Apple Announces New iPods, iTunes 10, Social Network, AppleTV 579
Steve Jobs gave his iPod keynote this morning. He started with iOS 4.1 and Game Center which will be coming out next week. iOS 4.2 will add printing to the iPad and will be out in November. The new iPod Shuffle has buttons again, and costs $49. The new iPod Nano has a tiny multi-touch screen, and an FM radio, and starts at $149. The new (thinner) Touch has the iPhone 4 screen, an A4 chip, and FaceTime over WiFi, starting at $229 for 8GB. They all ship next week.
iTunes 10 looks the same, but adds a social network called "Ping," which basically looks like Last.fm integrated, and should be out today.
AppleTV is updating: 1/4th the size, no purchases — only rentals. 99 cents for TV rentals (ABC & Fox), Netflix on Demand built in, and for $99.
Really? (Score:2)
Re:Really? (Score:5, Funny)
They've always had this feature, see?
http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/04/humor-ipad-printing-simple/ [appadvice.com]
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But why would you want to print to the iPad?
Re:Really? (Score:4, Funny)
So does the iPad have print drivers to print to the Kindle?
Re:Really? (Score:4, Funny)
You're trying too hard.
Re:Really? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
Q. User - How do I get (Linux/Apple device/whatever fanboi loves the most) to do $foo?
A. Fanboi who won't admit that his precious can't do $foo. - Why would you want to do that?
Why would you want to cut and paste on an iphone? Why would you want to print from an ipad? Why would you want your email client to integrate with your calendar? Why would you want to move the "song name" column in itunes..........
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you know, reading is a good thing. In your case, you didn't.
I was not stating that they didn't need to be able to print, I asked separately why do people need to print anything these days, really.
That's not for or against feature inclusion. read the fucking post before you comment on it please.
Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
They don't actually force you to print stuff even if the support is being added.
Personally, if I were to buy an iPad, I would certainly print train tickets and perhaps flight confirmation and check-in slips. I could have the information on the iPad (or something I'm actually using), but I kind of enjoy not having to worry if I'll run out of battery with surfing, playing videos and so on..
Re:Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
Why I want printing from the iPad is so I can talk some relatives into getting one as their main computers. The iPad is pretty close to everything these folks need, which is light word processing, email, web surfing, and mindless games.
Yes, I know you need to pay $99/year to program one, and the app selection is limited, but most people don't really care about that. Coincidentally, the people who don't care about that are the ones most likely to host botnets if they're allowed real computers on the Internet, and I'd rather like to get those people on iDevices for all of our sakes.
So, if they can use iPads as their main computers, I don't get stupid tech support questions. I have some confidence that they can figure out their email without my assistance. Heck, even my most technophobic relatives can probably have fun with one. They can browse the web without becoming part of a botnet.
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I suppose. For me -- and I'm really invested in Apple hardware, both for myself and my family (5 mac users) -- there's nothing here of interest.
The iPad (which yes, we own two of) still lacks cameras and IR emission, needs a flat, un-wobbly back, still has enough wasted sq inches of bezel area to fit an iPod Touch into, still is bound to AT&T, still is too low-res to properly display even 720p, still lacks CF, SD and USB connections, still syncs by cable, still charges by cable, and still has a paltr
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Well if you've been an Apple fan for any amount of time you should know that they will not ever, at least as long as Jobs is around, produce a consumer tower. There has been hue and cry for one for as long as I can remember, and they ones that the clone makers made during that brief time did well. Apple does not care, they will not produce it for some reason.
As for cable charging, what other kind of charging do you suggest? Power does not travel through the air well, that whole inverse square law bites you
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I sometimes think Apple is a social experiment that is trying to see how far it can push people to buy things they didn't ask for but now want because they've seen them.
As for the charging thing... maybe they were referring to a cable connected to a computer instead of a wall outlet?
Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
The iPad (which yes, we own two of) still lacks cameras and IR emission, needs a flat, un-wobbly back, still has enough wasted sq inches of bezel area to fit an iPod Touch into, still is bound to AT&T, still is too low-res to properly display even 720p, still lacks CF, SD and USB connections, still syncs by cable, still charges by cable, and still has a paltry 512 mb of memory, which, when they eventually get around to implementing multitasking, means that what you're actually going to get is something on the order of windows 3.1 multitasking with a few services, not actual task switching, etc. And it still costs *way* too much.
Look at your post, now look at mine, now look back at yours and wonder what's wrong with it, and then look at mine to find out: :)
- cameras - why does the iPad need "cameras" (plural)? Do you want to be "that" guy holding something the size of a book up to take a picture?
- IR emission - I'm guessing you want to replace your remote control with the iPad for some reason. I guess you've never owned a Palm Pilot or a Windows CE device with their IR emitters that were next to useless. If you really wanted to replace your remote, you need both a transmitter and receiver to capture IR codes that aren't supported
- Bezel wastage - go complain about that on every other device you own that has a screen - your TV, your laptop, your cellphones, your alarm clock. If you cut that bezel off, try using your iPad without blocking the screen.
- AT&T - I'm sorry you live in the US of A - us other Americans don't have this problem. There's also the option of not getting the 3G model.
- 720p - the iPad is 768p. 720p 768p in terms of vertical lines.
- CF - really? You really want to support that? I'm sorry you bought an SLR from 4 years ago - a form factor that is nearly fully dead. Nonetheless, a slot that size in a device that small is asking for gunk to end up in it.
- USB - there's a simplicity in not having this: it prevents people from asking how come device X doesn't work. It's a bus where almost anything can be attached. It draws power. You'll notice that Apple sells the cable connector add-ons with a USB port as a "camera connection kit". It's to weed out the guy who attaches his USB powered nerf gun.
- 512 mb of memory - Each iPad you have has only 256MB of system memory. You did say you had 2 iPad's so maybe you meant together
- multitasking - Your comparison to Windows 3.1 begs me to believe you don't understand how multitasking works on iOS 4.x. Feel free to Google.com it to understand more. Comparing to the iPad specs, back when Windows 95 launched, the fastest processor was a Pentium running at 233MHz and having 64MB of RAM would have been amazing. If applications for desktops were written with more care, you wouldn't have to keep buying a faster CPU and more memory every 2 years to run the same family of applications.
Anyhow, I'm on a horse ...
Re:Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
You've made a bad assumption here. I don't mind buying gen-1, imperfect hardware; it encourages the manufacturer. If they came out with (for instance) an iPad that had 2 gb of ram, real multitasking... I'd buy a pair of them immediately, too, and hand off the old ones to someone who could use them. Then when they come out with one with an IR port... you guessed it, I'll buy another pair. And so on. But see, right now, they haven't come with *any* improvements, so I'm not even thinking about buying. Get it now?
One more thing: That the iPad needs improvements, sure, I'm all about that. I posted here because this is one of Apple's brag days for the device, and because the upshot of it was a big yawn to me, and I think that's significant because I *am* a pro-Apple person and a potential buyer.
But if you ask me if the iPad is a technology / device that enables me and improves my life, I could bend your ear/eye for many, many paragraphs while saying yes, yes, yes. I am HUGELY pro-iPad. There's nothing like it out there (yet), and even if you duplicated or exceeded the hardware, the app space... wow. All I can say is good luck. And I *knew* I was getting something great, because we had iPod Touches prior to the iPad and *those* were just stunning little gems of tech. Which ALSO needed improvement (and are getting a little love this time around... camera, for instance.)
I don't know why people think you have to become a blind supporter just because you buy something, or why you're supposed to claim a device is perfect as-is, or why you're not supposed to buy it if it isn't absolutely exactly what you want. Something weird about all that I just can't connect with.
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iOS 4.2 will add printing to the iPad...
Apple just invented printing!
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Perhaps because the things other companies make are utter shit in comparison, even taking into account the things Apple might leave out that you would like?
Re:I've never gotten it (Score:5, Insightful)
You don't seem to understand the concept of: It works best (for the particular person in question) among all of the alternatives. That may mean the person still complains about it.. A LOT. Since they're using it, they know about what they like and don't like about the product.. and most people complain more than they praise.
You could be negative and say "least bad". There are TONS of things I would improve about Tivos for example, but they still do what I want(*) as well as any of the alternatives I've seen. (Even saying that, I'm *vaguely* interested in the Ceton 4 tuner card, and I don't do Windows anything.)
(*) Record TV shows conveniently, mostly. I've also done a bit of video podcast playing from the Tivo and lately transferred more stuff to computer -- sometimes to make podcasts to listen to on my phone.
AppleTV? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
It will be interesting to see how it compares to GoogleTV once that launches. If GoogleTV does even half of what they say it will, things will get mighty interesting mighty quick.
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why no AM as well? (Score:2)
why no AM as well?
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why no AM as well?
What is this "AM" of which you write? Is it related to that unused setting on my home stereo, or that collection of unprogrammed numbers labeled "AM" on my car stereo?
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[Puts tin foil hat on] The same reason there is a push behind FM in cellphones. iBiquity wants a paycheck and is very happy to cut deals to get hybrid receivers in as many devices as possible.[/Puts tin foil hat on]
Or it could have something to do with the range and poor reception of AM.
Re:why no AM as well? (Score:4, Informative)
You do realize that AM stations, by virtue of being much further down the RF spectrum, have a much, much bigger range, right?
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Honestly. No, I didn't.
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You are right from a technology perspective, but not correct from a real world perspective.
From a pure RF perspective AM frequencies can be picked up further away at the same power levels, provided no obstacles.
In the real world, AM radio starts off at a disadvantage, a 50,000 watt limit compared to FM's 100,000 watt limit. However it also turns out that the lower frequencies are more susceptible to interference, and don't penetrate buildings as well. AM is also greatly affected by the time of day, as atm
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The iPod I can understand, but why does a cell phone need an FM receiver? It already provides an internet connection that gives you access to virtually every FM station on the entire planet.
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Re:why no AM as well? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:why no AM as well? (Score:5, Funny)
You just a succinct (I believe accurate) technical answer to a question about an Apple product on Slashdot... Is that allowed? :-)
Re:why no AM as well? (Score:4, Funny)
Facebook dead (Score:3, Funny)
This sounded like a hammer nailing the first nail into the facebook coffin.
Take my word: Ping is the Next Big Thing(tm)(sm)(c).
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We need an extraction team in here, now! This man has been fully swallowed by the RDF!
Re:Facebook dead (Score:4, Insightful)
I can't tell if you're being serious or not, but I'm more inclined to believe you are.
First off, they are not going to overtake the likes of Facebook by following it, and the first thing I thought when I saw the Ping design is, "What, did they reskin Facebook or something?"
Second, integration with iTunes does not a social network make. It's a good start making it extraordinarily convenient to a lot of people, but what ultimately makes or breaks a social network is two things: 1) how many people actually make use of it, and 2) how the owners handle people who cause trouble, whether being disruptive, destructive, or dissident. In that second regard, Apple has a somewhat dubious history.
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Oh yeah! Facebook is like totally dead. Especially since installing crappy, bloated iTunes is so easy and way better that using facebook on a browser!
Re:Facebook dead (Score:4, Funny)
Nah. It's not killing Facebook. It's just a further fragmenting of the social networking world.
You've got Facebook for social networking with most of the people you know.
You've got MySpace for networking with the teenagers you know that are still living in 2005.
You've got Twitter for the people you know who think you'd like a play by play of every meaningless event of their day, or who like to regurgitate political talking points in 140 character form.
You've got LinkedIn for people you know professionally.
Now you'll have Ping for the hipster douchebags you know. Since some people are or know a lot of douchebags, it could be a big success, but I still don't see it overtaking Facebook at this point.
Re: (Score:2)
Nah. It's not killing Facebook. It's just a further fragmenting of the social networking world.
You've got Facebook for social networking with most of the people you know.
You've got MySpace for networking with the teenagers you know that are still living in 2005.
You've got Twitter for the people you know who think you'd like a play by play of every meaningless event of their day, or who like to regurgitate political talking points in 140 character form.
You've got LinkedIn for people you know professionally.
Now you'll have Ping for the hipster douchebags you know. Since some people are or know a lot of douchebags, it could be a big success, but I still don't see it overtaking Facebook at this point.
You forgot Orkut.
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grand purge of stupid off of the internet.
Again? It's not gonna require a merger with Time Warner this time, is it?
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Is that thing still around? That's like GeoCities 2.0, right?
I am prob one of the only people here with an (Score:2)
But, the netflix addition is nice, but they don't have enough content to view on demand anyway.
Re:I am prob one of the only people here with an (Score:5, Informative)
You can stream from your computer.
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I'm gonna bet it will only stream videos that can play in iTunes. That would rule my subtitled anime mkv files right out.
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The problem then is that you have you have to have your computer turned on and have iTunes running. Not a huge inconvenience, in the grand scheme of things, but if I'm downstairs and decide I want to watch something, I then have to run upstairs and turn everything on, log on, start up iTunes and then go back down again.
With my current AppleTV I have the internal drive full of my favourite movies and TV shows and it works quite happily as a stand-alone device. If I buy movies from the AppleTV they eventually
Re:I am prob one of the only people here with an (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't new TV's basically have "AppleTV" built in? Newer Sony TVs (and I imagine other brands) can stream from computer (DNLA), stream from Internet (including netflix, with Hulu joining next month), can play pictures/movies from USB storage... what else does AppleTV do?
Link with your iTunes account for a seamless movie buying^Wrenting experience. Link with Mac and iTunes for photo album and music album playback. Have a pretty UI. Provide a monoculture with a large enough installed base for snazzy apps to be developed.
Now I don't like the piece of bloat that is iTunes/iTMS and thus won't purchase any product that requires it -- but there are tens of millions of people who do (and tens of millions more who won't even know what iTunes is, but would love an easy-to-use old-pe
h.264 support, no xvid (Score:3, Informative)
From the Tech Specs [apple.com]:
H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
Market Dominance (Score:2, Insightful)
The new iPod Touch is going to dominate the market. It's better than many point and shoot cameras, it's better than pretty much every other media player, it beats out flip video recorders, it has extensive gaming platform options, and it's good enough for watching media on.
I don't love Apple, but it looks like they've created the gadget for teenagers or people who rely on a non-iphone as their primary phone.
Re:Market Dominance (Score:4, Informative)
OT:
I liked that quote so much, I had to look it up. According to Snopes, Jed Babbin said that [snopes.com].
Carry on.
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The automated HDR looks like a very cool feature, and addresses what I find to be the biggest limitation of simple cameras--the limited dynamic range with automatic exposure. I don't know of any point-and-shoot camera that does this.
Re:Market Dominance (Score:5, Insightful)
It has two cameras. One is 0.3 megapixels, one is 0.6 megapixels. Both have cheap, plastic, fixed focus, fixed focal length "lenses". Both have absolutely tiny sensors like the typical cellphone cam, vastly smaller than even a cheap entry-level point-and-shoot camera, and microscopic compared to the sensors in many cameras.
It doesn't "beat out" Flip's products, either. It just barely matches them on feature set -- not a difficult task, because the Flip recorders are likewise extremely poorly specified, and sold mostly on hype.
The iPod Touch isn't a replacement for even the cheapest dedicated camera. It will slightly edge out absolute bottom of the line camera phones, and that's about it.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
[[Actually if it had had the 5MP iPhone 4 camera, (which is probably what he assumed since I assumed it too until I looked at the tech specs) he would not have been joking, that could replace a P&S for most people.]]
You don't understand the difference between "better than" and "willing to settle for."
People who are replacing their digital cameras for the iPhone 4 camera are not doing so because it is better than their point and shoot. It's not. They're giving up a number of features they don't underst
Re:Market Dominance (Score:4, Informative)
You said:
``It's better than many point and shoot cameras''
According to:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/specs.html [apple.com]
it has ``still photos (960 x 720) with back camera''
If it had the same camera capabilities as the iPhone, I'd agree --- but either those numbers are wrong, or it's seriously crippled as a camera.
William
Don`t forget Apple TV (Score:3, Interesting)
If I wasn`t living in one of countries which Apple/MPAA/RIAA whatever makes impossible to buy/rent stuff from iTMS, I would order Apple TV right now.
If it has no hidden evil terms, 100 dollars, quicktime/itms, I am sold.
They had to name it ping, didn't they? (Score:5, Funny)
That's gonna be awesome for internet help-desk workers. How about creating a Flickr clone and calling it iFconfig?
Re: (Score:2)
Sure, and the Windows version can be called iPconfig.
Re:They had to name it ping, didn't they? (Score:5, Funny)
There should be absolutely no confusion about this, since iFconfig and ifconfig are clearly not the same. Any unix user knows this!
Re:They had to name it ping, didn't they? (Score:5, Funny)
No iTunes yet but... (Score:3, Funny)
We got a few significant OS X 10.6 updates today - firmware, graphics and security. Well maybe not today, MacBook has not been on for a few days...darned wedding.
Re:No iTunes yet but... (Score:5, Insightful)
You know your apple fandom has gone to far when you are angry that you are getting married because it means you can't turn on the MacBook for a few days. Seek help.
Coldplay? (Score:2)
The top things AppleTV users requested... (Score:5, Insightful)
They listed the top things users were requesting for a new AppleTV, but I have a sneaking suspicion that their users were maybe the content providers.
Seriously... the number one requested feature is a frick'n DVR!!!
Re:The top things AppleTV users requested... (Score:4, Insightful)
They listed the top things users were requesting for a new AppleTV, but I have a sneaking suspicion that their users were maybe the content providers.
Seriously... the number one requested feature is a frick'n DVR!!!
Call your cable company - the system that was *supposed* to make it possible to build DVRs that worked on any network (CableCard) is an unmitigated clusterfuck, mostly due to providers not wanting to give up the $5/mo "box rental" business.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
What they've given you instead is a way to cancel the DVR service ($10/mo) and cable service ($60/mo) and instead get the 10-20 episodes you actually watch for $0.99 each without missing anything or getting overwritten by a President's speech. It's a la carte television! If Comcast let us pay for only what we watched you'd be dancing in the streets. Instead people love to find a way to hate Apple.
TiVo already does DVR pretty well. What cou
Internet a la carte TV; don't need DVR (Score:3, Interesting)
You forgot the >$60/mo for cable TV service to get data to that DVR.
This is (well, is the beginning of) what-you-want when-you-want pay-for-only-what-you-want Internet-driven "a la carte" TV in a cheap ($99) convenient (power, HDMI, done) small (hockey puck) package which people have been clamoring for. It renders the DVR obsolete.
Wonder when networks will talk Apple into pushing free, but commercial-laden, episodes.
Hoping for Shuffle UI improvement (Score:2, Interesting)
I use a Shuffle to play nasty industrial "music" to get me through gym sessions. The gen. 2 Shuffle worked very nicely, but eventually succumbed to some combination of sweat and battery cycle limit. The gen. 3 that I got to replace it has been a bitter disappointment.
I can only hope that the newly announced Shuffle has cured itself of the extreme idiocy of having the controls embedded in the earphone cord. "Ear buds" do not work for me - they fail to block external noise, and they fall out of my presu
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That's the fourth generation iPod shuffle. Almost the same as the second generation, a tiny bit smaller, with playlists and voiceover.
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I love the theory of ear bud controls, but the practice seems to have a lot of flaws. I got a fancy set of ear buds with my iPhone that allow me to control the iPod functionality (and are also the mike when I use the phone function). If I'm just walking down the street they work great. They also work fine as a telephone headset. The problem comes when I attempt to jog with them, which as it happens, is the primary intended use for headphones on the device for me.
I start to sweat, and beads of water run
Bluetooth for the nano (Score:2, Interesting)
Not what I was hoping for from AppleTV (Score:2)
I had been hoping for (but not expecting) an AppleTV capable of working with 1080p (or at least 1080i) video. Instead, they went the other direction, making it tiny, less power-hungry, and cheaper.
Many folks will probably be happy with this one, but I would have liked something more DVR-like to go with my OTA antenna and MythTV/Plex setup.
For those keeping score at home, Plex just went to v9 and is supposedly even more awesome.
New iPod Touch missing GPS :-( (Score:4, Insightful)
Even though a large percent of apps in the iTunes app store are location aware and require GPS to work properly, it is very disappointing that the new iPod Touch (and the current WiFi only iPad) does not have a GPS receiver yet. It is very useful to have turn-by-turn GPS navigation, current location weather forecasts, gas prices, and other services all running on an iPod Touch and WiFi iPad as well as they run on the iPhone and iPad 3G.
Re:New iPod Touch missing GPS :-( (Score:4, Informative)
The reason is the way it's packaged on the iPhone is the GPS/GSM chip is integrated.
Apple TV will own the market. (Score:4, Interesting)
This is the change that EVERYONE was waiting for. This puts Tv on demand at the pricepoint that even cheap-ass ol' me will even pay. That's $12.00 a year per TV show (as most tv shows are half assed and only release 12 episodes a year / season) So if I get rid of Comcast or Dish at even the low price rate of $39.00 a month. I can watch 39 specific TV show episodes per month for the same price. This is far more than I can watch anyways because 99% of what is on cableTV sucks. And these are commercial free.
This means I'll pay about 1/3rd of what I pay for cableTV a month to get the programming I want. The ONLY problem is that TV shows like Colbert Report and Daily show are 4 times a week, and I cant see the audience of those tv shows paying $32.00 a month just to watch those two shows.
Now, what I want to know is does the interface give me a custom "shows I like" menu that will show that I have not watched or what is new, or will it be like the crappy current interface where I have to go searching for everything......
Steve said over and over "it is easy to use" well; easy to use is a menu of only my stuff I like....
Re:Apple TV will own the market. (Score:4, Interesting)
No way I'd pay $1 to watch a TV episode once. Don't know about others, but assuming a $1 price point to own a song is more or less legitimate, can't see paying that much for a single viewing of a TV show. I value the vast majority of TV shows less than a single good song, so even $1 to own a TV show episode is pushing it (this may be why the only TV shows I own copies of are Firefly, Flying Circus, and Fawlty Towers).
New Nano? (Score:4, Insightful)
Did anybody want a touchscreen Nano? Better yet, what good does a touch screen that's about an inch and a half square do anybody? I have a feeling that my stupidly large hands would be completely unable to operate the new Nano, and I know I can't be alone there.
This seems like a design regression. I know that touchscreens are sexier than the old wheel was, but was there really anything wrong with the old Nano design that warranted throwing it out entirely?
Re:New Nano? (Score:4, Insightful)
Did anybody want a touchscreen Nano? Better yet, what good does a touch screen that's about an inch and a half square do anybody?
That's dead easy for anyone who spends more than 10 seconds thinking about it: how else do you build a device that compact with both a display *and* a control interface, save by combining the two?
And the icon for this article... (Score:3, Interesting)
... is a decade-plus-old Palm--why, exactly?
Re:First iPost (Score:5, Funny)
directly from Steve Jobs keynote and only readable with authenticated apps.
Nice try at a first post. Too bad it took you two-prior-posts worth of time to get it approved through the App Store.
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Yes, it's the AllAdvantage business model for TV! Can I also get referral commissions?
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Ars Technica live blog said they are commercial-free.
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Right, but why would you pay when they broadcas tit for free?
We need a TV tuner solution that can stream to our AppleTV.
This device would be called a DVR.
So what we need are DVRs that can stream to AppleTV.
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Re:OSX or IOS only (Score:5, Informative)
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This was a test... (Score:3, Interesting)
A test of the new Apple data center.
I read that this event was used to test out the ability of the new data center that Apple built. I assume that the new Apple TV content will be served from this site, and they wanted a good test to see how well it worked out.
http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/20/apple-data-center/ [techcrunch.com]
Re:appletv = fail (Score:4, Insightful)
FFS, the standard Slashdot reply to a new Apple product has made it to the thread. This device just works. Failure is not defined as not using your particular connection method. This device connects to a standardized ecosystem, streams h.264 video and reaches out online to a couple of reputable for-pay services. It's incredibly compact and affordable. I can put Apple TV units in a few rooms of the house for the price of a PC strung up to a single TV without the hassle of VLC and none of the weight of a chip on my shoulder.
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99% of users: "What is a codec?"
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* You can not mount a network hard drive (without hacking it)
* You can not mount a usb hard drive (without hacking it)
* Format support is very limited. For example: you can not play xvid, divx and a bunch of other formats
I think you're currently better off connecting a computer to your tv and run VLC on it... unless of course you like apple dictating what technology and media you have access to.
How much is your time worth? It's $99 !!! No cables, no computer in the loop. You can use your computer while the kids watch the video. And if you need to do all the BS you want you can just do that on your computer and stream in in H264 to the device. Don't give me some rubbish about the transcode from xvid ruining the picture quality. If you care about that then you are 0.00001% of the market.
Honda Civic = fail (Score:5, Insightful)
* You cannot haul a California king size mattress (without a hitch and trailer)
* You cannot haul 12' x 4' sheets of drywall (without a hitch and trailer)
* Passenger space is very limited. For example: you cannot easily transport 6 children in it
I think you're better off just getting a Ford F-150 with a king cab and bench seats... unless of course you like Honda dictating what can and cannot transport in your vehicle.
As someone who uses a number of Apple devices where they make sense (my laptop and my music player) and other stuff where they don't (my gaming machine and my phone) I don't know why people freak out about Apple products doing what they always do. My mom doesn't give a shit about xvid or divx. She doesn't rip her DVDs. She doesn't store them digitally or download torrents. She certainly isn't going to configure anything or care about storing rentals.
My parents can plug this box in and be GOOD TO GO. Like most Apple products, this is an appliance and marketing and targeted as such. I really wish I could have fails like the Apple of late. My car would be a lot nicer!
Yes, the device is a fail at doing things it was never designed for. Most devices are. My pencil, for instance, is an epic fail when my toilet gets clogged.
Re:What's with the coverage on this? (Score:5, Informative)
The Apple TV hasn't ever done 1080p. Anyone who cares already knows that. And very few people have the bandwidth to stream 1080p anyway, so who cares?
Re:The only thing I was hoping for (Score:4, Insightful)
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Tivo also has a huge disadvantage of the requirement of a $55.00 to $99.00 monthly service fee to get content. Oh and it's $13.00 a month guide service fee.
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Go into your settings and disable all the spotlight settings. It should speed up a bit.
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When the market is awash in ipad killer competitors that do everything the ipad doesn't, THEN I'll get involved in fanboy ba
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People should also stop believing marketing. I guess your nick is quite appropriate
I buy devices on what I need. That's why I don't have an iPad. Unlike you, I can see that people who buy one are doing so because it meets their needs not mine. Geeks like you fail to understand that you do not represent everyone. You represent yourself. Apple's success must be so disconcerting to your world view. That's why Apple's success must be solely attributed to marketing. Otherwise you might have to admit that you don't understand people.
Your entire problem is that you can't understand that s
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It does have a built in mic and speaker. Every Touch since 2008 has had a speaker and the mic was added for FaceTime support.