

Decorating Moscone… and Crazy Predictions For WWDC 2012 - janaboruta
http://www.cocoanetics.com/2012/06/decorating-moscone-and-crazy-predictions/

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jsz0
_jumping into the shark-infested waters of TV set production_

Agreed. It doesn't pass my basic test of rumored products. Would I buy it? The
answer in this case is no. I have a relatively new 1080P TV which works just
fine. It cost me less than $500. I don't think there's anything Apple could do
that would entice me to replace it. This coming from someone who owns a wide
variety of Apple hardware. If they can't convince me to buy one then we've got
some serious problems.

I'm really starting to think the TV rumors are just total misdirection. I
think Apple is happy to let everyone assume they are slaving away to compete
with Samsung, Vizio, LG, etc when in reality they are preparing to compete
with Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation. This won't just be a software
update for the AppleTV. Has anyone else noticed the Mac Mini is absent in the
rumors of updated Macs? Wouldn't surprise me if it's redesigned, renamed, and
becomes the new iTV device running iOS6 with an entirely new TV UI to ship
late this year. This will give Apple the horse power to really compete with
high end console games in a box that is still quiet and small enough to be in
your living room. In the short term there will be lots of iOS ports but by
this time next year I think you'll start seeing some serious high end console
games appear. (the existing AppleTV sticks around as basically an accessory to
the iTV and iOS devices)

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cocoanetics
I disagree on the MacMini front. MacMini is the de facto server offering from
Apple. Since they discontinued their actual server product many companies are
stacking the relatively inexpensive MacMinis in their data centers.

So MacMinis will definitely not be converted to be running iOS 6. They will
need to stay Mac machines.

If you read my article then you will know that my hypothesis is rather for an
embedded iOS on-a-chip that TV makers can license and through that enable any
TV with the AppleTV software.

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martingordon
I still find it hard to believe Apple will produce a full TV set. I think an
Apple projector is more likely for the simple reason that LCD TVs are big and
heavy. The problem with LCD TVs are:

* They take up a lot of space in store. Having two large TVs set up takes away space from 2-3 iMacs or 4-5 MacBooks. That means only two individuals can enjoy that square footage instead of 4-5. Not to mention that enjoying the TVs actively takes away from the experience of others (A/V noise). How annoying is it when someone turns up one of those iPod docks at a store? Now imagine that happening all the time with two sets of audio clashing with each other.

* Getting them home from the store is a pain.

* "Normal" people would need installation services (wall mounting and/or discarding of an old TV set), requiring Apple to build out their own "Genius Squad".

* Repairs would be a pain. How do you lug a 42" TV to the Apple Store to be checked out by a Genius? Will Apple ship around huge empty boxes for you to pack your TV in to send it out to them? And then you have the trouble of getting it to the UPS guy and then getting it re-installed when it comes back. In-home repairs would be something new for Apple and again would require them to staff up a "Genius Squad".

* Apple hardware generally moves faster than TV refresh cycles. Want the software features of the 2015 Apple TV? Sorry, the A6 chip in your 2013 model can't handle it. Time to throw out that 30-pound piece of aluminum and glass and replace it with a new one.

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janaboruta
I thought Apple was going to announce an Apple TV next week.

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cocoanetics
Apple is only interested in selling products with a high margin, like 50% or
more. TVs don't have that.

If there will be a TV with Apple tech in it then this will be because the TV
manufacturer has licensed a chip with iOS on it that runs the AppleTV flavor
of iOS.

Or can you imagine people carrying home a 50" AppleTV TV from an Apple Store?
If you cannot sell it in an Apple Store then Apple won't do it because Apple
needs people to experience their devices in an Apple Store to allow them to
fall in love it them.

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janaboruta
Good point. Thank you for the explanation.

