I’m pretty far from being a Luddite, but I’ve never understood the point of the Apple TV. Even after its update to the newest version, I still don’t get why this product exists. Erica posted the reasons she and other members of the TUAW team feel the Apple TV is every bit as revolutionary as any other Apple product, but I disagree. There are many things keeping the Apple TV from being an appealing product, not only for me, but for millions of other potential customers, too. I’ve outlined five of those reasons below.
1. Apple TV is a half-trick pony. I’d say it’s a one-trick pony, but that’s what the old Apple TV was. With its new rental-only model, the Apple TV is now little more than an AirPort Express with video streaming. For many users, that may be exactly what they’ve been looking for. If you’ve got an iMac on the far side of the house from the big-screen HDTV in your living room, Apple TV may be a good solution for you. If you’ve got a MacBook, though, a US$99 Apple TV doesn’t do anything that a $5 VGA cable won’t do just as well. Sure, there’s the tantalizing possibility that Apple TV may run apps someday, but it’s only a possibility. I don’t know about you, but I base my purchasing decisions on what a product can do today, out of the box.
Click “read more” to view the other four reasons I think Apple TV is still just a hobby.
TUAWFive reasons why Apple TV is still just a hobby originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments