Interesting that Gordon Kelly at TrustedReviews.com thinks the "just one more thing" announcement at the anticipated iPad 3 announcement may also be around a significantly enhanced Apple TV:
Roll on first week March...
Apple TV is the glue that will once again bind all Apple's products together. In an age of Cloud Computing Apple TV is the product which will provide the role of iTunes, the central hub that had to be smashed as Apple finally got with the times with iCloud. The vision is devilishly simple: content via iTunes, control via iDevices and Siri and connection via AirPlay. The integration of apps would be nice, but with AirPlay Mirroring in iOS and now OS X Mountain Lion it seems an unnecessary additional headache to give developers.
Roll on first week March...
Hmmmm, maybe. I can see an enhanced Apple TV arriving with an enhanced iCloud service. Probably when Mountain Lion arrives. I would like to see 'some' apps on Apple TV, particularly catch-up TV services. Regardless hopefully we see at least a preview of Office for iPad - at the yet to be announced - March event.
ReplyDeleteMark, essentially I think we will see the apps, iCloud integration and an adapter to your iOS devices using Airplay rolled into one. Commentators focused on an integrated TV product despite the go to market factors making no sense.
DeleteOffice for iPad, hmmm...I see value despite the fact we've all done without it. But how much will Microsoft disrupt its PC/Office business model by making the product competitively priced to sell by the bucket load? Do Microsoft believe in cannibalising their own Office for Win/Mac sales?
Not everyone has a Mac...
ReplyDeleteThe drive of AppleTV brings even more content to the living room and allows Apple to compete on the turf of others, especially Xbox and PS3. If the iTV comes out, it might start to change the model, but until then the Apple TV gets content, games and music out of the study or bedroom and into the hub of most homes.
That's true, but more people are buying Macs more than ever :)
DeleteAgree that AppleTV will fight on the same turf as the other console players, but they already have significant advantages. All your PC content, iOS content, apps, games and potential TV content displayed on the big screen via a tiny media device. Add Siri to add voice to touch interface. Now that's a reason to invest into an entire ecosystem.
Who says closed systems can't be good ones?