Apple Cellphone, Media Hub and Business Models

[MacRumors]

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Walt Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal about the different approaches that Microsoft and Apple have taken with computers and digital devices.

According to Mossberg, Microsoft follows a "component model" in which many companies made hardware and software to run on a standard platform. This is true for PC's in general as well as Microsoft's Windows CE platform and the recently released Origami platform. This model produces "inexpensive commodity devices that don't always work perfectly together, but get the job done".

Apple's model has been one of "end-to-end", in which one company designs both the hardware and software "which work smoothly together, but the products cost more and limit choice."

Much of Apple's success with the iPod has been due to this end-to-end model. Some critics believe that over time, the component model will overtake the iPod as it has in the PC market, but Mossberg disagrees:

I think the end-to-end model can prevail this time, both for Apple and other companies. Consumers want choice and low prices. But they also crave the kind of simplicity and integration that the end-to-end model delivers best.

Meanwhile, almost as a sidenote, Mossberg claims that Apple "is working on other projects built on the same end-to-end model as the iPod: a media-playing cellphone and a home-media hub."

There have been ongoing rumors that Apple is working on a cellphone, so these comments may reflect those rumors. Rumors of a "home-media hub", however, have been less prevalent.

[Peace]

Maybe that 30th anniversary 30" iMac is a media hub eh?
As for cell phones.I have no need for one personally but hope Apple can make one for folks.

[corywoolf]

Originally Posted by Peace

Maybe that 30th anniversary 30" iMac is a media hub eh?
As for cell phones.I have no need for one personally but hope Apple can make one for folks.

As long as Moto isn't in on the project and the phone doesn't cost more then $200 USD then I might get one.

[sartinsauce]

I knew this was going to happen. I reluctantly signed a 2 year contract with cingular yesterday.

After ages of month to month Verizon service, waiting for an Apple phone, my phone crashed and all my contacts went with it. I decided it was time to get a phone with a SIM card and GSM support (I travel a lot as an International Man of Mystery).

Not 12 hours later this article pops up. As I understand it, Walt Mossberg is pretty tight with Jobs & Co. If anyone in the press has an inside scoop, I supposed to be him.

The media hub could simply be a DVR with an AirPort (Express? Extreme? AV?) Base Station built in. Keep it simple right? Keep it something that all the computers in your house (Windows or OS X) connect to to distribute content...

[macnews]

Bring on the media center, but as to an Apple cell phone - that is problematic.

Even if Apple developed the phone, which would probably be a good phone, unless they also provided the service I am affraid the Verizons and Cingulars would limit some of the features (most likely all in the case of Verizon).

Oh, and if Apple does release a phone - people PLEASE remember Apple does simple. So when the phone doesn't have the 500 games you wanted, AM/FM, mac mini, media center, alien alert center and come in a million different styles - please don't complain! It will not be the swiss army knife of cell phones, just a cell phone that works well and does incorporate a few functions.

[sunfast]

A home media hub sounds like a very cool idea. A massive HD would be required.

[kgarner]

I think Walt was referring to the combination of the iLife Suite and Front Row as the home media hub. It is in its early stages right now, but I think it shows a lot of promise. Remember, he said home media hub, not home entertainment center.

[jaxstate]

I don't really need a media hub, and I think they waited too long to get into the mobile phone market to catch up. Just like I think MS, Dell, ... waited too long to get in to the MP3 market.

[orion123]

Mossberg has better contacts and access in Apple than any other news organization or reporter. He gets early pre-release access to Apple products (something they don't do for hardly anyone else) and Apple loves him, obviously due to his glowing reviews in the huge WSJ.

So I'd say these are more than rumors. Or they are at least rumors that he checked with Apple on, and got a wink in return.

[skochan]

Originally Posted by Peace

As for cell phones.I have no need for one personally but hope Apple can make one for folks.

Apple's presence in the cell phone market is sorely needed! I've been struggling with my Treo 700w that runs Windows Mobile 5.0 for the last week now. It is such a mess! Apple's expertise in developing a phone with a simple easy-to-use interface will be welcome! Plus with built-in iSight and iPod capabilities.... I'm ready!!!

[bretm]

Originally Posted by jaxstate

I don't really need a media hub, and I think they waited too long to get into the mobile phone market to catch up. Just like I think MS, Dell, ... waited too long to get in to the MP3 market.

We said the same thing when the ipod came out. There's only 2 competitors in the phone market. The Blackberry and the Treo. If Apple released something of that nature that seamlessly linked to email, address book, iCal, and some sort of mini Safari plus iTunes of course it would be an easy sell. And especially if it were platform independent like the iPod. It could come with free versions of iCal, mail, etc. for the PC just like iPod brought iTunes to the PC, OR it could also link up with Outlook of course.

[jaxstate]

Who said this about the iPod when it came out... no one that I can remember. Apple has let others get a big head start on them, and I dont see them catching up. Esp. since treos now use wm5.

Originally Posted by bretm

We said the same thing when the ipod came out. There's only 2 competitors in the phone market. The Blackberry and the Treo. If Apple released something of that nature that seamlessly linked to email, address book, iCal, and some sort of mini Safari plus iTunes of course it would be an easy sell. And especially if it were platform independent like the iPod. It could come with free versions of iCal, mail, etc. for the PC just like iPod brought iTunes to the PC, OR it could also link up with Outlook of course.

[Multimedia]

Mossberg Is Apple's Darling Analyst. Whatever Mossberg says, he's in Apple's corner for sure.

I would love to have an Apple Cellphone, but it would have to be available from more than one carrier to really work I think.

BTW - Anybody notice Steve now owns more of Disney than anyone else now? - 6.4 % and sits on their Board? He obtained about $4 Billion in Disney stock last week. So he went from being worth about $1 Billion to over $4 Billion last week. That's gotta be some kind of net worth increase in record time record doesn't it? 400% in a day.

I am wondering why this was not posted as a news item on the cover of MacRumors?

[skochan]

Originally Posted by jaxstate

Apple has let others get a big head start on them, and I dont see them catching up. Esp. since treos now use wm5.

The Treos using wm5 is precisely the reason why Apple needs to be in this market. If you followed the Treo forums and the mess they've made of email polling, battery life, silly unintuitive buttons, processes getting closed, etc., you'd know what I was talking about.

[jaxstate]

I'm using wmCE, but I have heard about the problems with wm5. Glad I decided to wait to upgraded.

Originally Posted by skochan

The Treos using wm5 is precisely the reason why Apple needs to be in this market. If you followed the Treo forums and the mess they've made of email polling, battery life, silly unintuitive buttons, processes getting closed, etc., you'd know what I was talking about.

But I think those issues will be resolved before apple could get into the market.

[budugu]

I am not sure when Mr. Mossberg will move his head out of Mr. Jobs ass! ANyway no news here just old sh*t in brand spanking new Journal. Apple phone is ridiculous! It takes a lot to manufacture a phone, other than being prohibitively expensive i cannot see any other features that can come with it. That are not already present in the current generation of phones. BTW Windows Mobile 5 is probably the best PDA/Phone OS available (if you have a decent processor)! (there was a news article that with Beta 6 they have raised the multiprocessing capability from 32 (probably already was the highest) to 32000 threads/processes). It is fairly stable. Symbian 60 series is also not bad.

[topgunn]

Originally Posted by Multimedia

BTW - Anybody notice Steve now owns more of Disney than anyone else now? - 6.4 % and sits on their Board? He obtained about $4 Billion in Disney stock last week. So he went from being worth about $1 Billion to over $4 Billion last week. That's gotta be some kind of net worth increase in record time record doesn't it? 400% in a day.

I am wondering why this was not posted as a news item on the cover of MacRumors?

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=175188

Not quite last week but it was big news.

[Le Big Mac]

Originally Posted by sunfast

A home media hub sounds like a very cool idea. A massive HD would be required.

Am I missing something from MacRumors? Isn't a home media hub an idea that people have been bouncing around here for a while? Isn't that the MacMini, plus a DVR and TV tuner? Isn't it something Jobs said doesn't make sense (which means, "we're working on it")?

A home media hub is so logical given where apple is going, and relatively easily attained, given where the Mini is now.

[jaxstate]

Wouldn't a DVR take sales away from iTunes?

Originally Posted by Le Big Mac

Am I missing something from MacRumors? Isn't a home media hub an idea that people have been bouncing around here for a while? Isn't that the MacMini, plus a DVR and TV tuner? Isn't it something Jobs said doesn't make sense (which means, "we're working on it")?

A home media hub is so logical given where apple is going, and relatively easily attained, given where the Mini is now.

[jayb2000]

Originally Posted by budugu

I am not sure when Mr. Mossberg will move his head out of Mr. Jobs ass! ANyway no news here just old sh*t in brand spanking new Journal. Apple phone is ridiculous! It takes a lot to manufacture a phone, other than being prohibitively expensive i cannot see any other features that can come with it. That are not already present in the current generation of phones. BTW Windows Mobile 5 is probably the best PDA/Phone OS available (if you have a decent processor)! (there was a news article that with Beta 6 they have raised the multiprocessing capability from 32 (probably already was the highest) to 32000 threads/processes). It is fairly stable. Symbian 60 series is also not bad.

But if Windows is the best available, imagine what an OS X phone or updated newton or even brand new phone OS could be, designed from Apple!

Palm phones are much smoother than Windows IF you don't need to connect to Exchange and use Office. But for phone, contact, and web capabilities, I would much rather use Palm or Symbian than Windows Mobile.

So, if we could get something that has the same level of office connectivity as OS X, but in a form factor designed by Apple, I would be happy to get one.

Unfortunately, I really need to replace my old POS Moto V60, and the Sony w810 looks to be the best for me right now. If that comes out before Apple's, than I will probably use that for a while.

[MrCrowbar]

Originally Posted by jaxstate

Wouldn't a DVR take sales away from iTunes?

Apple hardly makes any money on ITMS, i.e the stuff they sell there. Apple makes the moeny on the hardware iPods). If they released a media center (maybe a thiny you put under on your Mac Mini) and make it work seamlessly with an online store (live streaming via Front Row? Works for movie trailers) then it would be very neat I think.

[NewSc2]

speculation, speculation... if any real information gets out about an iPhone then i'll be here =)

[budugu]

Originally Posted by jayb2000

But if Windows is the best available, imagine what an OS X phone or updated newton or even brand new phone OS could be, designed from Apple!

Palm phones are much smoother than Windows IF you don't need to connect to Exchange and use Office. But for phone, contact, and web capabilities, I would much rather use Palm or Symbian than Windows Mobile.

So, if we could get something that has the same level of office connectivity as OS X, but in a form factor designed by Apple, I would be happy to get one.

Unfortunately, I really need to replace my old POS Moto V60, and the Sony w810 looks to be the best for me right now. If that comes out before Apple's, than I will probably use that for a while.

Probably it is true but at what cost? creating a mobile OS takes a lot of time esp for a new Processor line! Unless steve comes out and shows OSX running on Xscale or TI's (Dual Core concept -i forget the name) it will take a few hundred million dollar development. And Windows Mobile has almost no relation to Windows (except for the name). You can play pretty sleek 2 1/2-D games on it though! Symbian is a weak OS and Palm OS (thankfully So) is dead. Heck you cannot run two programs simultaneously on that crap!!! Nokia was playing with Linux probably that is the only other alternative.

[jaxstate]

I could see the TV companies pulling their programs off the iTMS if this happens. So the people without the "DVR" would feel shafted.

Originally Posted by MrCrowbar

Apple hardly makes any money on ITMS, i.e the stuff they sell there. Apple makes the moeny on the hardware iPods). If they released a media center (maybe a thiny you put under on your Mac Mini) and make it work seamlessly with an online store (live streaming via Front Row? Works for movie trailers) then it would be very neat I think.

[jaxstate]

I've only used a palm phone once, but the interface on the Windows Smartphone are very nice and very intuitive.

Originally Posted by jayb2000

But if Windows is the best available, imagine what an OS X phone or updated newton or even brand new phone OS could be, designed from Apple!

Palm phones are much smoother than Windows IF you don't need to connect to Exchange and use Office. But for phone, contact, and web capabilities, I would much rather use Palm or Symbian than Windows Mobile.

So, if we could get something that has the same level of office connectivity as OS X, but in a form factor designed by Apple, I would be happy to get one.

Unfortunately, I really need to replace my old POS Moto V60, and the Sony w810 looks to be the best for me right now. If that comes out before Apple's, than I will probably use that for a while.