> Do you have any reason to think that Apple will eventually sell a Tivo like
> service?
If they don't, someone else will.
Aside from the TiVo service itself, you can turn into Macintosh or PC into a
digital TV recorder with the addition of an MPEG encoder/decoder and a TV
tuner.
Apple previously wondered into the realm of the cable set top box before
changing their mind. With Steve's new focus on the computer as a digital
appliance, this concept will likely return.
Already, through Napster and MP3s (and CD-R), computers are music centers.
And, while behind the curve here, Apple now has a compelling entry in that
arena with iTunes.
Apple is, not surprisingly, ahead of the curve in video. Computers are
becoming video editing systems and will eventually become video playback
systems. Apple's had DVD-Video playback for quite awhile. And they have a
fairly compelling suite of services in iMovie and iDVD.
The current mix is sufficient reason to go the next step and bring TV to the
desktop (and Apple has previously done that with several products...although
it's been awhile since their last one). But the concept is more compelling
than ever.
#####
But...the step beyond that is even more interesting. Add broadband wireless
networking to your house (and an 802.11b home network is sufficient for
this) and to your products.
Wanna listen to music? You computer can stream MP3's or CDs across that
connection to a portable receiver anywhere in the house.
Wanna watch videos? Your computer can stream video from a DVD, from a
TiVO-like device, or from a pay-per-view service to an appropriate monitor
anywhere in the house.
Wanna surf the web? Your computer acts as a gateway, your "slate" (think a
lightweight, paper-sized LCD, with a pen interface (and optional keyboard or
voice recognition)) as a remote email client, web browser, bill paying
system, word processor, etc. Of course the "slate" works anywhere in the
house.
Incoming phone call? Not a problem. All of the above functionalities yield
voice service nearly for free. And with a pinpoint camera, the age of video
phone service just might arrive.
#####
The next step is the computer as a TiVo-like device.
If Apple doesn't get there first, they know they'll become increasingly
irrelevant.
> It would be nice to be able to record movies as easily as Tivo, but with the
> advantage of being able to move the movie to another room.
See above. ;-)
> Of course, I could get the same thing if Tivo would just ad a Firewire port
> and let me record onto an external hard drive.
The first generation ReplayTV had a Firewire port. I and a small group of
technical friends had an entire business plan drawn up around that port.
Then ReplayTV decided that they were going to remove it... Pfft! No more
business plan. :-(
mikel
PS: An AOL Apple Time Warner Company? Control the access, control the
desktop, and control the content?
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