As far as I'm aware (and as reinforced by Wikipedia), AACS (which utilizes HDCP for its secure video channel) allows analog outputs to output the video, albeit at a lower resolution (960x540). Why can't Apple do the same thing for video output to non-HDCP displays?
Let's not forget that Nvidia recently licensed some of Transmeta's patents:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/08/08/nvidia.transmeta.license/
Although the article mostly covers the use of Transmeta's low-power technology, Nvidia may very-well have licensed the ability to add x86-compatibility to a multi-core solution. Sounds like Nvidia is taking the opposite approach that Intel is doing with Larabee, bring the GPU into CPU territory.
HD-DVD is going the way of DVD-RAM, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, I agree it can be recycled, and yes, the best way to do that is to open up the format. But having the industry continue its trend of providing dual-format HD players (i.e. players that can read both HD-DVD and Blue-ray discs) is very important to this ultimate goal. I hope Toshiba will quickly act upon this opportunity so that consumers can take advantage of the low-cost HD-DVD players and HD-DVD drives that have already made it into peoples' homes and computers. Here we come, HD DVD-R video cameras!
Although I am completely against DRM when it comes to music I've purchased to own, I forsee that DRM is quickly becoming a method to apply cheaper and wider access to music, albeit with restrictions. DRM has been really beneficial to allow subscription music users to take their music on the go; with an ad-supported platform or a service or device lockdown (as suggested with the above scheme), other service providers and device manufacturers can provide you low cost or free access to music, but the files would be limited in playback when under a particular service contract or using a particular device.
This is why DRM on the iTunes store is really more of a device-lockdown; customers purchase the music, but it must be used with Apple products. I guess in this case, obtaining access to music using this method would lock you down to LG phones.
I'm currently in the Philippines on an extended business trip (3 months to go). In the U.S. I use a Kyocera 7135 Smartphone (CDMA) which is very ancient and unreliable at this point in time. I would love to replace it with the iPhone. However, at the moment, as much as I'd love to purchase a U.S. iPhone, I can't primarily because the roaming charges would be outrageous here in the Philippines. I also don't want to have to go through the trouble of trying to unlock the phone temporarily just so that I can use it with a local SIM to avoid roaming charges.
Yes, in 3 months, I can return to the U.S., give in, and accept a locked-down iPhone, but what happens when if I was to travel to Europe or Asia again? Why should I have to pay AT&T almost $2 / minute to use the iPhone in a foreign country? I may be willing to give Apple and AT&T my business for 2 years if I don't plan to travel outside of the U.S., but at the moment that is not an option for me.
Yes, you can argue that I am only one out of so many that Apple will be losing business on, and they are making up for it with the AT&T exclusivity. But I am a potential customer none-the-less. I wouldn't argue that the Apple / AT&T partnership is important from an ease-of-use standpoint for iPhone customers, but that does not mean Apple can't allow people to purchase an unlocked iPhone at their own risk. Clearly, this is about money and stubbornness by Apple to allow customers to use the device freely (albeit unsupported, as the case may be).
And this is why I believe one of the biggest mistakes the U.S. Justice Department made when handling Microsoft's antitrust case was deciding to leave the company intact, rather than splitting the company into 3 (OS, Office, Entertainment). Now, instead of seeing independent and smart business decisions being made in their productivity and entertainment suites to help them grow, they will continue to be boil down to one final parameter: Does it help the Windows unit hold onto its grasp on the PC market? And worst of all, the consumers suffer by not being able to play their Windows Media DRM'd music in other operating systems to continuing to reap innovations in the Office suite.
I believe Palm made a smart move splitting the hardware and software components; now, instead of allowing the Palm devices to fall behind due to unparalleled support of the operating system, they can adapt to market demands. Apple also made one of the smartest move in the company's history by opening up the iPod and iTunes to both Windows and Mac computers. Come on Microsoft, grow up.
I think what's also really nice about the sleep mode in Mac OS X is that it is capable of resuming down to the last instruction that was executed by an application. That is, lets say you're compiling some source code or encoding a video. The sleep mode will capture the exact state the computer was in so that when you restore your session, applications resume like nothing ever happened...by far my favorite feature, albeit necessary given there's no way to leave a Macbook Pro running while the lid is closed and in my computer bag. I really was hoping Windows Vista had improved the functionality of power states...hopefully they are able to resolve these issues with future updates.
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As far as I'm aware (and as reinforced by Wikipedia), AACS (which utilizes HDCP for its secure video channel) allows analog outputs to output the video, albeit at a lower resolution (960x540). Why can't Apple do the same thing for video output to non-HDCP displays?
Let's not forget that Nvidia recently licensed some of Transmeta's patents: http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/08/08/nvidia.transmeta.license/ Although the article mostly covers the use of Transmeta's low-power technology, Nvidia may very-well have licensed the ability to add x86-compatibility to a multi-core solution. Sounds like Nvidia is taking the opposite approach that Intel is doing with Larabee, bring the GPU into CPU territory.
HD-DVD is going the way of DVD-RAM, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, I agree it can be recycled, and yes, the best way to do that is to open up the format. But having the industry continue its trend of providing dual-format HD players (i.e. players that can read both HD-DVD and Blue-ray discs) is very important to this ultimate goal. I hope Toshiba will quickly act upon this opportunity so that consumers can take advantage of the low-cost HD-DVD players and HD-DVD drives that have already made it into peoples' homes and computers. Here we come, HD DVD-R video cameras!
Although I am completely against DRM when it comes to music I've purchased to own, I forsee that DRM is quickly becoming a method to apply cheaper and wider access to music, albeit with restrictions. DRM has been really beneficial to allow subscription music users to take their music on the go; with an ad-supported platform or a service or device lockdown (as suggested with the above scheme), other service providers and device manufacturers can provide you low cost or free access to music, but the files would be limited in playback when under a particular service contract or using a particular device. This is why DRM on the iTunes store is really more of a device-lockdown; customers purchase the music, but it must be used with Apple products. I guess in this case, obtaining access to music using this method would lock you down to LG phones.
I'm currently in the Philippines on an extended business trip (3 months to go). In the U.S. I use a Kyocera 7135 Smartphone (CDMA) which is very ancient and unreliable at this point in time. I would love to replace it with the iPhone. However, at the moment, as much as I'd love to purchase a U.S. iPhone, I can't primarily because the roaming charges would be outrageous here in the Philippines. I also don't want to have to go through the trouble of trying to unlock the phone temporarily just so that I can use it with a local SIM to avoid roaming charges.
Yes, in 3 months, I can return to the U.S., give in, and accept a locked-down iPhone, but what happens when if I was to travel to Europe or Asia again? Why should I have to pay AT&T almost $2 / minute to use the iPhone in a foreign country? I may be willing to give Apple and AT&T my business for 2 years if I don't plan to travel outside of the U.S., but at the moment that is not an option for me.
Yes, you can argue that I am only one out of so many that Apple will be losing business on, and they are making up for it with the AT&T exclusivity. But I am a potential customer none-the-less. I wouldn't argue that the Apple / AT&T partnership is important from an ease-of-use standpoint for iPhone customers, but that does not mean Apple can't allow people to purchase an unlocked iPhone at their own risk. Clearly, this is about money and stubbornness by Apple to allow customers to use the device freely (albeit unsupported, as the case may be).
And this is why I believe one of the biggest mistakes the U.S. Justice Department made when handling Microsoft's antitrust case was deciding to leave the company intact, rather than splitting the company into 3 (OS, Office, Entertainment). Now, instead of seeing independent and smart business decisions being made in their productivity and entertainment suites to help them grow, they will continue to be boil down to one final parameter: Does it help the Windows unit hold onto its grasp on the PC market? And worst of all, the consumers suffer by not being able to play their Windows Media DRM'd music in other operating systems to continuing to reap innovations in the Office suite.
I believe Palm made a smart move splitting the hardware and software components; now, instead of allowing the Palm devices to fall behind due to unparalleled support of the operating system, they can adapt to market demands. Apple also made one of the smartest move in the company's history by opening up the iPod and iTunes to both Windows and Mac computers. Come on Microsoft, grow up.
I think what's also really nice about the sleep mode in Mac OS X is that it is capable of resuming down to the last instruction that was executed by an application. That is, lets say you're compiling some source code or encoding a video. The sleep mode will capture the exact state the computer was in so that when you restore your session, applications resume like nothing ever happened...by far my favorite feature, albeit necessary given there's no way to leave a Macbook Pro running while the lid is closed and in my computer bag. I really was hoping Windows Vista had improved the functionality of power states...hopefully they are able to resolve these issues with future updates.