You have to remember however that these competing products ran on the Windows OS platform. This gave M$ the competitive advantage ultimately, as they could use internal APIs to enhance the performance/features of their product, while (possibly) worsening the performance/features of their competitors offering. This is a totally different fight. Apple owns the ENTIRE software/hardware stack. M$ will have to build a competing stack of their own, using existing pieces (Win7/XBoxLive) and some new ones (WinMo7) to stand a realistic chance in hell. Not to mention Google is constantly nipping at their heels with the 'Cloud Dog'. I wish M$ the best of luck in this endeavor. Apple looks pretty battle-hardened and unbeatable right now...
Not to worry, dude. I'm thinking Apple has gotta eventually (i.e., within a year) add an iTunes subscription model to facilitate sales of AppleTV. Think about it: ten of your favorite TV shows, and a few 'queued' movies streamed weekly to iTunes/AppleTV, for 15 bucks a month. Sweeeet...
Much as I'd like to dislike them, you just gotta give it up for Microsoft providing IronPython/IronRuby support in SilverLight. So, instead of providing JRuby/Jython/Groovy APIs for their new technology, Sun decides to create a new frakkin' scripting language? Think this innovation might be DOA...
I agree Apple would have to change the pricing model of the TV portion of iTMS to match TiVo's, probably subsidized by advertisers embedding commercials in the shows -- the same as TV today. That could make the pricing extremely comparable to TiVo/cable/satellite (unlimited download of weekly shows for $20/month, perhaps). Also, the iPod device represents an optional 'mobile' component of the system. If you wanted to run video/sound direclty from your iMac/MacMini to one of the multiple input ports available on TVs today (my Sony HD Vega has inputs for up to 6 video/audio sources), go right ahead (think Apple has a handheld remote to facilitate this). You wouldn't need the video iPod, unless you wanted video 'on the go' (i.e., subway ride/vacation/etc.). Thoughts?
...or is TiVo one step away from being squashed by Apple's iTMS? What's to prevent Apple from offering a monthly subscription service with content from weekly TV shows (commercials included) being downloaded to your machine overnight through iTunes? After which, you can either sync it to your video iPod, or send it directly to your TV set (see the the new iMac models). Or, even better, run an s-video cable from your iPod to your set -- essentially giving you a super portable TiVo box that you can take with you on vacation, to pacify the kids. Am I crazy, or is this a likely scenario?
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You have to remember however that these competing products ran on the Windows OS platform. This gave M$ the competitive advantage ultimately, as they could use internal APIs to enhance the performance/features of their product, while (possibly) worsening the performance/features of their competitors offering. This is a totally different fight. Apple owns the ENTIRE software/hardware stack. M$ will have to build a competing stack of their own, using existing pieces (Win7/XBoxLive) and some new ones (WinMo7) to stand a realistic chance in hell. Not to mention Google is constantly nipping at their heels with the 'Cloud Dog'. I wish M$ the best of luck in this endeavor. Apple looks pretty battle-hardened and unbeatable right now...
Not to worry, dude. I'm thinking Apple has gotta eventually (i.e., within a year) add an iTunes subscription model to facilitate sales of AppleTV. Think about it: ten of your favorite TV shows, and a few 'queued' movies streamed weekly to iTunes/AppleTV, for 15 bucks a month. Sweeeet...
Much as I'd like to dislike them, you just gotta give it up for Microsoft providing IronPython/IronRuby support in SilverLight. So, instead of providing JRuby/Jython/Groovy APIs for their new technology, Sun decides to create a new frakkin' scripting language? Think this innovation might be DOA...
I agree Apple would have to change the pricing model of the TV portion of iTMS to match TiVo's, probably subsidized by advertisers embedding commercials in the shows -- the same as TV today. That could make the pricing extremely comparable to TiVo/cable/satellite (unlimited download of weekly shows for $20/month, perhaps). Also, the iPod device represents an optional 'mobile' component of the system. If you wanted to run video/sound direclty from your iMac/MacMini to one of the multiple input ports available on TVs today (my Sony HD Vega has inputs for up to 6 video/audio sources), go right ahead (think Apple has a handheld remote to facilitate this). You wouldn't need the video iPod, unless you wanted video 'on the go' (i.e., subway ride/vacation/etc.). Thoughts?
...or is TiVo one step away from being squashed by Apple's iTMS? What's to prevent Apple from offering a monthly subscription service with content from weekly TV shows (commercials included) being downloaded to your machine overnight through iTunes? After which, you can either sync it to your video iPod, or send it directly to your TV set (see the the new iMac models). Or, even better, run an s-video cable from your iPod to your set -- essentially giving you a super portable TiVo box that you can take with you on vacation, to pacify the kids. Am I crazy, or is this a likely scenario?