Apple stakes future on new device
The computer maker is working on a portable and TV set-top entertainment device that offers Net access and plays everything from CDs to DVD movies.
As reported earlier, the computer maker is hoping to capitalize on the convergence of consumer electronics and PC technologies, refashioning itself in the face of dwindling market share and struggling financial picture. This also appears to be the first tangible evidence of a major project conceived by interim CEO Steve Jobs.
The top-secret project could thrust Apple back into the high-tech industry's limelight if, as planned, the company combines a WebTV-like Internet access device with a CD or DVD player to create an easy-to-use, low-cost computing device, sources close to Apple said.
The entertainment devices would hook up to the server computers of Internet service providers. The devices are expected to be able to connect to any ISP running any operating system on its servers--which contrasts with WebTVs, which must use special server software. But Apple apparently hopes the devices will connect with servers that use Rhapsody, its upcoming next-generation operating system.
As a final component to the strategy, Apple could offer content developers tools based on its QuickTime technology to create multimedia content and WebObjects software to build e-commerce ready Internet sites.
Apple declined to comment, but one source indicated the convergence project is code-named Columbus.
So secret is the project that details about the device remain murky, but the breakthrough product may constitute the first evidence of Apple's efforts to develop a network computer device.
"Apple has bolted every porthole to developers who would have helped them with such projects in the past," says Richard Doherty, president of the Envisioneering Group. Still, Doherty noted that there "is some frenzy of activity to extend the Mac OS to other devices," although he has not seen any such devices firsthand.
Unlike a network computer, the next-generation Columbus device is expected to be marketed as an entertainment device or information appliance, instead of a PC replacement. Some prototype versions are capable of playing DVD movies as well as audio CDs, according to various sources familiar with the project. The upshot is that it would be an entertainment device with ties to the Internet, similar in the latter respect to a set-top box, such as the Microsoft-owned WebTV.
Content could have "hooks" to Internet Web sites, making Apple's device an enticing platform from a commercial point of view. Major developers are interested in the Columbus project, according to sources, because of the possibilities for highly targeted marketing, for instance. Developers like Disney already use Apple technology such as the QuickTime format for multimedia content authoring and playback, according to Envisioneering's Doherty.
The notion of an information appliance isn't new. In fact, Apple has already designed something remarkably similar in concept. The Pippin, sold by Bandai and a handful of other licensees, looked somewhat like a game console that could plug into a TV set but also came with a keyboard, played CD-ROMs, and offered Net access.
Development was canceled last year as Apple looked to stem a tide of quarterly losses, but has been picked up again as Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO, looks for the next "insanely great" product to revive the company's fortunes.
Sources said the advantage of Apple's device is that users can get access to both audio and multimedia content without having to wait for a PC to start up, thanks to a technology called Enhanced CD. Sony, Philips, Microsoft, and Apple helped develop the technology, which allows multimedia content to be placed on a regular audio CD.
Developers are eager to exploit a device such as Apple's top-secret Columbus because users could surf a related Web site and view music lyrics--or better yet, purchase related merchandise--instead of just listening to audio.
But Apple isn't alone. Microsoft, Sony, and others are also racing to develop similar products.
Apple also runs the risk of upsetting the very content producers needed to make the software for the Columbus project. Because Apple's QuickTime technology is crucial to the development of interactive multimedia content, the company has tried to renegotiate licensing terms with a number of large developers, sources said.
So far, developers are balking at Apple's terms, and without developer support, the project faces an uncertain future at best. Apple also needs to sell the device to a large number of users to convince Hollywood studios that it is worthwhile to release new titles for an unfamiliar platform.
"Studios need critical mass. It's hard to justify new channels [for distributing] content if the subscriber base is small," said one entertainment industry source.