I do quite often. Sometimes I use my keyboard for my PC but still listen to iTunes on my mac (so I need the remote to change tracks/volume). Or if I do a keynote presentation. Or just for sitting back and watching a DVD.I'm curious to know how many people use their remote with their computer. I have one....still in its' plastic sleeve.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Developing Wiimote-Like Controller?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
...and MacBook and MBP...or used to I guess. I wonder why Apple decided to not ship the remote standard with these anymore.
reply
I think that wether or not you agree with this that the fact that a remote is included (unless you've been very unluckily, or above) in the box shows apples innovation.
I don't use mine all the time, but giving keynote presentations at work it really comes in handy (except when you pass it over to some one else and they start pressing the start pause button to skip), also when my MacBook is across the room i can use the remote then in front row. Brilliant, not many windows laptops come with such slim remotes.
While i think a wii like remote would be cool, i'd look a bit daft waving my arms around to zoom in on a slide in the middle of the meeting. Especially since some people already do, it could cause chaos.
A nice though, games only maybe but i think i will pass and stick with the existing remote.
I think that wether or not you agree with this that the fact that a remote is included (unless you've been very unluckily, or above) in the box shows apples innovation.
I don't use mine all the time, but giving keynote presentations at work it really comes in handy (except when you pass it over to some one else and they start pressing the start pause button to skip), also when my MacBook is across the room i can use the remote then in front row. Brilliant, not many windows laptops come with such slim remotes.
While i think a wii like remote would be cool, i'd look a bit daft waving my arms around to zoom in on a slide in the middle of the meeting. Especially since some people already do, it could cause chaos.
A nice though, games only maybe but i think i will pass and stick with the existing remote.
What does a game need so that it's not considered basic? Why is Halo 3 not "basic" but Metroid Prime 3 is? Why is Guitar Hero III on a PS3 not basic, but is on a Wii?
Regardless of your arguable sense of the Wii gaming market, the Wii is still flying off the shelves and still outselling the XBox and PS3. Seems to me that Apple would be better off going after the Wii's "basic" games rather than PC style games.
I'm curious to know how many people use their remote with their computer. I have one....still in its' plastic sleeve.
use it daily either to sleep/wake and to snooze "alarm clock 2" (google it)
I can't use it on my Mac Mini because it's tucked away so I don't hear the fan when using eyeTV. I use the bluetooth keyboard and eyeTV remote instead.
Ugh... another stupid remote / "controller"
maybe i'm just old-school, the the Wiimote thing is the most ridiculous game "controller" i've ever used. glitchy, shaky, and craptacular... so much easier to just use thumbsticks and buttons. like way, way easier.
so now the AppleTV can have a cursor that shakes all over the place like a caffeinated chihuahua, and doesn't provide near the precision of a simple joystick. suck.
and yes, the Wii IS more basic. last-gen graphics and power, popular because grandmas and small children think it's neat. it can be neat, but it sure isn't a "real" next gen gaming device. it's a nifty toy for the young and infirm... and parents that are scared to death of "adult" games.
So yes... right up Apple's alley. if they did gaming, it would probably be something like this.
maybe i'm just old-school, the the Wiimote thing is the most ridiculous game "controller" i've ever used. glitchy, shaky, and craptacular... so much easier to just use thumbsticks and buttons. like way, way easier.
so now the AppleTV can have a cursor that shakes all over the place like a caffeinated chihuahua, and doesn't provide near the precision of a simple joystick. suck.
and yes, the Wii IS more basic. last-gen graphics and power, popular because grandmas and small children think it's neat. it can be neat, but it sure isn't a "real" next gen gaming device. it's a nifty toy for the young and infirm... and parents that are scared to death of "adult" games.
So yes... right up Apple's alley. if they did gaming, it would probably be something like this.
agreed. The wii controller is actually precise, but the games usually don't implement it well at all.
The wiimote itself is actually a pretty high resolution device. If it is glitchy or shaky, it's most likely the game. Look for some of the hacks that people have made using the wiimote. EA is already working on a game using head tracking. Check out http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/ Head tracking is going to define the next level of hardcore gaming.
You've just defined the trap that MS and Sony fell into. Defining basic and advanced in terms of hardware is where the others missed and Nintendo hit. You want challenging games (as if they even exist nowadays) go back to the 8-bit Nintendo and play Blaster Master or Ghosts and Goblins. The Wii is advanced b/c it actually changed the way we interface with games from now going forward. MS and Sony added prettier graphics (again and again and...) /yawn
Even before I started using my Wii remote on launch day, I thought it was the perfect TV/Tivo/Apple TV controller.
Although there are some small problems with it, it can/will be refined and it is the perfect solution to the complexity of remotes. What most of the posters here are failing to realize is that it gives you pinpoint accurate mouse-style pointer control from a relaxed position on your couch.
Many people who haven't used the wii remote imagine discomfort at holding it up or reaching out all the time, but that's not what is done in practice for basic pointing. You merely rest your wrist and on your thigh or cushion or whatever and gently pivot to move the pointer. Small feedback from the rumble-motor inside helps you feel when you've crossed over the separations between buttons as well. As a result, the first day I was typing in numbers on the Wii, I did it while barely looking at the screen.
Apple should have had this on the Apple TV from the start. It's a key component in getting higher tech set top boxes truly usable on TVs, especially by non-tech people. It really only needs one button as the interface can be entirely on the screen.
Forget games, this is how EVERY device hooked up to a TV should be controlled.
Although there are some small problems with it, it can/will be refined and it is the perfect solution to the complexity of remotes. What most of the posters here are failing to realize is that it gives you pinpoint accurate mouse-style pointer control from a relaxed position on your couch.
Many people who haven't used the wii remote imagine discomfort at holding it up or reaching out all the time, but that's not what is done in practice for basic pointing. You merely rest your wrist and on your thigh or cushion or whatever and gently pivot to move the pointer. Small feedback from the rumble-motor inside helps you feel when you've crossed over the separations between buttons as well. As a result, the first day I was typing in numbers on the Wii, I did it while barely looking at the screen.
Apple should have had this on the Apple TV from the start. It's a key component in getting higher tech set top boxes truly usable on TVs, especially by non-tech people. It really only needs one button as the interface can be entirely on the screen.
Forget games, this is how EVERY device hooked up to a TV should be controlled.
Heh, likely the other way around. Nintendo are stupidly rich right now. Infact their ex-chairman is now Japans richest person.
Huh? The Wii is the best controller I've used for FPS barring the mouse. I've never really enjoyed console FPS with their basic thumbsticks being much too slow and cumbersome for speedy play. For speed and precision a direct cursor will always be better than mimicking the command via analogue sticks.
Also popular because it doesn't cost the earth to produce games for it. Hell I'm a dev and the Wii is my console of choice since it offers something different to the PC, which can't be said for the other 2.
Grandmas and kids... lol. That's why my uni's halls of residence was full of Nintendo Wii's.
this could be cool. i'm not quite sure how they'll implement this, but i'm looking forward to finding out how
It's an interesting concept when you consider Apple's existing line of products. Even more intriguing to think of what may be yet to come.
The Nintendo Wii has been the surprise hit amongst the next generation gaming consoles primarily due to its innovative controller.
I think that the Wii's success is not primarily due to the Wiimote. In fact, I think the Wiimote was one of the hardest obstacles for Nintendo to overcome when initially marketing the machine. The Wii also has some pretty major game franchises (like Mario and Zelda), an extremely wide demographic, and the best price point.
This is cool though - I have my old G5 tower connected to my TV, and a remote/cursor interface would be very convenient.
I disagree, yes, there are the hardcore who buy those franchises, and likely had Gamecubes too (hardly considered a success , despite having the exact same franchises), but the *vast* majority of the Wii market were attracted by the controller and its gesture/realistic motion based controls.
The Wii has a lot of good games for all different audiences, just like the other big two..
I'm not sure id like a control like the Wii's on the appleTV, I'd rather see an ipod touch or iphone based control for it with a little screen that doesnt require flailing of arms etc.
Aside from music and movie controls such as fast forwarding and changing volume, I'm not yet seeing how a wiimote kind of device would be at all useful to computer use.
And I'm barely seeing how fast-forwarding type functions would be better with a 3D position sensing remote rather than a traditional button remote. Many times when you're watching a movie your arm is in all kinds of different positions. For instance if I'm laying on my couch and I reach over my head to the remote control sitting on my end table, it winds up being most comfortable holding the remote control sideways. Or sometimes my arm is hanging down over the arm rest and the remote control is most comfortable hanging almost straight down.
If I had to first think about moving my hand with the remote in it into a particular position for my commands to be registered then that would be a huge step back from a simple button remote control.
And I'm barely seeing how fast-forwarding type functions would be better with a 3D position sensing remote rather than a traditional button remote. Many times when you're watching a movie your arm is in all kinds of different positions. For instance if I'm laying on my couch and I reach over my head to the remote control sitting on my end table, it winds up being most comfortable holding the remote control sideways. Or sometimes my arm is hanging down over the arm rest and the remote control is most comfortable hanging almost straight down.
If I had to first think about moving my hand with the remote in it into a particular position for my commands to be registered then that would be a huge step back from a simple button remote control.
Orientation in space is accounted for (at least it is in the wiimote) so you could be upside down and the computer could automatically reverse the input for you. Or at least I would hope the computer would.
I really was turned off to the Wii, because of the Wiimote, but when I used it, I found that it was one of the best implementations for gaming that I have used. They are all over my college's residence halls, there are more of them than there are PS3's or 360's. I love playing the Wii. This remote is a very interesting idea for Apple. I am unsure as to how this would work for Apple though. Would it just replace the existing remote? And what about the motion sensor? I think it is a great idea, just unsure as to how they will implement it.
If it is jumping all over the place, you might have to re-calibrate the Wiimote's sensitivity, or something like that. I think that it is a great idea, and once you get the hang of it, it is much more responsive than a joystick, IMHO.
If it is jumping all over the place, you might have to re-calibrate the Wiimote's sensitivity, or something like that. I think that it is a great idea, and once you get the hang of it, it is much more responsive than a joystick, IMHO.
Like anything Apple does, I just wanna wait and see....I still love the keyboard and mouse (although much improved if you know keyboard shortcuts in honesty), but if they can pull off something great here i'll gladly point at my computer to operate it, as well as just pointing at it to show off to non-apple users ("whhhaaa? it's just the screen...!? )
("whhhaaa? it's just the screen...!? )
Okay, still even so, my main point still stands. Even for fast-forward type controls, I don't see how that's better than a well laid out simple button remote. In fact I can see several draw backs. More than that, I still see no use for it other than movie and music controls.
I can see what you mean. I guess gestures would be the main draw, but if they are more complicated than a normal remote it wont catch on.
Maybe the Apple Wiimote will have an attachment (like the nun-chuck) that can sense acceleration as well so you can have two handed gestures.
This speaks to the ignorance of the so-called "hard core gamer" though.
In fact, all the X-Box lovin' 20 something hard core gamer boys, represent just a tiny smidge of the gaming market. Its a very valuable part of the market, but over the last few years the casual gamer market is growing in leaps and bounds as well. I think in a few years, today's popular wisdom that the hard core GTA IV and Halo guys somehow comprise pretty much the entire market will seem laughable.
There are literally millions of folks out there that have really liked games and gaming and have all their life, but *don't* necessarily like shooting/driving/aggressive games. It's just that no one has really offered anything worthwhile to that market yet. Probably because they've all been chasing after the dollars that a game like Halo can generate. Remember too that before the computer, (not that long ago), driving and shooting simulations were hardly even a part of the "gaming market" at all! Almost all games (excluding sports perhaps), in the entire history of games could be classified as "casual" or not hardcore, by the definitions in use today.
Once the computer hardware and software advances to the point that 3D effects and good graphics are part of the minimum spec for any computer game (and that time is already here), then a "good game" becomes more about the game play and the puzzles than it is the explosions and the car chases.
I predict that so called "casual gaming" is about to go off the charts in popularity and will soon overtake games like Halo and GTA IV in terms of dollar sales as well.
Okay, it may just be me, but I am pretty sure this is a lot closer then you think.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE DEVICE!!!!!
Lets compare the iPhone/iPod Touch versus a wiimote.
Both have bluetooth built in
Both have a 3 axis accelerometer.
The wiimote has IR sensing built in, yet the iPhone/iPod touch can ALSO do this.
To further explain this, let me bring up this article from engadget ( http://features.engadget.com/2004/0...od-in-to-a-universal-infrared-remote-control/ ) IR can be transmitted via a headphone jack by recording the IR waves to sound waves, and then used by playing them as sound, yet transmitting them as light. The opposite can be said, the bottom port on the iPhone and iPod Touch has a microphone line built in (currently being used in projects to add VoIP to iPod Touches. This could be used to simply recieve the light as sound and having the device figure it out. All apple would have to do is make a plug in device, and make the software for it.
This would make sense since Apple is trying to make the iphone and iPod touch a more integrated part of our lives.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE DEVICE!!!!!
Lets compare the iPhone/iPod Touch versus a wiimote.
Both have bluetooth built in
Both have a 3 axis accelerometer.
The wiimote has IR sensing built in, yet the iPhone/iPod touch can ALSO do this.
To further explain this, let me bring up this article from engadget ( http://features.engadget.com/2004/0...od-in-to-a-universal-infrared-remote-control/ ) IR can be transmitted via a headphone jack by recording the IR waves to sound waves, and then used by playing them as sound, yet transmitting them as light. The opposite can be said, the bottom port on the iPhone and iPod Touch has a microphone line built in (currently being used in projects to add VoIP to iPod Touches. This could be used to simply recieve the light as sound and having the device figure it out. All apple would have to do is make a plug in device, and make the software for it.
This would make sense since Apple is trying to make the iphone and iPod touch a more integrated part of our lives.