Not that I am partisan or anything like that, but I am just now catching up on Apple’s earlier announcements, and once again they have proven themselves worthy of the adulation. Just look at the remote for the new iMac in comparison to the remotes for the Windows Media Center PC. They really are a tremendous example of a 2.1 mentality – they know how to really provide functionality and an interface that real people can understand and use. Their motto should be:
Simplify it, and they will come.
Then again, I was hoping they would announce a deal with Tivo to directly sync the Tivo to the iPod. So while I am generally ecstatic about the products, the ramifications of the system they are deploying for media as property just sucks. (Give to the Creative Commons fundraising campaign if you have not done so yet) The fact that they will be charging $1.99 per episode may be good for shareholders but is terrible for us working folks. As with my earlier post on Digital Photos though, it is pretty difficult and expensive to make the whole situation simple. In fact, I still have not gotten my Tivo synched with my Mac for taking shows with me, so perhaps it might be worth $1.99 if I missed an episode, but I will avoid doing so as long as I can.
Is this the beginning of the real revolution in Video Journalism though? Only time will tell, but if I were to place a bet today, my guess is that the general public will clamour for this next generation – shipped in time for the holidays even – wow. Its so damn sexy I would run out and by one now if I was not living on a budget. My iMac is not even 7 week old and its already obsolete though – this never ending cycle of whetting and satiating our technolust is starting to wear on me….
But I still want a new iPod – besides, it costs the same as the 5 GB model I bought on the first day it was introduced.
