I was listening to a recent netcast, probably MacBreak Weekly #214 or Windows Weekly #176, and they were discussing the USB port on the back of the Apple TV.  I really started to think about that port and and the iTunes software.  I also felt that my iTunes Server could be met with Apple activating that port for external hard drives.  This could make the Apple TV an iTunes Server IF they add the ability to manage Accounts, Purchase Content, and allow iTunes to act as the intermediary.  Personal Profiles would allow one iTunes Account to manage multiple users (or device profiles) with Bonjour running Apple could enable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Syncing.  This would solve the iTunes Server issue mentioned below.

I have noticed that a few videos and articles have surfaced over the last [thinking] 3 years and they are all pointing to the future of where Apple said it was going in the 80′s.  The Newton was their first attempt at a mobile product that would fill the space of the ‘hand-held communicator’ or Dynabook that was talked about by Alan Kay.  In my recent post, the video shared by TUAW, talks about being able to stream media on the fly.  To have total access to your books, music, movies, and documents no matter where an individual is located … they only need access to the internet.

Today we have 2 ubiquitous internet devices from Apple, the iPad and iPhone.  These two devices deliver the majority of the internet to you on the go.  We know that we can buy, rent, listen, and watch content as long as we are connected to the internet.  Yeah for 3G and GSM!!!  We now know that Apple is working on “The Orchard” a large data center in North Carolina.  Apple has now released the updated Apple TV that delivers all of your iTunes content to your TV plus NetFlix and hopefully much more as they continue to work on this platform.  I have heard some discussion for the Apple TV where we can push Hulu, MLB, or even games to our living room or bedroom TVs via AirPlay (or Apps).

With Apple rolling Apple TV and AirPlay out to their 160 million registered iTunes customers they have an instant [upon purchase] test bed.  To play with and work through all the bugs and legal issues.  They have a willing audience of “Fan Boys” that have already ordered their new Apple TV‘s.  They have users like me that will be purchasing one after they start shipping.

Now, what is missing?  One huge thing I think is missing is an iTunes server.  Yeah, I know that HP’s MediaSmart running Windows Home Server with the plug-in will act in this fashion.  What I am looking for is … think a Mac Mini Server form factor that we can add external hard drives to for increased capacity!  [The one extra cool feature would be that we could add more iTunes Servers and they would span the network.  I am thinking of a Drobo + AirPort Wireless Network Extender + SAN.]  We could stream right from that instead of from the family iMac.  It would function as the iTunes back-up for the whole family, accounts for each user.  This would then be coupled with “The Orchard” so that we have 3 copies of our media and we can then stream anything we own to anywhere! Now hold on and don’t forget that Apple purchased Lala.com and they had a really good balance of being able to push music that you already own for 10¢ each track and the ability to buy new music.

So,  if I have a DVD or digital copy of a movie, then I have to pay the 30¢ licensing fee and Apple drops a copy in my Orchard account.  Then if something happens to our Mac we have a copy of everything in the “Cloud”.  The way I see this service really being delivered is via MobileMe.  I am not sure if it would be 99$ still or if it would be free.  I think that free would ‘force’ people to move their content there because there is no barrier to entry.  I know that I would start right away.  I know that it would cost me; but if I could have the guarantee … I would be compelled to do it right away.  We have 2 Macs and 2 iPhones and it would be a no brainer for my wife and I to jump on that right away.

It is very clear to my mind what this will look like and how it will work.  Unfortunately, I don’t actually know and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to write this.

iron wil

I love this device.  I really like the 802.11n and I really like the Price Point!  I can afford the 99$ and that makes this an easy buy.  Having access to NetFlix and my iTunes Library in the same place really makes me love this.  I see 3 things that will happen to the device over the next year or two:

1. The Orchard will hold and deliver personal content to any iPhone, iTouch, iPad, and Apple TV.
2. Apple will develop a home iTunes server that will allow for several accounts and multiple account access.  Think HP’s Windows Home Server with the iTunes plug-in.
3. Apple will allow for App development which will bring in more content and some games.  This may require a new Apple TV to handle multiple iPhones, iTouchs, and iPads … to act as game controllers.

Once, Apple puts these pieces into place, it defines the paradigm and concept of what that device in the living room is that handles TV Shows, Movies, Music, and Gaming!

I need to pre-order mine.

iron wil

P.S.

Others Thoughts

1. Wired’s Epicenter, How Apple Just Disrupted the Cable Guys.
2. Ars Technica, No longer a hobby? $99 Apple TV drops storage, integrates Netflix.
3. Fortune Tech, Apple TV swings hard but misses.

I  have to disagree with Fortune, I think that they are wanting a solution to a problem that everyone is searching for.  Wired & Ars, I think are on the same train of thought as I am and Apple.  It isn’t the answer yet … another step or iteration on the path to getting it right.  I look forward to seeing what comes next.  I hope they see and realize that this can’t be a stand alone box; it has to have a robust back-end of content.

I don’t think that Apple will move off OS X unless it is to another desktop OS [11?].  I don’t think that they will move to iOS for their “Trucks” either, how else would people program for Apple products [pro & consumer]?  I think that if they move to a touch based OS for “OS 11″ then we will see programming change to a modular and visual interface and the keyboard will still be needed for some functions.  The only way the keyboard could be minimized is if a Star Trek like voice command is implemented.

What I think will happen is Apple will develop it’s Siri acquisition to build a more robust voice command interface and then over time move it into the desktop computer while beefing up the touch interface.  I also think that the home desktop will turn into a media server that will be connected via Wi-Fi to the TV, stereo, and hand-held devices [iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches].  We will use the Knowledge Navigator [hand-held device] to interface with the home server and it will do the heavy lifting and data crunching.  It will store and back-up all the data from our devices and allow for the transfer of songs, movies, and other data back and forth via Wi-Fi.  Yes, this will work with the iPod Nano and Classic too!

The future of Apple is the Federation.  No really, the future is going  to be both trucks and cars, the desktop or work horse machine and the hand-held device.  The number of desktop machines will diminish because a family will own one & then they will all have hand-held devices.  The delivery of media will continue to be in two places the TV and the hand-held.  We will see the ability to move from one device to another and the media will follow seamlessly.

Ahhh, the future, please come now!!!

iron wil

I can see replacing my 13″ MacBook with the iPad and using my iMac to do the heavy lifting.  I can see using Dropbox and Evernote even more.  I can see converting all my current OOo [OpenOffice] documents to iWork which means that it easily justifies the expense [not that I consider iWork expensive].  In fact, I think that I could buy 1 iPad for each of my family members and then set up accounts on our iMac as the kids get older.  This would allow my boys to each have one for online games and Apps and their own music selections.

While my personal transition to eBooks has been slow, this may entice me to make that move.  I am using Stanza on my iPhone & it isn’t really a compelling experience.  I also don’t have a lot of reading time and find that Audible is a better resource for me right now.  I hope that this iBook software allows for marking and notes because that would be a big failure right out of the gate if it wasn’t included.  I hope that Amazon gets on board like Audible has with Audiobooks available via iTunes; especially if they can keep the books at the low cost they already are for Kindle owners.

I think this beats the NetBook model hands down even if it isn’t quite what I thought it would end up being. Now, a few weeks ago I published my own predictions for the iPad.

I predicted that Apple would release a multi-touch device similar to the JooJoo [aka CrunchPad] that ran Apps, eBooks, with WiFi/3G, iTunes, a built in battery, Lala, and the content aspects of the Sports Illustrated Tablet demo.  I was right on some items and we could still see Lala become part of the service package MobileMe [I was not the first to suggest this].  I will admit that I am still blown away.  I love the device and look forward to heading into town in 60 Days and testing one out.  I think I will have to get a sitter & take the wife to a movie to justify the whole thing.

I know that many people will not get it until they see others using it and that I can understand.  It was the same way with the Kindle and other devices.  I didn’t get the iPod until I owned one.  Yeah, until I owned one and then I felt dumb because I had not invested in it before then.  It was a mind blowing music experience and since then, I have bought a couple dozen albums.

New Prediction, iSlate with Inkwell for writing with a finger or 3rd party stylus.  This will be more like the Axiotron ModBook.  It will be slide between the iPad and MacBook.

iron wil

I would love to watch new release movies in my living room on opening weekend in my home.  I would be willing to pay 20$ for this.  My own snacks, a pause button, my couch, being able to sit and watch a new movie in my home!  That would rock!  Think about it the Studios could take most of that [90%/10%] and make much more than I am guessing they do through the current movie theater system.

Of course, if I like a movie enough, I may then go see it in the theater for that huge screen or to see it in 3D.  I am just saying … how about it Hollywood!?!

iron wil

This is a great tribute site for authors and characters! Hey, Oscar Wilde

iron wil

It was very hard to see Ben arrive at the decision to take his own life so that others could live.  He obviously viewed the deaths of 7 people as murder.  He felt personally responsible to those individuals and the only way he could ‘repair’ the damage is to give life to someone that is dying.  To see Ben live and be committed to a goal and do the hard thing is amazing.  I don’t think many people in our country understand the kind of commitment that it takes to live your principles and stick to them even if it kills you.

This movie, despite the suicide, is easily one of my favorite movies and sits with HERO and Remember the Titans as a fantastic movie of principle and living a principle centered life.

iron wil

I have to give Will Smith lots of credit for making that movie and delivering on that story.  I can see why it was rewritten for the American public, we like our heroes to live and crush the enemy.  They also made the story much more heart warming and tender.  I don’t know if that was for the women that would be watching the movie with their husbands or because it made it a better story.  I am going with the better story.

See the movie!  It is fantastic!!!

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iron wil

Tron 2.

iron wil