How long before TV dies?

[Robert Maxwell]

Bullshit...

QFT.

... You can't pin that on Microsoft...

I wasn't expressing an opinion... if was a matter of fact (and included in the findings of fact against Microsoft, and those findings were upheld on appeal) and history.

Whether you guys acknowledge them or not doesn't change reality, and makes no difference in the larger scheme of things. You can believe what you want.

Oh, please. I don't see anyone defending Microsoft here. Funny how other companies can make perfectly good software for Windows, but Apple can't seem to manage putting anything other than bloated crap on the PC. As media players go, QuickTime has always been junk. I've used it off and on for over 10 years, and it only ever seems to get slower and more bloated.

You want to hold Mac up as an example of a platform that welcomes development for it? Control over the software running on Apple hardware is the company's M.O.

What control are you talking about?

Apple has never stopped software makers from making great products for Macs and it is an open environment (with more open access to APIs than on Windows).

Are you talking about software running on peripherals? I don't use an iPhone or iPod touch, so I really don't care what Apple does on them... they aren't really computers anyways (they seem more like entertainment centers... like the xbox or playstation).

You do realize the iPhone and iPod Touch run a stripped-down version of OS X, right? In terms of computing power, they're more "real computers" than the Pentiums of the '90's. They're also where Apple makes their real money, as irrelevant as you seem to think they are.

Apple haters... the name Apple is enough to bring them out in force. I find it amazing that Microsoft has screwed you guys over more (and deeper) than Apple ever could, but you guys stay devoted to it.

Hmmm... I wound if that is an example of stockholm syndrome?

Ah, there we go. Anyone who criticizes Apple is an Apple hater.

 

[STR]

iPhone is not an open system... I can't think of many open system smart phone OS's beyond Android...

Symbian, well now at least, and Maemo/Meego.

 

[RandyS]

I don't think TV will ever die. take radio for example. That's been around for over a century, and I can think of at least two time in it's history that it's use changed. At first, it was used to broadcast wireless signals between ships at sea. In the thirty year period between the the early 1930's, and the early 1960's, it was used as early TV, to broadcast serials, dramas, etc. Ever since then, and before, it was used to broadcast music. I think something similiar will happen with TV.

 

[Dar70]

I don't think TV will ever die. take radio for example. That's been around for over a century, and I can think of at least two time in it's history that it's use changed. At first, it was used to broadcast wireless signals between ships at sea. In the thirty year period between the the early 1930's, and the early 1960's, it was used as early TV, to broadcast serials, dramas, etc. Ever since then, and before, it was used to broadcast music. I think something similiar will happen with TV.

Agreed TV IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. If anything there will be a marriage of internet feeds and television feeds but tv will remain. We will still have networks to watch first run stuff on. Besides when you think about it even if regular tv ceased you still will be watching stuff on your computer screen which is essentially the same thing just in a different format. The networks would just adapt to internet feeds and we would be right back where we started.

 

[Shaw]

Oh, please. I don't see anyone defending Microsoft here. Funny how other companies can make perfectly good software for Windows, but Apple can't seem to manage putting anything other than bloated crap on the PC. As media players go, QuickTime has always been junk. I've used it off and on for over 10 years, and it only ever seems to get slower and more bloated.

Again, if it was only Apple that was having these issues, then why was the Department of Justice taking the lead. More importantly, Apple wasn't one of the named defendants, their experiences with Microsoft were requested bu the court. It was other software makers that were complaining.

All the facts are out there, so you don't have to listen to me. And more importantly, you don't have to guess at this stuff.

You do realize the iPhone and iPod Touch run a stripped-down version of OS X, right?

Yeah, I seem to recall bringing that fact up when I spoke at a Cocoa Developers meeting when I was covering the history of the software they were now using for development.

But that doesn't weaken my argument that iPods and iPhones are peripherals, equipment that is intended for people who already have a computer.

In terms of computing power, they're more "real computers" than the Pentiums of the '90's.

And in the 1990s handheld game systems were as powerful as computers of the 1980s... which didn't make them computers any more than the power of iPods and iPhones makes them computers.

The same thing can be said of the xbox, playstation and tivo... and some cars for that matter. You don't seem to be helping yourself with this line of reasoning.

They're also where Apple makes their real money, as irrelevant as you seem to think they are.

Not according to Apple's SEC filings... Apple's computers are still ahead of iPods and iPhones.

And I never said they were irrelevant (you came up with that)... I said they are peripherals, which is what they are. They are not intended as stand alone devices.

Ah, there we go. Anyone who criticizes Apple is an Apple hater.

No... but those who can't get their facts straight sure aren't spouting misinformation for no reason.

Tell me, if nearly every fact that you think you know about Apple is proven false, would you change your opinion (or tone) about Apple? Hate is an emotional response and rarely needs real justification, and you seem to be more about hate than substance.

Of course it is a little late to steer your way back to a substantive argument, so I expect more of the same from you.

In the end, your issue is with reality more than with me... so I'll let you continue on on your own.

Best of luck with that!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

If your all for simple, controlling, invasive, and overpriced, go for it buy an Apple, otherwise join the free world and buy products that let you remain in control.

^This.

Funny how other companies can make perfectly good software for Windows, but Apple can't seem to manage putting anything other than bloated crap on the PC.

^And this. There are a plethora of companies writing every kind of software that works wonderfully in Windows. Apple doesn't happen to be among them. Yet everybody's out of step but Stevie. The excuse-making is almost cultish.

 

[Shaw]

If your all for simple, controlling, invasive, and overpriced, go for it buy an Apple, otherwise join the free world and buy products that let you remain in control.

^This.

It is a little known fact... but Dennis is Apple's biggest fan. He is more Apple obsessed than any Mac user I've ever seen.

 

[Rii]

Funny how other companies can make perfectly good software for Windows, but Apple can't seem to manage putting anything other than bloated crap on the PC. As media players go, QuickTime has always been junk. I've used it off and on for over 10 years, and it only ever seems to get slower and more bloated.

Srsly. iTunes is the most bloated piece of software I've ever encountered on Windows. Fortunately there are dozens of alternatives.

 

[Hermiod]

iPhone is not an open system... I can't think of many open system smart phone OS's beyond Android...

Symbian, well now at least, and Maemo/Meego.

Symbian isn't. Symbian requires applications that attempt to do anything beyond writing files in their own private directories to be signed in order to be granted specific capabilities.

In order to get your application signed you have to send it off to the Foundation to be tested, just like you do with iPhone apps.

The reason for all of this is that these devices can make phone calls. The operators won't allow devices on their networks that are so dangerously insecure that they might be running applications that start phoning premium rate lines when the user isn't watching.

All this "Apple are control freaks" talk is waaaaaaay off the mark. Apple have done more to encourage small application developers than any other handset manufacturer. Those whining about their phones being "closed" have conveniently glossed over my post above about the development tools as well.

 

[RAMA]

Don't see a death of TV...I see "convergence".

 

[Deckerd]

There might be more ways to watch TV but TV itself is going nowhere.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I've made the comment several times, that we are a few short years away from TV dieing as a medium for entertainment transmission. That it will be replaced with the internet.

How long do you think it will be before this happens, and what do you think will be the "final nail" in the TV Network model of business.


Me I still think that it's going to be in the next two to five years. I think that the big shift is going already in the works and it will be the roll out of two things from Apple which will do it.

The Apple thing is an intertwined two fold introduction of a new product line and a new service.

The product will be the introduction of a line of Apple branded TV's. they will be simple HD LCD's and will probably range in size from 30" up to the mid 50" range. Their big thing will be that they will not be simple monitors but will also have the current apple tv built in.

This will coincide with apple launching a monthly based pay service with live broadcast/unlimited streaming component to the iTunes program, which will allow access to your iTunes stream account from any device.

One monthly membership and you can watch live broadcast/unlimited streaming of Movies, tv shows, and live events such as american idol or the news, from your new Apple television or on your tv through an Apple TV box, on your home computer, your laptop computer, on your iPad, on your iPhone, or on your iPod.

The people I talk with all seem to accept that this "could happen" but that it was farther off than a short two years, but I'm not so sure. The reason I'm not is looking at apples recent moves.

They buy 50 acres of land next to it's headquarters for expansion, Final price tag for this endeavor is estimated to be as high as $500 million. Why does it need this new office and other space?

They build a 500,000 sq foot server farm in North Carolina at a estimated price of $1 billion. What does it need this for?

Apple, this past December, purchased the streaming music service Lala. Why? Perhaps it's a case similar to PA Semi, where apple had no real interest in the company but wanted access to the engineering and experience base for future use... Note, apple bought PA Semi in 2008, developed the ipad's new PA Semi crew designed chip in 09, and is bringing it to market in early 10.

Steve Jobs has told the apple shareholders in Feb, when he was asked about the possibility of a dividend or buy back program for apple stock, that the company was better off holding on to it's cash reserves for "big, bold investments". Apple currently has roughly $25 billion in cash and short term investments as of Dec.

Until all of those things are available for people to watch on their actual tv sets, it won't happen. The only way I can enjoy TV is when I'm laying down on a couch or a bed. I'm a lazy bastard, and I don't think I'm alone. If you could lay down at the movies, I'd be a movie-going motherfucker.

 

[John Picard]

Google has been buying up "dark fiber" all over the US. Direct streaming to every US household may happen sooner than people think.

 

[Data Holmes]

Google has been buying up "dark fiber" all over the US. Direct streaming to every US household may happen sooner than people think.

They also have the patent for the shipping container data center as well...

 

[sojourner]

^I saw that episode of X-Files. Maybe FOX can get them on prior art?

 

[Data Holmes]

^I saw that episode of X-Files. Maybe FOX can get them on prior art?

Apparently, from what I've read, that concept has been kicking around since the late 90's early '00's, it's just that google was the first to actually patent the idea.

 

[Lindley]

But the Windows version of QuickTime is absolute garbage. Bloated, slow, unreliable, unstable. You can't pin that on Microsoft--plenty of other third-party media players seem to work just fine, with a much smaller footprint. It's pretty sad when something like Media Player Classic is more reliable for playing MP4 videos than QuickTime is.

Windows Media Player fit a very similar description when running on OSX. Up until MS stopped making it altogether, of course.

As media players go, QuickTime has always been junk. I've used it off and on for over 10 years, and it only ever seems to get slower and more bloated.

Apple agrees. That's why they're phasing in Quicktime X, which is a complete rewrite from scratch. It doesn't yet have all the capabilities of QT 7, so it has the ability to "hook in" to QT7 functionality when such features are requested, but over time more and more of that will be phased out in favor of new code.

No, not Stockholm, more "lesser of 2 evils".

You're using the word "lesser" when comparing Microsoft to Apple. Heh....didn't think I'd ever see that....

 

[ProwlAlpha]

Nobody actually hit the real reason why TV will not die. Cost. Most people cannot afford or simply do not want a computer -tv because TV is free. Yes, TV sets are not, but the broadcasts for the average person is free.

If the internet ever becomes free and the ability to watch TV on your computer becomes free, yes the TV sets will become obsolete.

 

[John Picard]

Nobody actually hit the real reason why TV will not die. Cost. Most people cannot afford or simply do not want a computer -tv because TV is free. Yes, TV sets are not, but the broadcasts for the average person is free.

If the internet ever becomes free and the ability to watch TV on your computer becomes free, yes the TV sets will become obsolete.

I find that difficult to believe considering the large number of people who are connected as well as either subscribing to cable/satellite.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

But the Windows version of QuickTime is absolute garbage. Bloated, slow, unreliable, unstable. You can't pin that on Microsoft--plenty of other third-party media players seem to work just fine, with a much smaller footprint. It's pretty sad when something like Media Player Classic is more reliable for playing MP4 videos than QuickTime is.

Windows Media Player fit a very similar description when running on OSX. Up until MS stopped making it altogether, of course.

I didn't know MS ever even bothered. What a waste of time and effort. I'm not really a fan of WMP, either.

As media players go, QuickTime has always been junk. I've used it off and on for over 10 years, and it only ever seems to get slower and more bloated.

Apple agrees. That's why they're phasing in Quicktime X, which is a complete rewrite from scratch. It doesn't yet have all the capabilities of QT 7, so it has the ability to "hook in" to QT7 functionality when such features are requested, but over time more and more of that will be phased out in favor of new code.

Well, that's reassuring. I'm glad they've listened to users and realized their software has a bad reputation, and are thus doing something about it.

Also, thanks for the reasonable and informative response. Sure beats the smug propaganda Shaw likes to push around here.