set I looked at the short videos on Apple’s website and the press release video at news.com. This work was done by reverse engineering from the videos, I have never touched an iMac (or an iPod) in person … nor would I ever want to. If I can’t program it … then what’s the point?”
Chesnut provides screenshots comparing Apple’s Front Row to his “backRow” along with some videos of “backRow” in use via – naturally – Windows Media Player in his full article here.
Advertisement: The New iMac G5 – Built-in iSight camera and remote control with Front Row media experience. From $1299. Free shipping.
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, Macs can be “programmed” – just not by Chesnut. You’d think Chesnut would want to touch and learn how to program the Mac, since Windows is the preeminent example of a Mac derivative. He’d probably be able to make a better copy of Front Row if he actually tried it, instead of just looking at online videos. The irony, of course, is that Chesnut is making an Apple Front Row derivative to run on the Mac derivative Windows. Mac users sit in the front row of the innovation train, Windows users sit in caboose’s back row. Microsoft’s Windows is the Velvet Elvis to Apple Mac’s Mona Lisa.
You want the real thing? Get a Mac. You want a backwards, upside-down, several-versions-old fake Mac on ugly hardware that also runs viruses, spyware, adware, and other assorted malware? Get a Windows PC.
Related articles:
Mac enthusiast Web site offers Front Row, Photo Booth to all Mac users – November 01, 2005
Apple’s brilliant, deceptively simple Front Row software has a bright future and raises questions – October 28, 2005
Apple’s Front Row hits torrent sites, video showing application running on Mac mini – October 25, 2005
Analyst: ‘media companies will call Apple to strike deals, Front Row is Media Center done right’ – October 12, 2005
NY Times’ Pogue: Apple’s iMac G5 with sleek, virus-free, spyware-free OS earns place in living room – October 20, 2005
Apple’s new iMac G5, iTunes 6, iPod video designed to bait Hollywood – October 13, 2005
Apple’s Front Row with Apple Remote and iMac G5: media center done right – October 12, 2005
Apple’s Front Row with Apple Remote and iMac G5: media center done right – October 12, 2005
Apple introduces new thinner iMac G5 with built-in iSight video camera, ‘Front Row’ media experience – October 12, 2005
imitation is the best form of flattery
how the word yawn got invented
Just checked out their website. Terrible. Product looks horrible too, no style to it. Ugly.
“I have never touched an iMac (or an iPod) in person … nor would I ever want to.”
So, basically I’m an unqualified idiot on this subject but I’m love with my blatant stupidity. I read press releases and watch web videos, hop on a soap box and spew oral dysentery to anyone dumb enough to follow along.
– Mental Casey Chesnut, Outpatient-at-large
when i was a teenager the back row was for something other than watching the movie. hmm, …
ok, he’s never touched an imac to see frontrow in person, he says it doesn’t compare to windows media center, but copies it. why? if frontrow is inferior to wmc then why make a copy of it? i’ve heard of penis envy, but this is a whole new class: frontrow envy.
This must be a hoax, the website is still loading, I clicked on it about 3 minutes ago and graphics are still coming in. Very unprofessional and the images look pretty pixelated. BAD VERY BAD.
it was just a guy with a little bit of time trying out some cool new tech on windows and was able to get a prototype of front row put together in a short time. what’s wrong with that? he probably learned a lot of stuff about programming and did a pretty good job. stop the hate, its just for fun.
I have never touched an iMac (or an iPod) in person … nor would I ever want to.
The usual bias you get from MS loving fascists!
“ok, he’s never touched an imac to see frontrow in person, he says it doesn’t compare to windows media center, but copies it. why?”
And he made a very poor copy at that. From his article:
“the main menu starts out as colored panels because video playback is where i have video driver problems.”
Gee driver problems on Windows, imagine that. Why not save everyone the grief and GET the real thing? He’s probably uses Mac OS X skins on his PC too.
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This guy can’t even create a decent website – and I’m supposed to think his programming is any better? And, his grammar and punctuation are even worse.
Is it only me, or did the site take forever (over 5 minutes) to download? Not a very professional presentation, IMHO. I’d also like to know where the FrontRow images came from (copyright, anyone?) if he’s never touched an iMac in person?
Goes to figure, though, his Windows buddies are impressed, at least it appears so from the comments on his site.
“If I can’t program it … then what’s the point?”
The point is to USE it and enjoy it, idiot… to take advantage of someone elses higher and way better skills… I can’t program on a Mac either, but I have a great time using it… Hey! I bet you drive a car, right? But you didn’t design and build it, so why are you using it?… That’s the point.
(and you obviously can’t build or design a website either, that’s why you take advantage of other peoples skills and you use something that somebody else has designed or built, or programmed, or whatever…)
God! people are idiots out there!
what’s wrong with velvet Elvis?
it’s so strange to see how the other half (or other 90% rather) lives…such a sad sad world for them all.
If I can’t program it … then what’s the point?”
i think that should read “if i don’t know how to program it”
and yeah his website sucks, “backrow” is the ugliest thing i’ve seen. you think people would want that as their media center control? i guess if you don’t know any better
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Looks like at typical Windows program – garbage.
You are all idiots. Apple, Macs, iPods, iTunes, iLife, and everything else Apple rocks! I’m a Macite and proud of it!
Fuck the back row!
yes, what IS the point of backrow?????
His site = quite possibly the single most boring thing I’ve ever read in my life.
“Just checked out their website. Terrible. Product looks horrible too, no style to it. Ugly.”
It’s a proof of concept, not a commercial product.
It’s proof of delusion. And that site either got hit by the slashdot effect or his Microsoft Visual Studio 7.0 generated web crud is running out of a 286. BackHoe or BackEnd would be more appropriate.
His website is only befitting…no brainer.
The point of backrow is so the people in it can throw popcorn at the people in front row.
Heh.
FrontRow is nothing more than a flashy FrontEnd for other applications. Give it a few versions, and it’ll be on par with Media Center. As for now, I can’t help but laugh at Apple’s attempt to sell everyone on how featureless the remote is. I think the fact that you can only get it with an iMac and can’t buy it seperately is an indication of how even Apple realizes this program’s got a long way to go. Still. . .nothing stops the reality distortion field. As for the programmer that refuses to program for a Mac, get over yourself, step out of your comfort zone, and try something new. God forbid you might actually PREFER coding for MacOS. It’d be a nice change from Windows all day long. If I could afford a Mac, I’d get one. . .<sigh>