Like many “old” geeks, I’ve been using TV sets longer than I have computers. And I’ve been online since 1983. The concept of convergence — blending computing and media like television together in family life — is overdue as far as I’m concerned.
Waiting for Apple TV availability [some time this month], I had stuck one into my Wish List at Amazon. Sooner or later a ship date would show up and, checking in this morning, one of those vague notes – “In stock soon. Order now to get in line.” – appeared. What surprised me was – “Offered by Target“.
I’m not certain about folks walking into their local Target to buy a wireless router to go with this; but, Apple must be convinced enough by Target’s iPod sales [or something like that] to give them first shot outside their own stores and usual geek retailers.
Looks like pretty soon I’ll be able to click my AppleTV remote and watch Cranky Geeks in the living room. As long as I’m paying sales tax, I’ll buy it from my local geeks. I wonder how well it will sell at Target?
Oh boy, Eideard. The Apple-enviers are fixin to come out of the workwork on this one. I just clicked my stopwatch. I doubt if it’ll complete a circuit of the dial before pedro tells us how it won’t work…
Congrats, BTW. I have a feeling you’ll soon be grinning whilst the usual suspects will continue chewing on their sour grapes. 🙂
Ummm… not to take anything away from apple, but microsoft has had their media center extender for quite a while. And it’s also built into the xbox 360.
With a widely available 3rd party add on, you can stream any form of video that your computer can process at up to full HD quality.
so, really the apple tv has less media capabilities than an xbox 360
and an xbox360 also plays games and dvd’s.
oh and did I mention it costs as much as an xbox 360.
Yup, yup. I’m certain all the gamers who own XBox whatevers are very happy with what else they can do with it.
Incidentally, it appears the latest version of iTunes has added game management modules. For gamers, I suppose that’s important.
#2 – that’s sort of the point. There ARE other things that integrate/converge media, but who would know it beyond the geeks? I think the point of this post was that Apple seems to have engendered at least a little confidence from Target…and that Apple seems to be making this a priority of theirs to show people that this IS what is next….whereas the many alternatives sit as sidelined products, scaring away the last generation…
I’ve had my computer and TV “shaking hands” for a long time…first with simple video connections, then Tivo’s network features…and any number of other ways. The thing is, my father would NEVER have done anything like I did to get what I got. It looks like Apple is trying/succeeding in showing people like him that this is not only possible, but a good thing…and that it is easy enough for HIM to not fee scared of doing it.
At least, it seems Apple is making a clear move to try to do that…I didn’t feel anything of the sort (in ads or otherwise) from the other options you mention. How many people even realize the functionality you mention in those other products? How many people are still shocked to find that Xbox can play movies? I’m guessing it is still an amazingly big number…
2,
Yes yes. But it’s not an Apple. You can stop there. You have to treat Apple like a religion / cult. Throw logic out the door and bring out the self-flagellation.
Mind you, Apple does have a firm understanding of the consumer-space. lowest common denominator. e.g. One button, one menu bar, lots of shine. Brilliant I say! But, what works for one doesn’t another.
Lauren- in my mind, when I read your posts, I picture a middle aged man, wearing a green and white cheerleader outfit, pom-poms and a big apple with a bite out of it on the sweater.
Not a pretty picture my friend. It would be nice if you would turn the volume down, just a scooch.
Thanx.
The World
Fanboys are fanboys are fanboys. Apple, XBox, let’s bring in Playstation and Nintendo while we’re at it.
Has nothing to do with the topic. I agree with Eideard that convergence is a reasonable process and can make the entertainment side of our lives a bit more mellow.
If Apple succeeds in doing it – with their AppleTV – as well as they did with the iPod, more folks will be drawn into adding computing and the Web into their lives. Don’t need a game console for that.
Whether Target walk-ins will add much to that remains to be seen.
I’m more hoping to be able to play my music on my HDTV flat screen as background noise when i play BF 1942. or just doing general house cleaning
Pretty good, Mark. Took 37 minutes for the first ad hominem contribution.
9. And just how did the comments in #1 contribute to the topic.
Answer. They didnt.
Lol, you just post any story about Apple and it’s like calling the hogs to come eat. It’s almost too easy to push these people’s buttons. Push a button and they come a running.
And they also must have auto-responses ready to go with “Apple wasn’t the first with _____, Windows had _____ with _____” or “Apple made ____ more accessable”.
You guys have scripts ready to go or something so you can whip up a post in no time?
Fanboi’s, you may want to avert your eyes…
http://tinyurl.com/yv6ftm
Comment by Lauren the Ghoti — 3/7/2007 @ 11:24 am
Comment by pedro — 3/7/2007 @ 12:06 pm
42 minutes.
Far from your best, pedro, but not that bad, either…
#5 – Mister Justin
“Mind you, Apple does have a firm understanding of the consumer-space. lowest common denominator.”
So, smaller numbers of more affuent and more educated buyers constitute the “lowest common denominator” for you? Fascinating. I believe I’ll make a note of that, right under “Eurasia has always been at war with Oceania.”
Wonderful, the things one can learn on the internets. 🙂
Pedro — you do understand that AppleTV – like the iPod – is platform independent. If you have a computer that can run iTunes, you can use the AppleTV hooked up to a TV set with the appropriate analog or digital ports.
Or don’t you?
[edited: duplicate post – see following post]
It is not surprising for Target to get ‘special’ treatment. There has been a heck of a lot of former Apple management moving on to Target. It was the first big box store to get the iPod, too. A lot of longterm Apple resellers wish they were as popular with Apple as Target is.
People who keep making the XBox/media extender argument are missing the point. Consumers who buy an XBox are primarily interested in gaming. Most consumers will prefer a media extender with that as its primary purpose. The person who thinks Apple plays to the lowest denominator is missing the point even moreso than the rest. A company doing so aims for the lowest price, not innovative design. That ain’t Apple.
With the airwaves blanketed with the iPhone ads and the AppleTV about to bust out, Apple haters are in for a frustrating year.
14,
Money doesn’t equal brains. My bro has more letters after his name than there are in the alphabet. But, give him a computer and he’s lost. Oh, and he’s affluent too. So yeah, when it comes to computers, he is lowest common denominator. And I’ve consulted enough money bag business owners in my hood, rich rich rich people that couldn’t figure out what a mouse is. Money and education doesn’t make you SMARTER!
Oh, and Eurasia has always been at war with Eastasia…
17,
LCD does not equal price point. LCD CAN equal feature sets. What does AppleTV do? Play what’s on your PC on the TV? How is that revolutionary? What IS revolutionary is the simplicity with which people are hoping it WILL do it. LCD. Stop being insulted. I frankly could care less what people believe in.
#10 — the hubris of fanboy gamers is simply amazing. Dude, do you seriously believe that Apple or MSoft or HP or Dell or whomever is going to set out to design and market hardware/software — without noting that gamers whose testicles are hardwired to one platform or another may already have a kludge in place? So what. That’s a niche market.
Same as #2 — “full HD quality” is laughable. Whoop-de-doo, “my XBox will run 1080p” — even though there are NO 1080p broadcasts. The Blu-Ray v. HD-DVD fanboys can fight that one out. I will wait several years before I have to be concerned (if ever) about losing my current HDTV and moving up to that level of resolution.
Pedro, read #12 again. Notice the part I put in there about “Apple made ____ more accessable”. Notice I’m making fun of people like you AND Lauren. Mac fanatics AND anti-mac fanatics alike are both equally useless in my opinions. You go on and on about mac fanbois yet you yourself are just as bad. You people can’t help yourself. Mention Apple and the fanbois come running and the idiots come a running. Like ringing the dinner bell!
How easy it is to manipulate you all.
Here’s the problem: I already have 2 gadgets in my living room that can do pretty much the same thing that an Apple TV can, and then some: I have a TiVo and an XBOX 360. Both can play movies, TV shows, music, and games. Why would I want another box to do the same things?
I have 2 Macs and 2 iPods, and I don’t feel compelled to buy the Apple TV. I have no doubt it will be a very cool gadget. It just doesn’t matter. No value in it for me and many others who already solved their media center problems.
Apple is at least 2 years late to the game, if you ask me.
I wouldn’t be suprised at all for two things:
a) It’s going to be overpriced.
b) You will find cheaper equipment that can do the same things but will not sell just because the Apple product is prettier.
There were MP3 players around before the iPod, too.
Pretty cool how you guys are recycling the same arguments from five years ago. Good job.
Screw Apple, MS and all the others. The best convergence of the computer and TV is without a doubt TiVo.
Pedro-
Its hardly the only way to watch itunes shows on a TV. And thats nothing to brag about until they start offering higher res content. Nothing like heavily pixelated tv shows on a big screen. Yuck.
#28 – Wrong, they do have more than 2.5%, and iPods have more than 80%, of their given market spaces.
I’m not saying the thing is the greatest device ever, but it will reshape the (so far pathetic) PC-to-TV link that hasn’t panned out with other media extender devices (including the PS3 and 360… sorry fan boys).
Well — I see it was an interesting afternoon after my post. I needn’t comment much, since most of y’all decided to talk about topics other than Target getting the AppleTV.
I do know a bit about TV and TiVo — doing a bit of beta testing for DirecTV on hardware that is also designed for convergence. Current gen TiVo, of course, is only for some cable systems and OTA. Their relationship with D* is drawing down to an end. I used DirecTiVos up through the HR10-250.
The AppleTV carries 720p through to an HDTV which is perfectly adequate for all existing HD telecasts — preferred by some for sports. I’ll be discussing how it works out when I actually get one — which is probably weeks away.
It’s also likely that I’ll add the Apple 80211.n wireless router to my system [James, you brought this up originally] mostly because I want to use it for NAS.
As for missing the discussion, well — in the Champions League, Man U went through to the next round — as did Bayern Munich. Arsenal is out, nyah, nyah!
PCasia will always be at war with Macasia…
Man U?
Isn’t there only Lyon, Chelsea, Liverpool and Valencia…
(sniff, my hometown Porto FC lost with Chelsea… 🙁 )
#33 Look at the bright side.
R. Madrid got the boot 🙂