While you said the iPod was "the best hardware", there was the other major aspect of it's success. iTunes.
True, I was just simplifying it. And of course, it didn't initially come with iTunes on Windows and still sold a ton of units IIRC.
This setup with the computer tethered to the AppleTV is the old vision Apple had, where the computer sits at the center of the "digital hub". In a pure Apple setup, with an Apple TV somewhere on the network or a router, Wake on Demand can at least allow some power savings, since the Mini could sit asleep. Not ideal, but better then being on 100% of the time.
How do I do this? I have never seen this mentioned (and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it on the board before). Not only is it not ideal, it's not at all user friendly if my mother can't figure it out.
Moving forward though, Apple has no way of bringing in users own content if it happens to be a DVD, thanks to the DMCA blocking a potential iTunes ripping like solution.
I wasn't really thinking of that kind of "own content." I was thinking home movies, photos, and music.
Home videos are a little clunky right now, because there is no iCloud syncing of them, yet. iCloud in Apple's mind is what is replacing the older "digital hub" and it's still a work in progress.
It sure is, and I really can't see putting someone like my mother on iCloud. I don't think that's going to be any simpler to her, especially when it doesn't work that great for now.
The current "Apple" way is to share your home videos out somewhere. In the past this was via MobileMe, and they also currently support YouTube and Vimeo. If you sign in to an account, then AppleTV will show your files, including the private ones. I know, it's not the most ideal, and I'm not trying to defend it, simply explain it from the perspective of Apple.
No, that's a good point. I could convert her videos and put them in private or "link only" mode in Youtube. The main problem I have with that is that in my experience, when using Youtube on hardware like the Apple TV or Tivo or anything else, you end up having to sign in a lot, and with that remote it's a serious PITA.
Oh, and don't get me started on the whole "we at Apple are so awesome for giving you 1080p now." I should be used to this whole "this technology is stupid until we say it isn't" attitude from Apple, but it still gets me every time...
Interesting that a statement of "we think 720p is fine today" said in the past is turned into Apple somehow saying 1080p was stupid.
Yes, Apple has engaged in misdirection in the past, but I can't recall them ever insulting higher resolution.
Okay, perhaps I was remembering incorrectly. I admit that. But I don't really see how it's "finer" today than it was a year ago. Admittedly, 1080p is only useful if your TV is larger than, say 37-42", but I really don't think the market for those larger sets is any larger now than it was 18 months ago.
Cost is also a factor. Sure, they could have shiped an AppleTV earlier capable of 1080p, but the cost would have been higher, when people still whine about current Apple prices.
Then SAY that. That's where people get riled up. Instead, the implication is that "you don't need 1080p because we say so." I think that's where people get the idea that this is what they said. I know most companies don't want to admit that their product can't do something, especially Apple, but I don't like that instead of saying they can't do something for some reason, they tell us it's not something we need. That's what "720p is fine" means to me. I guess it doesn't to you.
Add in AVI and MKV support with who knows what codec involved, and you now also move towards needing a dedicated general purpose CPU.
Yeah, that's more wishful thinking. It's not a big deal because the kinds of people who possess those files are the kind who can run them through Handbrake anyway.
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