“The obvious bets [for Apple’s “It’s Showtime” special media event this Tuesday] have been an iPod-enabled cell phone, and what I suspect is a gimmie: the already well discussed larger screened iPod combo with iTunes Movie Store download,” The Big Picture writes.
“Let’s fantasize a bit about what might be more intriguing options: Looking at their iMac line up, the 24 inch model with Front Row software got me thinking: Sure, that’s fine for a dorm room, but what about the rest of the TV consuming country? They want bigger and bigger screens,” The Big Picture writes.
“Here’s what I want: make me a 40″ version of an iMac. Bring this in so it only costs marginally more than other flat screens — figure $3500. (Eventually, roll out a 50 or even a 60-inch version for $4500 – $6000 clams),” The Big Picture writes. “Build in all of the Front Row software controls into a full function remote control — TV, DVD, music, etc. Then (just for laughs), build in a DVR or TiVo for that matter.”
The Big Picture writes, “Apple would have a break out hit, and take total control of the digital living room like no one else has been able to.”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Crave at CNET: Apple’s gorgeous 24-inch iMac should tempt you to switch – September 07, 2006
Mossberg: Apple makes ‘best desktop computer on the market’ iMac even more attractive – September 07, 2006
Apple iMac line gets 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processors; pricing starts at $999; new 24-inch model – September 06, 2006
Digital Trends Review: Apple iMac 17-inch Core Duo ‘silent, beautiful, very fast and reliable’ – July 12, 2006
Seattle Times: Apple iMac is ‘so beautiful with its simple, yet elegant design’ – July 08, 2006
Wired names best media center: Apple 20-inch iMac with Front Row – June 08, 2006
Review: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo ‘an outstanding feat of engineering, a high-precision instrument’ – February 16, 2006
Apple iMac the finest, most reliable, stable, elegant and intuitive personal computer available – February 14, 2006
Review: Apple 20-inch iMac Core Duo 2.0GHz – February 06, 2006
BusinessWeek: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo is an iMac on Steroids – February 02, 2006
Thurrott: ‘I highly recommend Apple’s new Intel-based iMac’ – January 31, 2006
Thurrott: ‘Nothing on Windows approaches the quality of Apple’s iLife ’06’ – January 31, 2006
Computerworld: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘fast, really fast – looks like a real winner’ – January 28, 2006
InfoWorld: Apple perfects the desktop personal computer with new iMac Core Duo – January 25, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple iMac Intel Core Duo 4.5 out of 5 stars – January 20, 2006
Mossberg: New Intel-based iMac the best consumer desktop with the best OS and best software bundle – January 18, 2006
let the winning begin:
Nothing that Apple announces will please everyone. I for one am already unhappy with what they’ll announce on Tuesday
my spelling has to go, I meant whinning, sorry
No. You meant whining.
This is what I want to happen on Tuesday – Leopard. I know the odds are greatly against it, but how cool would it be if it comes out super earlier then expected.
You people are on crack!
Selling $2500 – $4500 large screen tv’s is NOT going to enable Apple to dominate the living room…
However, selling a $200 Airport video express which enables iTMS content to stream to any tv that people already own will…
And as far as Apple incorporating TiVo like functiionality… well, you can forget about that too. As long as Apple sells televsion episodes for $1.99 at the iTMS, Macs equipped with a PVR won’t happen. It would compete directly with their iTMS TV show business model…
Wow RC
How did you know I was sitting down?
RC is right. People won’t dump all their existing stuff– they need something like Airport Express A/V to add new value to it all. What’s old becomes new again– that’s thinking different.
Apple could certainly get into the all-in-one computer / TV / DVR market. Basically the cost would have to be competitive with existing TVs. However would they sell enough of them to make it worthwhile. You need a wide distribution to sell a lot of units. Also the units will have to interoperate with cable and satellite boxes. Personally I can’t see it hapening (yet). Maybe in 2 years once LCD prices drop lower.
What Apple can do easily is expand the iTMS service for movies etc and increase the intergration of mac / iPod and tv.
Also the idea of having music on your phone is not a silly any more, given that the flash memory is so cheap and has ever increasing capacity and mimimal energy requirements. The question is can Apple make something that the networks will take up, or will Nokia, Moto, LG etc conspire to lock them out. Apple will probably need to give the networks some financial incentive (i.e. pricing) to make this work. It is very easy for a network to lock out a phone and say they do not support it. A MVNO may br the way to go but that requires a lot of cash up front to initiate.
In a way Apple needs to take M$ approach in allowing other companies to join with their technology.
Here’s a perfect solution:
Mac mini with Bluetooth (for wireless use of keyboard/mouse)
New Front Row remote (Bluetooth)
Airport Express AV (for wireless transmission of videos from existing computer)
Will work with any TV, not just folks with plasma/LCD (some of us aren’t quite ready to upgrade yet).
Got to admit, I’d love to play Sims 2 on a 42 inch screen…
Just waiting for the home theater MiniMac, so that I can use it with my new 50” Pioneer Elite Plasma Pro. Wot a pickture!
MW-paid–as in –I paid a bit for it.
I agree with people about wanting to keep the TV longer than a built-in computer component.
But what if the computer component is replaceable. Imagine a large screen TV with a Mac Mini-sized slot in the side. All the connections are on the rear of the Mac Mini with the DVD on the front. Slide it in and you have a full Mac media centre, remove it and it is just a TV, upgrade it and you have the latest technology.
Want to take all your iTMS movies to a friend’s house? Slide out the MacMini and take it with you to either plug into their 60″ Mac TV.
What is MW? People keep referring to it?
Bad idea. Putting a computer in a large HDTV is a stupid idea. You will keep the TV longer than you will keep the computer, a lot longer. There is really no reason to do this. Being able to stream your video content to the TV or connect a computer is a better solution, and in the end make Apple more money.
I don’t see Apple selling a TV either. They want to make money, a lot of it. HDTV is a cut-throat market that is over crowded. I don’t think Apple would make enough for them to consider this. No doubt an Apple 42″ Cinema would be sweet, but it aint going to happen. Pumping your iMac Front Row interface to your HDTV is a more realistic and viable an option. My 2cents.
What is..
Magic Word.
MW: Magic Word:
The word one has to translate from image to text to verify that that ‘person’ is not actually a computer. It is at the bottom of the comment entry box at the bottom of the page.
It’s a common security measure around the ‘net.
Goddamn it, I agree with Reality Check twice…what’s going on?
More likely, if there are Apple large-screen HDTV’s on Tuesday, they will work WITH a Mac to stream video content through a built-in Airport receiver. That way, Apple will get to sell the Mac and the TV, not a TV that is also a Mac.
For customers who already have a suitable HDTV, Apple will offer a device to handle the Airport reception and work with their existing TV… like how the current Airport Express works with audio, but more elaborate, with a remote control and an on-screen interface.
If they roll that out with the iTunes video store announcement and larger screen iPod device (and the rumored “metal” iPod nano), it will be the most memorable Apple press conference of all time.
“Goddamn it, I agree with Reality Check twice…what’s going on?”
Hold on there–I’d LOVE for someone to show me ANY flat panel display technology that is capable of more than 5 years, let alone 15. RealityCheck is smokin’ sumpin’ on that one.
Bu tin his defense, I also share a preference for separate components–but we are in the minority there. Most people want it to “just work”
However, he is correct about a big market for Airport Video–it’s just not the only market. 42, 50, or 60 LCD iMacs would fly out of the stores if the content pipeline is ready. Blu-Ray, anyone?
I agree with the separate box plus screen. Also, Apple must integrate TV into the system, right there in Front Row.
http;//web.mac.com/simon_elliott/
I’m for a smart wireless iTunes node that can drive a plasma or LCD display and receive content from multiple shared iTunes computers, any that are in the vicinity with sharing turned on. Bonjour (zero config) sharing makes it possible. A smart caching algorithm combined with an inbuilt hard disk could endow a remote express node with virtually instantaneous playback response.
As long as Apple sells content, they’ll never include the PVR features. But they will allow and assist a 3rd party (like El Gato) with adding the capability to the Mac platform.
Amazon clearly tried to steal Apples thunder or at least get their paddle in the water before Apple wipes Amazons ass clean.
As an AAPL share holder, I’m sure hoping Apple has something more to annoucne than just downloadable movies. Lord, please let there be more.
$3500 for a 40 incher?! You can buy a Westinghouse 1080p 42 incher monitor for less than $2000 at reputable places like Crutchfield’s.
Figuring out a convenient way to hook it into your computer will be Apple’s play.
Apple, as always, will provide the easiest and cleanest soloution to home entertainment. Roll on Tuesday. Simple and elegant plus total integration will stun everyone. . . . iPod share 14%? just watch the next two quarters.
The article says:
“Lots of buzz in Macland today as Apple gets upgraded by UBS, and tacks on $3 beans.”
What is a bean, and why does Apple get $3 ones?
Apple won’t enter the HDTV market because Apple doesn’t manufacture LCD’s. They’d essentially be buying the LCD’s from other manufacturers and branding them as Apple Tv’s..
Computers and iPods are different, even if the components are made by other manufacturers, Apple makes them unique through software.. Tv’s don’t use software, so other than adding a pretty tv case or housing to LCD’s there is nothing that Apple can add to the technology that Sony, Sharp or other manufacturers can’t.
Apple will introduce an Airport Express Movie while using a Sony Bravia TV. So no Apple TV. No TV reception or DVR capability in the AE Movie. Why? Because Apple has a laser focus on Internet-based content delivery via iTunes.
Now most HD TVs still only have one HDMI port, so the AE Movie will have a port to connect another device to it. The AE Movie will also have adapters for connecting to analog TVs.
Maybe for next year’s Christmas, Apple will sell a TV with an iTunes processor in it. That TV will connect directly over the Web to get, store, and playback content. It will run its version of “iTunes/Front Row” in the same way that the iPod runs its version of “iTunes”. Why not today?
Because Apple needs to jump-start Internet-based content delivery. And it needs to focus people on its low-cost ($200-$300) solution. And to do that, it needs to use the TVs and computers that people already own today.
Then again, maybe Apple will surprise me and introduce both!