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Apple Watch: October 12th Announcements
Thursday, 2005 October 13 - 8:31 am
As the rumor sites predicted, there's an iPod Video, and video sales via iTunes (with a twist). There's also new iMac, something NOBODY predicted.

Okay, here we go.

So there's a new iPod with video playback capability after all. The capacity is still 30GB and 60GB. The iPod is somewhat wider, but not as deep, with a svelte rounded look. The screen is larger; it's 2.5" with 320x240 resolution, about what you'd get from a VHS tape. Not great for watching movies, but perhaps acceptable for television content. Oh, there's no sync via FireWire; only USB now. Ouch.

And that's the twist. The iTunes Music Store is selling video content, including some television shows from ABC and Disney. This tells me something: Apple is challenging the traditional broadcast television model. Instead of having shows pushed to you on the networks' schedule, you can buy your shows a la carte. This might be why Apple hasn't dipped into the DVR market... DVRs cater to the old broadcast school of thinking. If you can get all your shows on the Internet, why would you need a DVR?

Of course, at $1.99 per show, not everyone will be jumping to this model. But I think Apple is looking for a gradual transition here. I wouldn't be surprised to see a subscription model, because unlike with music, people are usually content to watch a show once and then delete it.

So the iPod connects to a television via the new universal iPod dock, though I don't know you'd necessarily want to watch 320x240 videos on your nice big-screen TV. There's also a new remote control, something I discussed as a necessity. But the remote is infrared, not WiFi or Bluetooth. I guess that kinda makes sense, since it doesn't have to operate across rooms after all.

The videos you get via the iTMS are DRM-protected; you can watch them on up to five computers, or an unlimited number of iPods. But you can't burn videos to DVD or VCD, unless you find a hack to strip the DRM. Apple also did not provide a way to import CSS/MacroVision-protected DVDs into iTunes. So there are some pretty glaring holes with all this.

My feeling is that Apple's dipping its toes into the water here, before jumping in and tackling movies and high-definition content and DVD burning. Apple might be waiting for Blu-Ray and super-high-bandwidth Internet before pushing the envelope forward. But maybe they want to establish the model and the technology now, and prove that it all works.

Now the surprise announcement was a new iMac. Or really, an updated iMac. It got a slight speed bump and improved graphics, plus a built-in iSight for video-conferencing, and a Mighty Mouse included. There are a couple of new applications also: one is Photo Booth, allowing the Mac to be used as, well, a photo booth. But the more interesting new app is Front Row, which turns the iMac into a media center device, especially now that the iMac can be used with the new remote control. Front Row gives the user large, easy-to-navigate menus (kinda looks like TiVo), with access to music, movies, and photos. Interesting. (Kinda like the open source CenterStage project.) Will people gather 'round the 17" or 20" screen of an iMac to look at stuff like this? Hmm, I don't know, maybe in a dorm room or bedroom, but not a living room. But this paves the way for future home entertainment devices, that's for sure.

A couple things are gone. One is the eMac. It's still available for volume education purchasers, but not individuals. Not a huge surprise, I guess; Apple is probably going to push people heavily towards the Mac Mini or the iMac. The other thing gone is the U2-edition iPod. That's not a big surprise either; it was a limited-edition offering, after all.

As for rumors that didn't pan out: no, there was no Airport Express Video. There was no Madonna-edition iPod. There were no PowerBook and PowerMac updates (though those are still predicted to come soon). There were no tablet Macs.

Whew. It was an interesting day in Apple-land. Oh, the stock did rebound a bit, by the way.
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Comments

Comment #1 from John C (Guest)
2005 Oct 14 - 8:36 pm : #
Um did you say mac tablets? that has to be THE oldest mac rumor still floating around

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