I just finished listening to the podcast and I give up defending what didn't suck about the announcements because ''uh yeah, good point. But anyhow, didn't the announcement today just suck?'' Whatever.
Apple never said this announcement would be anything other than ''fun.'' I honestly expected little more than colored Nanos like Molly predicted. Obviously, she didn't even believe herself. Yeah we hoped it would be more but we all knew better. ''Fun'' is ''hey this is kinda neat'' - not ''Oh my God, you'll sh*t your pants when you see this!'' That's what TMV and half this site apparently expected.
Apple just crammed a super fast chip into a tiny little box that will, either with Apple's integrated solution or third party offerings, become an amazing hub for an awful lot of cool things. Not just a d*mned DVR. The integrated part apparently isn't there yet - Apple is probably fighting a behind-the-scenes battle with content producers to permit D1 or h*ll, even HD content through the iTunes music store. On the other hand, they feel market and logistical pressures to get the Intel version of the Mini out the door NOW since a lot of people use it for a lot of other things. So instead of going to Apple's website and seeing just how cool this neat new product is, we concentrate on the boombox and call it all "the suck."
Just great. Apple wasn't responsible for the hype. They called it nothing more than a ''fun'' announcement - the blahg sites and BOL built it into smething it could have never been.
Bah!
-Kevin S.
Ok, well I think that the Mac Mini and the Hi-Fi alone are the suck, but here's how they tie into Apple's possible future home.
I'm watching my TV and there's nothing on. With my Apple remote, I fire up my Mac Mini and using Front Row, I open the movie that I downloaded to my iMac from itunes the previous night and is runnig over the AirPort network in my house. After an hour, I decide that I want to make some popcorn, so I pause the movie and open iTunes on front row. I pick a song and press play. That also tells my iPod Hi-Fi (with new built in Wi-Fi and/or AirPort) in the kitchen to play the same song. I enter the kitchen not missing a beat from my favorite song. Using my Apple Microwave (just kidding) I make some popcorn and walk over my iPod in the Hi-Fi system and pick a new song. I go back to my TV again not missing a beat and go back to my movie.
When it's all done, I go up to my iMac with the AirPort extreme base staiton hooked up that's making this whole thing possible and download some new movies for next time. I go back to my Mac Mini, select the DVR function from Front Row and watch the latest episode of "Monk" that's free becuase I chose the "free but with ads" preference.
Well there you have it , my little way of reducing "the suck." I think that once Apple does tie it all in and sync it up and what not, it'll be pretty sweet. How would everyone else tie in the new Apple products ot make them worthwhile? What do you think Apple needs to do to make your wireless home of the future work?

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