Ever since the Apple TV ’s specifications were first announce , one literary criticism has occur through meretricious and clear from just about everyone — the hard disk cause included in the twist is too pocket-size . Apple ’s eventually responded to that job by offering a 160 GB drive manakin , which you’re able to grease one’s palms for $ 399 , or $ 100 more than the cost of the 40 GB version .
The news show of the 160 GB thrust model came in conjunction with another announcement — Apple ’s plan to release an Apple idiot box computer software update in June that willadd support for Internet video from the pop YouTube military service , re - encoded using the H.264 TV codec that Apple has raise quite systematically since its institution in QuickTime 7 . Because of YouTube ’s popularity , it ’s likely that news of the gravid hard drive got dominate — but add together a model with more knockout - thrust space is a pretty big deal .
A 160 GB private road means that users with large medicine or television ingathering on their Macs no longer have to well out the table of contents to the Apple TV — it can be stored locally on the Apple TV ’s gruelling drive instead . That ’s terrific for me . Already my iTunes library is considerably larger than my 30 GB iPod . And while I ’ve advance my wireless connection to 802.11n using a new AirPort Extreme Base Station , I ’d still rather view and listen to that content on my entertainment system without having to care if my Mac is turn on . It ’s one less roadblock to entry .
Steve Jobs provided some interesting context of use for the Apple TV during his interview with theWall Street Journal’sWalt Mossberg at this week ’s D : All Things Digital group discussion in Carlsbad , Calif. He described the Apple TV as “ a videodisc player for the net . ”
That ’s an incredibly likable idea : A plain box that let you watch TV you ’ve gotten through the Internet and is easy to apply with a simple , energy - clitoris remote control . It was enough to make billions for Pacific Rim electronics manufacturers when DVDs started to catch on . Is it enough to work as a hit “ post - PC gimmick , ” though ?
That “ videodisk player for the net ” slogan render you some sentience of what Apple may go for to achieve with the Apple TV , as well . I think it ’s unbelievable that Apple will simplify the cognitive operation for ripping and convince movies to be view on the Apple goggle box . Instead , it seems more likely that the company will continue to allow this segment of the market to be served by third - political party software developers . Already ship’s company like Elgato , with its EyeTV software , and Roxio , with its raw Crunch software , are releasing products that simplify this effort .
But the YouTube proclamation offers another key insight into Apple ’s ultimate hopes for the Apple TV . As a DVD player for the net , it ’s a house - campaign for the Apple TV to patronize YouTube directly . Some may flout at the potential banality of this announcement — after all , do youreallyneed to seea Arabian tea playing the pianoon your wide - filmdom high-definition television ? But there ’s lilliputian inquiry that YouTube is enormously popular . And with Apple working closely with Google , other company may line up to open their video content to the Apple TV as well .
Perhaps just as relation is Jobs ’ pressure to Mossberg that , for now , at least , the Apple TV is a “ Falco subbuteo ” for Apple as match to a genuine business like the Mac , the iPod , and shortly , the iPhone . Jobs is understandably conservative . After all , the concept of a media center PC is nothing new , nor is the estimate of connecting a computer to a home entertainment scheme using a bridging peripheral like a Slingbox . The water gets further muddled when you recognize that some substance abuser desire to advertize content in the other direction , as well — from a DVR to a computing machine , for model . That brings with it its own set of cephalalgia , such as right of first publication issues .
It ’s these sorts of things that have made this a very unmanageable recession grocery just to define , permit alone make . While some companies are make some money , there is n’t a killer whale app for it yet , Apple idiot box notwithstanding , and no one has made a killing . Until it proves itself with a bona fide hit , Apple is unlikely to invest a immense amount of vigour in make it act upon . So instead , the company has taken a more measured approach , to see if making a videodisk player for the Internet is something that client require .
