Armchair CEO: Apple
Sunday, October 24, 2004
I have friends out there who hate TV. In all my days, radical, conservative, and indifferent, I have never ended my love affair with the idiot box.
Don't get me wrong, there are problems. The primary one being the squandered potential that was television. I agree with Bill Gates when he talks about the demise of broadcast TV, insofar as commercial BCTV will disappear.
However, the hoopla surrounding Microsoft's Media Center PC Home whatchamajiggy this month got me a little nervous. For one thing, the way it used to work with technology was a standard was developed (like color TV broadcasts-- there were competitors!), and then competitors built boxes around that. Obviously MS is going one better, and offering a central hub of entertainment. This is very big, if done correctly. And I'll have to say, since MS has hands in nigh every corner of the home, this could really work.
For instance, your PDA uses an alarm that is the theme song to a movie you just watched. You downloaded both movie and soundtrack for consumption (conveniently bookmarked wherever you pick it back up) across a range of devices. You can watch it at night on your HDTV, in the morning on your PDA, and during your workout on your PVP. No skipping to the proper chapter, it's all done for you!
We'll see. It does make the iPod look like a very uncool thing, standing by itself in a corner, chock full of stuff but can only sing...
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Commentary: Apple's missed opportunity | CNET News.com
It's a quick read. I agree on most points. And there are other criticisms of critics... Like the 256 MB of RAM-- that's goofy. Put a 256 MB stick in, but throw in a 128 or 256. Doing this as a "freebie" when you buy, say, AppleCare or .Mac would be a nice incentive.
As for wireless, I believe the plans for Grantsdale have changed, but I agree adding wireless would have been nice. Apple is running into the possibility of people feeling like a bait and switch campaign. You see this cool computer, and it's only $1,299! But when you add in memory, wireless, and possibly a bigger HD, you're looking at another $300! All of a sudden little Johnny gets nervous and remembers that Dell ad...
Some wags have said the BlueTooth bit, like the iMac should have a BT keyboard/mouse in the box. Yeah, again, that'd be nice, but besides the cost factors, there are setup issues. It's not always easy to associate a BT keyboard or mouse with a computer where the OS isn't setup yet...
Overall I think the sexiness of the Mac will lure some PC users over. I'm sure the guys at Gateway are so peeved. Why is it the PC world must add stupid swoops to their plastic? Was a simple rectangle so difficult?
