Apple TV - not in its current form where you connect it to your Samsung or Sony and watch a few downloaded movies or stream some. I mean an Apple TV in flesh and blood. But why, I hear? Why? Because after leading the sound revolution [
iPod] and carrying the success to web interface [
iPhone], it's high time someone came up with a new television rather than fiddling with screen sizes and thinness.
It amazes me that the brains at Samsungs and Sonys are still trying to fight a lost battle - creating
mp3 players with a difference. The world is very happy with the iPod - no one wants another mp3 player guys - not even if you start giving it for free – okay I am exaggerating, but you get the point.
Remember Sony
Walkman? It ruled the world; we had Hitachi, Toshiba, Philips and every electronic brand making them, but everyone wanted the Walkman. How did it die? As
Al Ries said – a brand is locked into an idea in the mind. If that idea becomes obsolete, the brand becomes obsolete. Polaroid was instant photography, Xerox was copiers, Kodak was film photography and Walkman was portable cassette player. The
audio cassette died when
Compact Discs came along and the Walkman died soon after – the hearse took a while because of traffic in the developing markets. [CDs were exorbitant initially]
The only way the iPod domination can break is if an alternative media [like CDs to mp3] takes over from mp3 and someone else gets it right - first. It will need a paradigm shift in audio format to displace the iPod from its leadership, not another button on the mp3 player. Or maybe a prayer - that Apple goes into slumber, might help.
Coming back to my vision of Apple TV - it's a telly [not a surprise] and a super-speed, circa 2TB hard-drive
Mac in one. And what does it do that others don't today? Well - the list is infinite but let me highlight a few:
Before we begin, you get your entire iTunes library on the Apple TV and synch your iPhone with it [using home
Wi-Fi]. Now:
· Want to download and watch
Godfather from iTunes? No cables required…press buy on iPhone and start
· Want to blast
Rolling Stones on hi-fi? No amplifier or docking station required
· Want to check tomorrow's weather on the web? Don't need to squint your eyes on a small screen...sit back on the sofa with a wireless key board or iPhone and surf
· Want to check the detail design on that cocktail dress? Use multi-touch on iPhone to zoom
· Want to see pictures of your
Morocco vacation? See and show them on the big screen
· Want to play
pool? Download from application store; aim on the big screen, shoot on iPhone
· Want to have a audio conference? Dial on iPhone and the whole room of people can participate
Got it? You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. I can bet at least one wise guy - currently on sabbatical, must have already planned it. Not sure, how long it will be before he pulls out the ace. Watch this space.
'But surely, that's white...' you say.
