iPhone and appleTV

[sokoban]

So, anyone else see the new stuff announced at Macworld?

iPhone
4 and 8 gb models
full widescreen/touchscreen ipod
802.11 built in
runs OS X applications

appleTV
Plays media from iTunes (H.264, AAC, MP3, apple lossless, aiff)
720p
USB/802.11/100 base-t
HDMI/Component Video/Analog stereo/optical(no word on 5.1 though)
40 GB drive
Unnamed Intel processor

[Nick M]

iPhone is going to be huge. I'm getting one for sure!
It will be time to crush my Motorola Razr... :lol:

[sokoban]

I'm most hyped about the appleTV. It is exactly what I want in a media center mac. The only thing that would be nicer is if I could connect it directly to my elgato eyeTV tuner so that I could have an all in one media center and totally ditch my main desktop, which has been mostly used as a media server for the past several months.

[JonMarsh]

The shouldn't have called it a phone, though that's the easies way I suppose for folks to get a handle on it. What it appears to be to me is a portable computing platform including a phone and media player.

Will be very interesting to see what this may morph into over time. I expect to see a hard disk based widescreen iPod, too, at the least.

Reportedly Jobs started a team a few years ago looking at tablet displays, and what they came up with was so flexible and cool they figured a multi-function handheld was the way to go. My personal Blackberry 8700C will be history once this is out.

Apple TV may be interesting as just a more convenient way to get media from my Mac's to my projection TV and a flatpanel I'm considering for the bedroom. Of even more immediate interest is the Airport Extreme- I've been expecting this along with the "enabler" software that allows the newer Macs to all function as 802.11n devices, as they've had the hardware for a year. I've got the existing airport anyway, and it's been a better and more consistent performer than the Netgear it replaced.

Still, I would like to have heard what's in the pipeline for iLive and iWorks, and the status of Leopard, but hey, I guess they don't do four hour keynotes, do they?

[Nick M]

While I have 100% confidence in Apple... I want to see how Cingular handles their end of the deal. If the "EDGE" network is going to be in major metropolitan areas only, or they charge $0.50 everytime you access the net or eMail they can stick it you know where.

If the safari/mail features will be available wherever the phone has tower access and they are sane about the fees for safari/eMail then I will eat the $150 termination fee on my Verizon Wireless Motorola Razr and be first in line at the local cingular store for the $600 8GB model! :T

Simply amazing how much is packed into this device. I posted early this morning in another thread about where this device will be leading the computing world as well. I think this may be the footstone for tablet PCs to take off again. An Apple stamp would be perfect for such a product. I hope more advances have been made in handwriting recognition before they release another tablet though.

[JonMarsh]

If my own experience with the 8700C is any indication, I have only once found myself without data service, and that was off in the sticks in Northern Arkansas... and I've had no problems while traveling in Europe.

[chrispy35]

Apparently no 3rd-party software capability.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-iphone-is-not-a-smartphone/

Chris P.

[Nick M]

Finally got the Keynote address to work... their servers were overloaded today with traffic.

Definetly going to revolutionize portable electronic devices and the efficiency of our communication.

So I guess I'm waiting to see what the fees will be with Cingular.

[PewterTA]

iLife, dumming down America one person at a time.

[Lex]

Now it could be "i-ut oh". Apple is being sued by Cisco, that says it bought a small company in 2000 that owned rights to the i-phone monikor. This is easy, just make it "a-phone".

[Nick M]

I think the iLife software suite is an excellent set of basic software for audio/video/photo editing. It's an excellent jumping off from point for those who might advance to more powerful software such as aperture.
-----
Lex - Yeah, looks like Apple might need to either change it's name (unlikely), buy the rights from Cisco, or fight for them in court.

[Brandon B]

They were already in negotiations. This is likely just a strategic move to protect their rights and hurry Apple back to the table.

BB

[Brian Bunge]

Here's what my wife had to say about Cingular and how they handle data:

"Cingular does not charge by the minute. Data is billed at kb rates. Robust data plans as well as smaller plans are provided to fit the customer’s needs. As this device has WIFI, tower connection will not be needed if within a WIFI area."

Also, it's important to note that as of Jan. 27th (IIRC) Cingular will be known as AT&T (as will BellSouth). All the commercials down here are referring to it as "the new AT&T" and there's even a website with that as the URL.

[maseline_98]

is there any prices for the iPhone yet? It's probably going to be $800 or something crazy...Apple doesn't exactly produce inexpensive products. I bought a 60 gig video iPod last year for $400 and by the time the warrenty(another $80) + accessories(iTrip, wall charger, and some other crap ~$150) + the adaptor for my car radio (another $150)...the stupid thing was almost $800 and that was before I even put any music on it...but dont get me wrong...it's a great product and I use it everyday, but it's just really expensive....plus...before you know it...there will be a iPhone : Gen 2, that will somehow be smaller and have 1 or 2 more features...

[springer49]

$499 for the 4GB
$599 for the 8Gb
hard to beat considering all that they do.

[Nick M]

I've heard people b*tching about the storage capacity, but I for one am damn happy that they went solid state like the iPod Nano's rather than the delicate accident-prone hard-drives in the regular iPods.

I'll wait to see what type of coverage and transfer speeds are available in the areas I frequent, and what the prices for various data plans are for the iPhone at the time of it's release. If it's decent then I will most definetly be getting an 8GB version sometime next summer (I might wait for the first round to be delivered to see what problems people are going to experience with a product this cool, yet new...).

[Brian Bunge]

The iPhone will save me some money, assuming they give all the store managers one (like they did with the BlackJack). I won't have to buy her an iPod and can just focus on getting her a dock, a small T-amp and build her a nice little pair of speakers for her desk.

[JonMarsh]

My money says this is the first device in a whole new generation based on the development tools (portable OSX, Dashcode, etc) and technologies you're seeing here first. My money says you'll eventually see a real widescreen video iPod (maybe by next Xmas) with harddrive and no phone (that's what I've been waiting for, but wtih the UI functionality of the iPhone, I WILL ditch my Blackberry). Wouldn't be surprised to see an ultraportable notebook based on this, as the screens become available with this technology in larger sizes. Will require further software development, an hybrid between the phone and desktop OSX.

I think Apple is going to make the rest of the industry a bit uncomfortable the next few years. And this is coming from a guy that's been using PC's since 1983, and building his own since 1985 (AT compatible and up).

Now, I just buy Mac's, and do work WITH them, instead of working ON them. The thing that really drove me to this was the gulf in user experience between Mac notebooks and the more expensive PC notebooks, including enterprise class products from HP and IBM. I'm tired of tinkering with PC's and sending expensive notebooks back to be worked on because of reliability issues. In three Mac notebooks, (a PB17, a MacBook, and a MBPro 17", I've had zero issues. And the intel ones run my LspCAD, SIMetrix, MathCAD, and Altium Designer, too.) Don't talk to my about my last three notebooks from IBM, HP, and Sony.

[Lex]

This is what I don't like about the Apple culture. It's like no matter what you are getting from them, it's billed as a new Swiss Army Knife with twice the utility functions, at 3X the normal price. It's like I told the sales geek at the Apple store before Christmas when looking at i-mac's for my daughter. I told him I was fully aware of just how proud of all their stuff Apple is, it's why I do PC stuff myself.

While their stuff is technically sufficient, and is asthetically very pleasing to look at, I still think Apple goods are overpriced. I like discountable tech stuff, not products thought to be as exclusive as Polo and other exclusive brands from the department stores.

[maseline_98]

I'm certainly not going to get one....2 reasons: 1. There is no keypad and if anybody has ever had a smart phone with a touchpad knows that you will find yourself dialing with it in you pocket(LG's chocolate does this as well). 2. NO EVDO = SLOW TRANSFER!!!!....it will dirt slow for downloading and forget about 'slinging'...


I'm sure they will fix these features(especially in EVDO) in the 2nd Gen release---

EDIT: Not to mention, it's Cingular and they have terrible service as it is

[Brian Bunge]

Well, I can't comfortably walk or sit with a cell phone in my pocket so that would never be an issue for me.