Just not quite there yet
5 Reasons Why Apple TV Rules, 5 Reasons Why it Sucks – Blog.Wired.com:
1. It’s $300. Damn. And no free cables!
2. If you don’t use iTunes-DRMed media, it offers nothing new. There’s no reason to bother if you have something similar and your movies and such are not gotten via Apple.
3. It doesn’t do much. Even though it’s a capable computer in itself, it’s all in the service of functionality that’s designed in, instead of being emergent from its hardware capabilities. Yeah, that’s just the way it works with modern appliances, but if it has a Pentium M CPU, 256 MB RAM, a 40GB hard drive, why no PVR? Why such limited features?
4. This is really just 3b: With all that grunt, it’s basically a Mac Mini Mini with lots of outputs and special software. Why can’t I just slap OS X or Windows or Linux on it and use it as a kids’ computer, the heart of a MAME cabinet, a Car PC, or something a little more fully-featured? Let me in. (We may get in real easy, of course, but that’s for the hackers to discover.)
5. Won’t work with other DRM systems. Goes without saying, but say it I must. It’s our fault for using DRM, of course. Then again, DRM is the top reason for having to buy this expensive baby.
The article also provides 5 reasons as to why it doesn’t suck, but they don’t seem to tip the balance for me. Granted, it’s a good start for this field.
Head on over the link provided above and see how much you agree with the arguments in favour of the product.
As for Apple fans, are they behind a product such as this one?
Once you can install Linux and MythTV on it I may buy one.
I guess it’s good that Applephobia isn’t a terminal psychosis, But, would you buy a car based on a “road test” by someone who never actually drove the car? lol.
How many people use iTunes? Industry stats say 110 million. And 70% of those use PC’s. Not difficult to ascertain.
DRM isn’t required, either. Like most folks, I use iTunes as a media aggregator. I load all my videos and music through it. I imagine that’s what Apple is aiming for with Apple TV. A media center several hundred dollars cheaper than buying a media PC for your living room – when you already have a computer elsewhere in your home.
#2, your iTunes users figure is extremely inflated, Apple estimated 10 million users by 2005, with around 20 million for 2006.
http://tinyurl.com/2v5pen
Out of those 20 million, only 30% are Apple users? that would make 6 million, of which how many use iTunes to watch videos, instead of being forced to use the software to transfer their ripped CDs to the iPod.
Out of those six million, how many have a fifth generation iPOD to watch videos? That would actually be a relevant figure to gauge the possible adoption of the Apple TV.
Still, 6 million seems inflated to me.
So, 20 million people bought 2 billion downloads from iTunes? That’s dedication. That’s also wandering away from reality.
The numbers came from Gene Munster, senior analyst at Piper Jaffray. They’re less than a week old. You can buy the report if you like.
Now, return to the world of imaginary numbers and decide the iPod will never succeed, etc., etc.. They total over 88 million, btw. I guess none of those folks use iTunes either. I wouldn’t know. Like many iTunes users, I don’t own one.
What kind of question is this:
“how many people actually use iTunes outside Apple product users?”
That is just a ridiculous question. This product is designed for Apple product users. Which, if you haven’t checked recently, is growing incredibly fast.
Most of those complaints about the Apple TV seem pretty ridiculous, if you consider that it is designed for Apple users. The price, the iTunes media, etc — these are not problems for me.
I am excited for the Apple TV, and what it means for the future of television. This shift to so-called “cable bypass” television is revolutionary. Apple will only be a small part of it, but they are the first to deliver a good, functional box to get this content on your TV.
– Jessica
I have been looking in similar devices and the only nice thing is that you can over files from a local computer to the hard drive of the Apple TV over your wireless internet. This way you don’t have watch something that is constantly stopped because it is buffering.
For the rest it’s not very special. And since I don’t want to buy DRM infected movies\songs, this device has no use for me.
I guess I should have written:
And since I don’t want to buy DRM infected movies\songs from iTunes, this device has no use for me.
I downloaded Cranky Geeks the other day and watched it on my iPod. As I was watching I realized “Aha! This is what AppleTV is for”. It makes more sense to watch the show on a regular TV than on either a PC or a tiny iPod screen.
It’s also a great way to sell what amounts to a non-portable iPod. You rip your CDs to your PC into iTunes. Then listen to them through your AppleTV connected to your TV & stereo.
That said, they should have put in an 80GB hard drive and DVR. When they do that I’ll buy one.
Duh, Richard – why do you think the Apple TV (or any of its peers for that matter) require you to buy music or video with DRM?
Move your brain away from your own agitprop and learn how to use some of this iron.
i bought my entire django reinhardt collection on Itunes, and now that my Ipod flopped I can only listen to it on my pc… great 🙁
apple sucks
OK, look at the number 2. reason he likes it . Its sexy. Hey asshole, it is NOT sexy, it has no genitalia, its not male or female. Its a white plastic FUCKING CONTAINER. WTF is sexy about it. I will take a contract out on the next idiot who uses that term about a COMPUTER.
sorry for the rant.
you could use Media Portal software instand of this device. Really the same as Windows Media Center software and a good TV out card.
Sheva , new technology you should look into, it’s called a CD burner.
Mark, time for your meds.
actually if you would read the tech specs you would see that the AppleTV supports non-DRM’d files as well as DRM’d… it would be stupid not to…
I’ve had a Mac Mini hooked up to my TV for over a year, and it plays all my compressed video files and SlingBox as well. No reason to buy this new thing.
I called this thing as a success a few months ago and stand by that statement. In and of itself, its just another media extender… but that apple logo means something these days, and it will get people thinking different.
Reading through the comments the audience is atleast from both camps.
The numbers used in identifying users from iTunes has only (2) prolific meanings
a} you are or not part of the group
b} as a content provider iTunes has a growing base.
The second is more important. User’s are falling in line with project.
Buy a product, obtain content from “single” source, control distribution.
Any business wants to achieve that goal. Every manufacture has a fear of developing a secondary market they get nothing for.
Here’s a “Glass Half Full” opinion:
“ThinkEquity Partners financial analyst Jonathan Hoopes foresees some 25% to 70% of the 22 million Mac users, and many more PC users, buying the device in the next five years, enough to eclipse both set-top box maker TiVo (4.4 million subscribers) and DVD mail service Netflix (8.8 million subscribers). ”
http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198100024
@9: You misread my post.
What I am trying to say that this device is useful if you buy stuff from iTunes (which is always DRMed). If you don’t do that then I don’t think that the apple TV is all that special.
Move your brain away from your own agitprop 😉
Tell me please why should I buy an AppleTV for 299 Euros (what a rip off…299 dollars are not 299 Euros…) and use it to watch “the incredibles” I can download for $14,99 (no price in Euros).
When I can use my 99 Euros Philips DVD/Divx player to watch the Incredibles DVD I just bought for 7,99 Euros, complete with multiples languages and subtitles and Extras…
Doesn’t make any sense. None whatsoever.
Sure I can watch CrankyGeeks on my TV… But then again I can download the mp4 version and put it on a CD RW directly on my DVD player (and I’ve done it too, but the living room it’s not Geek friendly environment…)
#16. James HIll and I agree on something! I am thinking this will be a success – extending iTunes (which a LOT of people have) into the living room, pretty painlessly. Painlessly is the key word. The set of people who can set up this thing is much larger than the set of people who can set up a MythTV box.
I may well get meself one to watch video podcasts on the ol’ tube. And no PVR? Not a prob – unless it is going to carry CableCard support, such a PVR is pretty damn useless for most people. Also would need a bigger HD – 40 gigs aint much. See the price creeping up folks? Hold the line at feature bloat – I bet it does the thing it does pretty well.
FWIW, I don’t see it eclipsing Netflix or TiVo anytime soon. Both are moving into the downloadable movie biz and both have a big installed base.
It needs a DVD player.
It needs to play on a regular TV.
It needs to be able to pipe through the signal from my antenna or cable box (like any basic VCR or DVD player does).
It needs DVR functionality, and the seemless ability to get the files to my computer if that’s what I want (ala TiVo).
When AppleTV has those 3 simple things, and doesn’t cost a dime more than the current $300 freakin dollars they’re charging, then and only then – call me. I’ll buy at least one, and even start purchasing TV shows from iTunes too just out of gratitude. Not the movies though … the prices for those are a total rip off.
My opinion:
A_TV will sell like hot buns.
it will reach status closer to the iPod than the iPod loudspeakers.
Why? Just because it’s Apple. And the iTMS has a tremendous foothold in the market.
The marketing logic of Apple in this recent shift from PC maker to Appliance maker is the same as Sony, but aiming a bit higher, close to what B&O (Bang & Olufsen) is doing. Not selling for the price point but selling it for the Brand awareness.