So, I have to admit it. In my house right now are 4 discrete iDevices. 2 iPods, an iPhone 3G and an iMac. I love them all. They're all beautiful devices crafted with love by the hard working indigenous people of...where ever. The AppleCare plans I have on all 4 have been worth their weight in gold. I'd have to stagger onto the fanboy side and say that no one does design, software and customer service quite like Apple. They're at the top of their game.
But everyone has their ideas on how Apple could improve. Everyone keeps saying "why doesn't Apple do this?" or "How come Apple hasn't supported that?" Well, here, in my own humble, possibly wrong, opinions is why, exactly, they don't do a few things that everyone else seems to have figured out.
So without further ado, Why doesn't Apple...
... support Blu-ray?
Yep, I'm going there first. And this reason will probably be quite familiar by the end of the post: Apple likes money. Like, they really, really like money. They're a corporation, which is to say a group of people that got together specifically to remove as much of your money from you and keep it for themselves as humanly possible. That's what companies do. To pretend otherwise is naive at best. So the reason Apple doesn't support Blu-ray is, like pretty much all of their decisions, financial.
The first thought here is that Blu-ray requires licensing fees. A company wishing to put a BR drive in a computer must pay Sony a little cash. Apple doesn't like to pay money to anyone, so that's why they're not doing it.
Well, not really. I mean, yeah, that might be part of it, but there's a bigger reason.
Apple doesn't sell Blu-rays.
Apple isn't only a computer/iPod/iPhone/iPad company, they're also iTunes. And what does iTunes sell? Media. Not just music any more, but also movies, including HD movies. And who buys movies from iTunes? Those early adopter/tech types who already own something to watch them on. And they pay well for them (typically $15-$20). If Apple puts in a Blu-ray drive, there's nothing keeping the average consumer from buying their media and movies from someone that isn't Apple. That hurts the bottom line. Bad news. Apple will not sell something that doesn't point people right back to one of their established market places.
...support Flash on a mobile device?
Again, it's money. I'd love to say it isn't, but, guess what, it is.
The technical reason Apples keeps giving is that Flash is a battery hog or that Flash is insecure.
The first one is utterly ridiculous. The irony of singling out Flash as a problem is pretty easy to spot if you think about how Flash is used. Mostly, it's games, video, advertisements and rich web sites. Playing any game or watching any video for any length of time on a mobile device will kill the battery, Flash or not. That goes even more for video. Of course, ads running flash would be another issue, but, seriously, if iAds are OK, Flash ads wouldn't be much worse. Sure, a rich web site would potentially load and steal processes and amps in the background, but that's much more an issue with the background issues with iOS than Flash itself. Besides, HTML5, the preferred alternative, would have the same potential problems. Even including the security issues (heck, Apple just had a problem with PDF on their devices. I'd point out that it wasn't entirely Adobe's fault, as the PDF reader was of Apple's own design here. Whops).
So, how is this a money issue? Because Apple sells games, video, advertisements and, if you stop to think about it, rich web sites. Most of the apps are either a game or utility of rich web site that would really be programable in Flash, but are not because it's not an option. As long as HTML5 is still in its infancy it's not a viable competitor. This throws anything like that through the App Store, right where Apple wants them. And as long as iAds is the only option for moving, interactive advertisements, Apple remains the big fish in their own pond. Allowing Flash seriously jeopardizes almost every industry Apple has cornered on their iDevices.
...make a netbook?
They do. It's called the iPad. It's a netbook, but one that's tied to their services and markets. Just like they want. Profits are where they want them, the market seems to really like it. Why would they change that?
...make an eReader?
An iBook reader would be nice. It'd even fit in with their iBooks marketplace (and, if done right, iTunes, too). But, here's the thing: it wouldn't support the App Store. At least not the entire App Store. So rather than fragment that, they're more interested in shipping iPads that can sell more items to more people through more stores. Again, it's all about money.
...go to cloud storage for music/movies/books/apps?
Honestly, this one is probably coming. The LaLa acquisition probably gave them the leg up and experience they needed to get there.
First off, streaming books and apps won't work. Books are small enough not to be a huge storage issue, so that just makes sense to keep local. Also, they tend to be enjoyed on a mobile device where the network action needed to keep that going would be a huge battery suck. Not desirable. And apps, well, they work better when they're installed locally. Anything else is a web page.
But video and audio, I'm willing to bet that's coming. And not in too much time. The bandwidth has become cheap enough that it starts to be a viable option (see Netflix or Hulu) and pervasive enough that a critical mass of users would have a big enough pipe into their house to make it work. Local storage will never die, but I'm willing to bet there's going to be some sort of audio/video streaming service coming soon. I also wouldn't be surprised if the video streaming option came with a new "stream only" purchase option that prohibits mobile play in order to sell more iTV's. Think about buying a show "stream only" for a season for half price or so. That could revolutionize TV (no more cable if you can get everything a-la-carte) for a fair section of the tech crowd. In fact, that could be the golden goose for the next Apple takeover.
...kill the iPod classic?
They will. They haven't upped the max capacity since 2007 (although they temporarily lowered it to 120 GB for a bit and then brought it back to 160). If the iPod touch sees 128 GB any time soon, that will be the death knell for the Classic. I wouldn't be too surprised to see it die quietly this fall, really. If someone with that much disposable money is buying a music player, you can bet Apple wants them to grab something with an extra marketplace or two (or three). But, hey, it's had a good run.
...bring back the Newton?
They did. It's an iPhone/iPod touch now. Enjoy.
...have a press conference this week?
Hey, look, they're about to. And, as I do very irregularly, here's some predictions.
1. Death of the Classic. I mentioned it before, but since there's some things happening with the Touch, I'm putting this out there. This will be the last Christmas anyone gets a Classic under the tree, if they make it that long. And don't cry about needing the extra storage. It can already hold more music and video than the battery could possibly play. Buy a Nano and an external hard drive if you need to use it to move big files. It'll work out better in the end, anyway. Also, if there's a streaming music option, you're just a hotspot away from listening to whatever you want.
2. iPod Touch redesign. It makes sense. They've been at least somewhat similar looking to the iPhone for a while in order to use some of the same parts, so I'm really going to be surprised if they inherit the same form factor. Expect a squared off but plastic backed model. And it'll have a camera for FaceTime, as well as a better one on the back. And I'm not sure if the Retina display will make it down here. It'd be nice, but that's a lot of money for what should be an affordable device. But there may be savings to be had in getting all your devices on the same screen. I don't know, this one could go either way (maybe 55/45 on this happening).
3. New Nano. This is almost a given at this point. Every year for the last 6 there's been at least one new revision on this model. In 2005 there were 2. This will just happen. However, since the Classic is going away, maybe it's time to revisit the form factor here. I'm calling an all-screen Nano. Note I didn't say "touch screen" but rather "all screen." It might have a basic touch screen (as opposed to bezel buttons), but I'd expect no multi-touch and no real app store. Imagine trying to play a game with your thumb on the screen when the screen is less than half the size of the iPhone/Touch. Not an easy task. There might be some simple games not unlike the ones out for the Nano now, but I doubt seriously something that small would be worth the time and expense. Of course, I could be wrong. The camera will stay on the back, though.
4. Minor Shuffle revision. Yep, it'll happen. More memory, maybe a slightly tweaked case, but still small, still no screen. Why mess with what works?
5. iTV. This is the big one, and it'll be a major blow. I'm calling a streaming music/video appliance that won't be too expensive (under $250) and will have access to most major network shows. And video podcasts. And network storage. And anything on a "home shared" iTunes account. Basically, it'll be the final link to get media from Apple onto your TV. HD's probably a guarantee, but maybe only local stuff in 1080p for the time being. 1080i or 720p for streaming for right now (insert lecture about bitrate and compression vs resolution. It's valid, but Steve will bring it up and ridicule some of the crappy 1080p that's out there posing as HD, and for good reason. The lower resolution will be hailed as the better experience and, in many cases, it will be). And, of course, no Blu-Ray. It'll be nice, it'll be tempting and it'll be the next iPod/iPhone/iPad.
6. Also, we're all streaming now. OK, not the Shuffle, but most everything. The Nano will have a wifi antenna and access to the iTunes store as well as the ability to stream music (and maybe video, although severely compressed). This is probably the most out there prediction, but it would bring at least one market into the Nano, and it's always nice when someone pays money to buy their very own franchise of your store. If this gets mentioned during the Nano reveal, iTV is a given. If iTV is mentioned first, this is less likely.
And that's my predictions. Come back later and see how I did.
...support Flash on a mobile device?
Again, it's money. I'd love to say it isn't, but, guess what, it is.
The technical reason Apples keeps giving is that Flash is a battery hog or that Flash is insecure.
The first one is utterly ridiculous. The irony of singling out Flash as a problem is pretty easy to spot if you think about how Flash is used. Mostly, it's games, video, advertisements and rich web sites. Playing any game or watching any video for any length of time on a mobile device will kill the battery, Flash or not. That goes even more for video. Of course, ads running flash would be another issue, but, seriously, if iAds are OK, Flash ads wouldn't be much worse. Sure, a rich web site would potentially load and steal processes and amps in the background, but that's much more an issue with the background issues with iOS than Flash itself. Besides, HTML5, the preferred alternative, would have the same potential problems. Even including the security issues (heck, Apple just had a problem with PDF on their devices. I'd point out that it wasn't entirely Adobe's fault, as the PDF reader was of Apple's own design here. Whops).
So, how is this a money issue? Because Apple sells games, video, advertisements and, if you stop to think about it, rich web sites. Most of the apps are either a game or utility of rich web site that would really be programable in Flash, but are not because it's not an option. As long as HTML5 is still in its infancy it's not a viable competitor. This throws anything like that through the App Store, right where Apple wants them. And as long as iAds is the only option for moving, interactive advertisements, Apple remains the big fish in their own pond. Allowing Flash seriously jeopardizes almost every industry Apple has cornered on their iDevices.
...make a netbook?
They do. It's called the iPad. It's a netbook, but one that's tied to their services and markets. Just like they want. Profits are where they want them, the market seems to really like it. Why would they change that?
...make an eReader?
An iBook reader would be nice. It'd even fit in with their iBooks marketplace (and, if done right, iTunes, too). But, here's the thing: it wouldn't support the App Store. At least not the entire App Store. So rather than fragment that, they're more interested in shipping iPads that can sell more items to more people through more stores. Again, it's all about money.
...go to cloud storage for music/movies/books/apps?
Honestly, this one is probably coming. The LaLa acquisition probably gave them the leg up and experience they needed to get there.
First off, streaming books and apps won't work. Books are small enough not to be a huge storage issue, so that just makes sense to keep local. Also, they tend to be enjoyed on a mobile device where the network action needed to keep that going would be a huge battery suck. Not desirable. And apps, well, they work better when they're installed locally. Anything else is a web page.
But video and audio, I'm willing to bet that's coming. And not in too much time. The bandwidth has become cheap enough that it starts to be a viable option (see Netflix or Hulu) and pervasive enough that a critical mass of users would have a big enough pipe into their house to make it work. Local storage will never die, but I'm willing to bet there's going to be some sort of audio/video streaming service coming soon. I also wouldn't be surprised if the video streaming option came with a new "stream only" purchase option that prohibits mobile play in order to sell more iTV's. Think about buying a show "stream only" for a season for half price or so. That could revolutionize TV (no more cable if you can get everything a-la-carte) for a fair section of the tech crowd. In fact, that could be the golden goose for the next Apple takeover.
...kill the iPod classic?
They will. They haven't upped the max capacity since 2007 (although they temporarily lowered it to 120 GB for a bit and then brought it back to 160). If the iPod touch sees 128 GB any time soon, that will be the death knell for the Classic. I wouldn't be too surprised to see it die quietly this fall, really. If someone with that much disposable money is buying a music player, you can bet Apple wants them to grab something with an extra marketplace or two (or three). But, hey, it's had a good run.
...bring back the Newton?
They did. It's an iPhone/iPod touch now. Enjoy.
...have a press conference this week?
Hey, look, they're about to. And, as I do very irregularly, here's some predictions.
1. Death of the Classic. I mentioned it before, but since there's some things happening with the Touch, I'm putting this out there. This will be the last Christmas anyone gets a Classic under the tree, if they make it that long. And don't cry about needing the extra storage. It can already hold more music and video than the battery could possibly play. Buy a Nano and an external hard drive if you need to use it to move big files. It'll work out better in the end, anyway. Also, if there's a streaming music option, you're just a hotspot away from listening to whatever you want.
2. iPod Touch redesign. It makes sense. They've been at least somewhat similar looking to the iPhone for a while in order to use some of the same parts, so I'm really going to be surprised if they inherit the same form factor. Expect a squared off but plastic backed model. And it'll have a camera for FaceTime, as well as a better one on the back. And I'm not sure if the Retina display will make it down here. It'd be nice, but that's a lot of money for what should be an affordable device. But there may be savings to be had in getting all your devices on the same screen. I don't know, this one could go either way (maybe 55/45 on this happening).
3. New Nano. This is almost a given at this point. Every year for the last 6 there's been at least one new revision on this model. In 2005 there were 2. This will just happen. However, since the Classic is going away, maybe it's time to revisit the form factor here. I'm calling an all-screen Nano. Note I didn't say "touch screen" but rather "all screen." It might have a basic touch screen (as opposed to bezel buttons), but I'd expect no multi-touch and no real app store. Imagine trying to play a game with your thumb on the screen when the screen is less than half the size of the iPhone/Touch. Not an easy task. There might be some simple games not unlike the ones out for the Nano now, but I doubt seriously something that small would be worth the time and expense. Of course, I could be wrong. The camera will stay on the back, though.
4. Minor Shuffle revision. Yep, it'll happen. More memory, maybe a slightly tweaked case, but still small, still no screen. Why mess with what works?
5. iTV. This is the big one, and it'll be a major blow. I'm calling a streaming music/video appliance that won't be too expensive (under $250) and will have access to most major network shows. And video podcasts. And network storage. And anything on a "home shared" iTunes account. Basically, it'll be the final link to get media from Apple onto your TV. HD's probably a guarantee, but maybe only local stuff in 1080p for the time being. 1080i or 720p for streaming for right now (insert lecture about bitrate and compression vs resolution. It's valid, but Steve will bring it up and ridicule some of the crappy 1080p that's out there posing as HD, and for good reason. The lower resolution will be hailed as the better experience and, in many cases, it will be). And, of course, no Blu-Ray. It'll be nice, it'll be tempting and it'll be the next iPod/iPhone/iPad.
6. Also, we're all streaming now. OK, not the Shuffle, but most everything. The Nano will have a wifi antenna and access to the iTunes store as well as the ability to stream music (and maybe video, although severely compressed). This is probably the most out there prediction, but it would bring at least one market into the Nano, and it's always nice when someone pays money to buy their very own franchise of your store. If this gets mentioned during the Nano reveal, iTV is a given. If iTV is mentioned first, this is less likely.
And that's my predictions. Come back later and see how I did.
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