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Last fall, Apple refreshed its all-in-one iMac line and debuted Front Row, a piece of software that hijacks the usual Mac UI and replaces it with a simple interface -- easily visible on a TV screen from the couch -- allowing for presentation of photo slideshows, home movies, music, purchased TV show downloads, and movie trailers. The last item is the most interesting: if Front Row can stream movie trailers from Apple's website, why not whole movies?
Jobs has famously said he doesn't like TV. Yet he can't be too upset over the fact that customers had downloaded three million videos (largely music videos and TV shows) from the iTunes Music Store by early December -- before all the recipients of video iPods over the holiday got online. The movie industry, like the music industry before it, has been fighting online distribution; so maybe Chairman Jobs will be the one to put it in place.
Even without a big movie deal or a media Mac, though, it's a no-brainer to expect more TV shows and other video content available on iTunes. We expect to see more iPod gazers with white earbuds -- and now with eyes glued to tiny screens.
A New iPod?
Saturday Night Live recently produced a sketch in which their version of Steve Jobs announced a new iPod, and a minute later said it was obsolete and replaced it -- with a model that was obsolete in another minute.
The iPod Shuffle, Bajarin notes, has been a terrifically popular product -- but it's out of stock now. He expects a new Shuffle model to be announced soon, probably at next week's expo. "Here's a product that's extremely successful, and they kill it," Bajarin said. The strategy may not be as insane as it sounds. He notes that the iPod mini was similarly popular, and Apple nixed it in favor of the iPod nano, which has been a major hit.
It's possible that analyzing such rumors and speculations simply plays into Apple's master plan -- and saves the company marketing dollars by driving anticipation. But it's reasonable to ask how long that master plan can go on succeeding. Jobs' habit of control, secrecy, and surprise puts him at risk of painting himself into a corner, by creating expectations that even Apple may not be able to meet -- at least not every year.
Daniel Drew Turner is a freelance technology writer based in San Francisco.
Guest (tom barta)
I am a 1981 grad of MIT, and all I can say is "go Steve". Microsoft has ruled the roost with its awful, insecure, inelegant products for way too long. Apples dismaiisal of Jobs in 1984 under John Sculley will rank as one of the worst tech decisions of all time (along with Time Warner acquiring AOL and Palm, Inc. splitting into two warring factions). Apple is FINALLY recovering from that long Steve-less period.
Guest (john halbig)
Actually, current software WILL "just work", much as 68K based programs could run on the newer PPC processors, and most OS 9 based software worked using "classic" mode. Rosetta is the code name for this neat trick, and yes, Ive seen it in action. Sure, you get the usual emulation hit, but thats on FASTER processors. Ive seen situations where applications ran more quickly on an Intel based Mac than on the average iMac G5 cranking at 2 Ghz.
And yes, that includes PhotoShop and MS Office. Theres also the potential for running Windows apps WITHOUT the emulation hit that make current x86 emulators (like Virtual PC)truly horrific to use.
John....
Guest (Dan Turner)
John, you are right about Rosetta being transparent (the speed hit is real, according to developers, though it hasnt been quantified). However, no one has been able to confirm yet that Rosetta will support AltiVec the last confirmed specs state OS X on Intel will support, through Rosetta, emulating up to a G3 processor. Theres also the issue of plug ins: If you get a Universal Binary version of Photoshop, for example, whenever thats available, you need to update all your plug ins at the same time. That is, you can run the Intel version of the app, but not with Power PC versions of the plug ins, and vice versa. For professionals, who often rely on customized plug ins for workflow solutions, everyone has to be on board for it to work.
Thanks for the note!
Guest (Dan Turner)
John, you are right about Rosetta being transparent (the speed hit is real, according to developers, though it hasnt been quantified). However, no one has been able to confirm yet that Rosetta will support AltiVec the last confirmed specs state OS X on Intel will support, through Rosetta, emulating up to a G3 processor. Theres also the issue of plug ins: If you get a Universal Binary version of Photoshop, for example, whenever thats available, you need to update all your plug ins at the same time. That is, you can run the Intel version of the app, but not with Power PC versions of the plug ins, and vice versa. For professionals, who often rely on customized plug ins for workflow solutions, everyone has to be on board for it to work.
Thanks for the note!
Guest (KenC)
Hi Def movie store on the way...
This press release proves it:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=105456
Thats a press release that Apple has sued Burst. A little company with some key patents on streaming media tech. This means that what Bob Cringely, at PBS, said was true, if Apple wants to open a streaming movie store, it needs to license from Burst, and apparently it has been in negotiation.
As for streaming movie trailers, FR doesnt show what bitrate theyre using but its clear that they are below DVD quality. If you go to their movie trailer website:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/
Youll see they have about 30 HD trailers. This is a much better indication of whether Apple can stream movies. Ive looked and 480p movies will need a streaming rate of 2Mbps. This is doable on a stable moderately quick cable modem. Add some buffering time, perhaps 15mins, while you pop the popcorn, and you should have no trouble with a 480p movie stream.
Guest (Bob Chandler)
Waiting for Pro software for Intel Mac?
Most professional Mac users (Designers, video producers, etc.) are pretty happy with current G5 Macs. I think the early adopters will be consumer PC switchers. They are already comfortable with Intel and dont need the pro apps. If the price is right, this could be very big for Apple.
Guest (tom barta)
I am a 1981 grad of MIT, and all I can say is "go Steve". Microsoft has ruled the roost with its awful, insecure, inelegant products for way too long. Apples dismaiisal of Jobs in 1984 under John Sculley will rank as one of the worst tech decisions of all time (along with Time Warner acquiring AOL and Palm, Inc. splitting into two warring factions). Apple is FINALLY recovering from that long Steve-less period.
Guest (john halbig)
Actually, current software WILL "just work", much as 68K based programs could run on the newer PPC processors, and most OS 9 based software worked using "classic" mode. Rosetta is the code name for this neat trick, and yes, Ive seen it in action. Sure, you get the usual emulation hit, but thats on FASTER processors. Ive seen situations where applications ran more quickly on an Intel based Mac than on the average iMac G5 cranking at 2 Ghz.
And yes, that includes PhotoShop and MS Office. Theres also the potential for running Windows apps WITHOUT the emulation hit that make current x86 emulators (like Virtual PC)truly horrific to use.
John....
Guest (KenC)
Hi Def movie store on the way...
This press release proves it:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=105456
Thats a press release that Apple has sued Burst. A little company with some key patents on streaming media tech. This means that what Bob Cringely, at PBS, said was true, if Apple wants to open a streaming movie store, it needs to license from Burst, and apparently it has been in negotiation.
As for streaming movie trailers, FR doesnt show what bitrate theyre using but its clear that they are below DVD quality. If you go to their movie trailer website:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/
Youll see they have about 30 HD trailers. This is a much better indication of whether Apple can stream movies. Ive looked and 480p movies will need a streaming rate of 2Mbps. This is doable on a stable moderately quick cable modem. Add some buffering time, perhaps 15mins, while you pop the popcorn, and you should have no trouble with a 480p movie stream.
Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.
This document is part of the “How-To Guide for Most Common Measurements” centralized resource portal. This tutorial provides a detailed guide for measurement and device considerations to take temperature measurements using thermocouples. Get an introduction to thermocouples, which are inexpensive sensing devices widely used with PC-based data acquisition systems. Also review some specific thermocouple examples and learn how thermocouples work and ways to integrate them into a data acquisition measurement system.
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Guest (Bob Chandler)
Waiting for Pro software for Intel Mac?
Most professional Mac users (Designers, video producers, etc.) are pretty happy with current G5 Macs. I think the early adopters will be consumer PC switchers. They are already comfortable with Intel and dont need the pro apps. If the price is right, this could be very big for Apple.
Reply