Hey, hey, hey! I still have my"overpriced Cube".
Make it my "many times upgraded, much beloved, overpriced Cube I've been using daily for the past 8 years for every task you can imagine!!!"
But, yes, I do want a new mini tower!
Good for you. I wanted to get one a few years back, but I needed a better gfx card than the best one that I was made to understand it can take. Part of me still regrets my decision, cos I remember reading a review of them when they came out and how I had told myself that it would be my first computer. I still think its the best designed computer they've ever built.
So I've just been reading. I just hope that the mass market applications that really use these things will be happy with what they offer up. I've read so many posts from professionals (doctors, architects etc) and students who claim that if Apple offered such a device their department/organisation would snap up a whole bunch and that would surely be great news for Apple. As a longtime member of the xMac crowd, I empathise with anyone who's been waiting for Apple to put their favourite OS on a computer that meets their requirements. Personally, I couldn't use it unless it came with a stylus because I need a Wacom for gfx work.
I appreciate your response.
About the
A. I must disagree with TV show sales being a big part of their future. Hardware and Software are their current powerhouses. Content ditribution is merely a means to their end, buy more Apple Hardware and Software. The iTunes store was really a happy accident for them.
B. It does not need to connect to a cable or satellite box. It just needs to be able to pull a digital signal over the air. With the DTV switch quickly approcaing, the timing couldn't be better. Why buy a cheap box from Radioshak that simply is a DAC when you could get one from Apple that will get the signal plus DVR shows plus rent or buy from the iTunes store plus watch your DVD collection plus store your music collection plus... (maybe even connect to the internet or run iPhone's OSX and Apps)
C. It shouldn't need to be much larger then the current
Adding these features would boost their cost, but if they are planning on subsidizing anyway, prices should stay near their current levels.
A. Agreed, content is a small part of their revenue and TV shows are a very small part of their iTunes revenue, I'd guess. I've never bought anything off itunes, but if I did I'd be mostly likely to rent a movie (still plan to once i get a computer/apple tv/super apple tv next to my projector), then download music, but hate the idea of paying for tv shows that cost so much compared to "bulk-buying" their dvd boxset equivalent.
But I wouldn't underestimate Steve's plans for the longrun in terms of controlling a worldwide distribution channel once downloads are more prevalent. Personally, I'm more of a buy the cd and burn it in lossless kinda guy, but the movie rentals model surely has wide appeal because ppl don't watch movies nearly as many time as they listen to a track.
B. I don't know what the situation is in America, but in the UK we have multiple different cable companies, 1 satellite company and multiple free-to-air solutions across different platforms (Freesat and Freeview Terrestrial) and then HD and SD iterations of each because they didn't bother to include HD in any of the initial digital television rollouts. Most of the pay services use card readers that are incompatible with one another (and those are the ppl really battling for the living room with the apple tv, giving away broadband and phone services with even basic subscriptions, throwing in VOD services of their own, often as part of the subscription). There are a few countries that may use one or the same format of DVB, or satellite, but most boxes are made specific to each region. I'm pretty sure that the topfield (well-regarded Korean brand) PVRs they sell in Oz are different to the ones they sell here and don't work in Korea either. Considering Apple foisted EDGE on markets where GPRS was more prevalent (such as in the UK), I doubt they would be keen to offer that level of compatibility as opposed to the international download model they have adopted with the Apple TV in its current form.
C) Unless the thing accepts external inputs, something only the Tivo has ever done here (before failing spectacularly as it cost too much), the machine would have to be enormous for the all the reasons mentioned above (which is why I favour the midrange mac, eyetv dongle, hope they expand hd rentals beyond the apple tv, pipe dream
). The optical drive would surely also add to the size some (not much, tho).But if apple can manage all that, whether this quarter or anytime in the next few years, I would buy it in a second, even if it was $2000 (subsidies included).
