So would iTV have a Core 2 Duo running an embedded OSX?Just a thought:
Could this be what iTV will run???
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Embedded Mac OS X for Apple Consumer Electronics?
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Ermm... embedded OSes are for small simple devices, generally, with specialized processors rather than general purpose processors like the ones used in notebooks and computers. Probably the very highest end of an embedded OS application would be something like a tablet. I don't think any of them are going to be using Core 2 Duos. What would an iTV need with a C2D anyways?
Apple's Secrecy is Unbearable
I am beginning to think that Apple is taking their secrecy too far.
I think it's to their detriment, but there are counter-arguments. On the one hand secrecy lends itself to sites like this, and probably enhances the excitement people feel about Apple products. No other companies have "fanboys" quite like Apple does.
Like an SAT question, I'd equate: Rumors are to Apple as Piracy is to Adobe. Both companies publicly decry it, but actually they both benefit from it, at least to some degree. (I'm convinced that Adobe doesn't try too hard to stop piracy because all the kiddies who steal it, like myself back in the day, learned how to use it instead of, say, Corel or GIMP, and now those kids are professionals and will only buy Adobe because it's the best and it's what they know. In fact, sounds a little like Apple's heyday in the education market.)
However, while secrecy may be good for something like iTV or some speaker system, I don't think it's good for their iPhone product. Especially not now that everyone is talking about. Some people like myself are in the market now for a new phone. I'm waiting for the iPhone. If it's not at least announced at MacWorld I will actually be upset.
Some will say I shouldn't be so invested in a silly device, but there'd be no problem if Apple were just a little more transparent. Apple will neither confirm nor deny this product. I love my MBP (I'm a switcher) and I badly want a good phone that syncs well with my Apple applications. That's why I'm willing to wait. However right now I'm on edge because maybe Apple's developing a phone, maybe they're not, maybe they were but aren't going to release it, maybe I should go ahead and buy another phone because mine is falling apart, maybe they are going to release a phone tomorrow, maybe in a month, maybe in six months, maybe it's going to be the perfect phone that meets my every expectation, maybe they'll release one and it won't be so great and I'll end up buying another phone anyway: point is, Apple's secrecy makes it difficult for myself and other consumers to plan expensive purchases. I'll happily and patiently wait if Apple confirms the phone. I'll peacefully go buy a different phone if Apple states they're not going to release this thing. But they won't say either way, so I'm frustrated.
My fundamental point is that Apple can be too secretive. Most of the time they're secrecy is harmless (though financial analysts may beg to differ), at times it's even beneficial, but for the iPhone their secrecy is becoming an albatross. It's in everyone's best interest for Apple to give some indication about the project. I hope they do so at MacWorld. If they don't I guess the thing to do is move on and forget about Apple.
On an aside, this gives me some idea why IT managers seem to dislike working with Apple--they can't plan product purchases and deployments efficiently because Apple is so damn secretive. As Apple's market share grows, this will become a larger and greater problem.
G
I am beginning to think that Apple is taking their secrecy too far.
I think it's to their detriment, but there are counter-arguments. On the one hand secrecy lends itself to sites like this, and probably enhances the excitement people feel about Apple products. No other companies have "fanboys" quite like Apple does.
Like an SAT question, I'd equate: Rumors are to Apple as Piracy is to Adobe. Both companies publicly decry it, but actually they both benefit from it, at least to some degree. (I'm convinced that Adobe doesn't try too hard to stop piracy because all the kiddies who steal it, like myself back in the day, learned how to use it instead of, say, Corel or GIMP, and now those kids are professionals and will only buy Adobe because it's the best and it's what they know. In fact, sounds a little like Apple's heyday in the education market.)
However, while secrecy may be good for something like iTV or some speaker system, I don't think it's good for their iPhone product. Especially not now that everyone is talking about. Some people like myself are in the market now for a new phone. I'm waiting for the iPhone. If it's not at least announced at MacWorld I will actually be upset.
Some will say I shouldn't be so invested in a silly device, but there'd be no problem if Apple were just a little more transparent. Apple will neither confirm nor deny this product. I love my MBP (I'm a switcher) and I badly want a good phone that syncs well with my Apple applications. That's why I'm willing to wait. However right now I'm on edge because maybe Apple's developing a phone, maybe they're not, maybe they were but aren't going to release it, maybe I should go ahead and buy another phone because mine is falling apart, maybe they are going to release a phone tomorrow, maybe in a month, maybe in six months, maybe it's going to be the perfect phone that meets my every expectation, maybe they'll release one and it won't be so great and I'll end up buying another phone anyway: point is, Apple's secrecy makes it difficult for myself and other consumers to plan expensive purchases. I'll happily and patiently wait if Apple confirms the phone. I'll peacefully go buy a different phone if Apple states they're not going to release this thing. But they won't say either way, so I'm frustrated.
My fundamental point is that Apple can be too secretive. Most of the time they're secrecy is harmless (though financial analysts may beg to differ), at times it's even beneficial, but for the iPhone their secrecy is becoming an albatross. It's in everyone's best interest for Apple to give some indication about the project. I hope they do so at MacWorld. If they don't I guess the thing to do is move on and forget about Apple.
On an aside, this gives me some idea why IT managers seem to dislike working with Apple--they can't plan product purchases and deployments efficiently because Apple is so damn secretive. As Apple's market share grows, this will become a larger and greater problem.
G
if it comes too late for you a sale is lost, but apple thinks in millions and I think they won't mind if you buy something else now. next month there will be other people that need new phones, and next mont +1 other other people etcetera...
I think it can only be a good thing. To get the general public familiar with the Mac OSX look
Most Windows users don't know where to start when using a Mac, so knowledge of a broken down version of Mac OSX would definitely be an advantage. It could also lead to more sales of their computers.
Apple know what they're doing.
Apple know what they're doing.
Wow. They must be trying this idea out because it worked sooooo well for WinCE (not called wince for nothing )
)Yes, but the longer they wait, the more sales lost. I'm only extrapolating from my own feelings right now, but I expect there is a growing bolus of people right now waiting to buy an iPhone. If Apple doesn't announce something about it soon--and I think MacWorld is a critical date most people are waiting for--Apple is going to lose all those customers. And since those customers tend to be more fanatical, sitting on rumor chat boards anxiously awaiting word of this device for example, it would be a real loss to lose customers. The fanatical customers are the ones that get their significant others, parents, and siblings to switch to a Mac. This is a critical segment of their consumer base, during a critical period of growth.
need to actually see these devices...soon - too much around this concept and rumormill - show us the technology/gadgets.
Apple's success with the iPod had largely to do with the fact that it has a custom OS for a particular device. Cramming OS/X into some device to turn it into some general-purpose solution to a problem that doesn't exist only means you turn out junk. Every "smart phone", PDA, etc that has tried to run some version of windows on it feels clunky and never does what you want it to do.
To paraphrase Alan Cooper: What do you get when you cross a computer with a phone? Answer: A computer! And from a human interface perspective, it will suck.
I don't want a phone that can double as a computer. I have a portable computer, I don't need that. Putting some stripped down version of OS/X on a phone won't just make the phone more functional, it will also invariably make it more difficult to use. Apple has succeeded in making great devices because their strategy was to "delight the user". Microsoft's smart phones are consistently irritating to use, because Microsoft's strategy was "windows everywhere, the user be damned."
Here's hoping Apple doesn't go down the wrong road in the future.
Hmm...shall we speculate on what this "jaw-droping" device could be? I see that people here have already come up with some possibilities. But what could truly be considered "jaw-dropping?" Certainly not a phone or iTv or a MacTablet....it's a bold statement and this product must be truly something amazing, if not groundbreaking. Has anyone heard of any possible rumors yet?
I've heard they are going to sell hi tech apples. They change colour throughout the day, from red to green and back again, count for 1 of your five a day, have a 48 hour battery life and a "byte" of RAM.
I actually got to test one out, have to say, that the software was a bit buggy!
* Jokes aside, I really don't know - Just ignore me, i'm in one of those moods!
i don't think we should read too much into "jaw-dropping."
in the first place, this is a rumor. this isnt jobs saying it.
and secondly, even if it was jobs, we would be wise to remember the ipod hi-fi and even more to the point, the ipod socks. what steve thinks as jaw-dropping might not be what we, on this forum, would drop our jaws for.
i am excited to know that they are thinking of making small devices as easy and intuitive as their desktops. that is, if this rumor pans out.
~kyle
in the first place, this is a rumor. this isnt jobs saying it.
and secondly, even if it was jobs, we would be wise to remember the ipod hi-fi and even more to the point, the ipod socks. what steve thinks as jaw-dropping might not be what we, on this forum, would drop our jaws for.
i am excited to know that they are thinking of making small devices as easy and intuitive as their desktops. that is, if this rumor pans out.
~kyle
Hmmm.... If it has a Core 2 CPU in there, it will most likely run a version of OSX that has been stripped of all the extras it doesn't need. But if Apple goes for a smaller CPU with various programmable media chips or processors, it could likely run an embedded OS. I guess we'll see what happens in a couple weeks. MWSF should be great this year... Too bad I can't go.
This is the most exciting rumour we've seen for a while. I personally have always hoped we'd see an OS X Mobile. If you think of the additional sales Apple must have garnered from the iPod halo effect, a portable version of OS X done properly could work wonders for market share.
We know that Jobs hates dud, clunky software, and that the UI will be done properly. We also know from the iPod success that they now also know how to market consumer electronics.
This would be a wonderful thing if it came to fruition.
We know that Jobs hates dud, clunky software, and that the UI will be done properly. We also know from the iPod success that they now also know how to market consumer electronics.
This would be a wonderful thing if it came to fruition.
If I could speak for myself only:
I think they're losing (certain) potential customers already. Not to mention the damage to the share price with the speculation causing volatility.
Because Apple often takes too long to release the perfect product/service, other are sometimes able to pip them to the post. This is starting to happen in all non-iPod related areas by Google.
.mac is a perfect example. Whilst Apple is pissing around offering a sub-standard service at an inflated price, Google has stepped in (for me) and I don't think I'll ever use .mac and some other Apple products ever again:
- I absolutely hate web-only non-IMAP email solutions. Yet GMail has me hooked. Switched from: Apple Mail, .mac, Apple's address book.
- Google toolbar / browser sync are "it just works" syncing solutions to favourites. Switched from: .mac bookmarks syncing.
- Google's online web applications are more than fancy enough for quick documents where LaTeX would be overkill. Switched from: Pages, .mac.
- Google page creator can be used by any idiot. Switched from: .mac.
- Google Calendar. Switched from: Apple's calendar and .mac.
- Google Talk. Switched from: iChat.
- Picasa (and Picasa Web Albums). Switched from: .mac, iPhoto.
To top it all off, all of these services are starting to talk to each other and work seamlessly. GMail now has integration with Google Calendar and Google Talk. Apart from my phone being a crap MP3 player and not working with my iTunes library, Apple has, sadly, more or less been eliminated from everyday life.
The final icing on the cake is the phone product: I've been waiting for years for an Apple phone so I could finally use Apple's calendar, address book, Mail, etc.. Rumours are now circulating that Google is going to produce either its own phone or customised software for existing (WM5) phones. Well since all the above Google services are already in place, have become indespensible to me and probably won't be supported by an Apple phone, I'd now prefer a Google phone to an Apple phone.
The only plus for an Apple phone left for me would be:
- Ease of use as an MP3 player since it would have undoubted iPod lineage.
- Syncing with iTunes.
Whilst for a Google phone:
- Google Talk.
- Google Calendar.
- Googl Maps.
- GMail.
- Google address book.
- Picasa.
Etc., etc. as Google continue to roll out indispensable services which are "always on" by being hosted on Google's infinite bandwidth servers. And therefore continuously available to a Google phone. Whilst all of Apple's solutions are offline except for what can be tied into .mac.
These days, I try and win over people to Google rather than Apple. It's the route I'm headed down myself. Google are doing in the virtual/connected sphere what Apple has traditionally been famous for in hardware and off-line software: producing "it just works" products.
Way I remember it, albatross was a ship's good luck till some idiot went and killed it.
Yes, I've read a poem, try not to faint.
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
Anyways, the thing you need to remember is that Apple doesn't owe you any information on something they may or may not be releasing. They may not even have any plans to release a phone (though that seems less likely now), in which case it's in their best interest to simply ignore the rumors. Let interest in the company build without promising something they're not doing. None of these rumors are their fault, and there's no reason for them to worry about them.
jW
Not owing anything to the customer can't be good for a company's bottom line. Not to say the customer is /always/ right, and I guess they don't owe me anything (though I do own stock, so I could argue otherwise), but they and I want them to be a successful company. Though Apple obviously chooses to not respond to rumors doesn't de facto mean that sticking one's head up one's ass is the best thing to do. If they're not going to release a phone, it *is* in their best interest to say so. What do they gain from letting such rumors continue? It is causing stock volatility--that's not a good thing.
Definition:
albatross ( D. exulans),. a source of frustration or guilt; an encumbrance (in allusion to Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner) : an albatross of a marriage.
I mostly agree with you though it has to be said the Frontrow interface seems to be simple enough for expansion into a phone UI.
Some animated UI like that might need the nvidia chipset that appears to delayed until mid next year.
Apple is not Microsoft. They won't try to cram a pc operating system into a handheld device. It won't be difficult to use or cumbersome.... we're talking about Apple right? Why do you keep comparing how Microsoft has approached smartphones to how apple will?
very true, That's why I only use Apple.
Simplicity is Apple's core philosophy. If they ever create a OS X lite version will be just a simple thing to use.
So I say, bring it on.
Wow, you're old
My earliest experiece was a rackmounted 8008 system. I think I even still have it around the shop somewhere...