Is the AppleTV a console in disguise?

So I was reading about Apple's new gizmo when I found the specs:

• 1.0GHz Pentium M-based chip ("Crofton") underclocked on a 350MHz bus
• 2MB L2 cache
• nVidia G72M with 64MB DDR2 video memory
• 256MB of 400MHz DDR2 main system memory (reportedly soldered to logic board)
• 40GB, 2.5-inch PATA drive
• 802.11n or 10/100 Ethernet, but cannot function as wireless router on its own
• A fan for cooling

OK so it's not uberpowerful, but check some of the specs: the nVidia chip is from the G70s series like the RSX, althought that one is a 7950 while this one on the ATV is a 7300go. Even then is more powerful than Wii's GPU, and could run most PC games today at mid-level settings (well, maybe not FEAR).

That, couple with the Pm CPU (which has proved to be better than most Athlons) makes for something thats considerably more powerful than an Xbox, yet still below the nextgen heavyweights.

My theory? Apple releases this thing as a front row unit yet they're going to give it some extra capabilities in the near future.

They are waiting to see if the Wii can really make it as an underpowered console in the casual market. After all, there's many points in common between the two, like design and the fact both are overpriced...

Another reason why apple may not give away their console plans is that a big part of their userbase thinks games arent "trendy" like their macs, and therefore an Apple console is an aberration. (a study shows most apple buyers are people in their 40s and above, thus not in the target age group of videogames).

Maybe in the next macworld jobs will show off a wiimote ripoff+adapter for the ATV as the next big innovation (he does that all the time)

It may sound crazy, but so did the iPhone which most believed it was vaporware until some weeks ago...

 

any pics to show us?

 

Phantom - Mark II...

 

:thumbsup:

 

it's already extremely crowded with 3 consoles along-side each other in the market. Apple better stay out

 

The market can't support 4 consoles, even if it is an Apple product. Macs aren't exactly well known for their games, either.

Web TV, basically.

 

With steve jobs controlling nature I doubt they will add games to the thing. The thing is really just ment to stream stuff from your tv to itunes wirelessly.

 

Just when I though we all had a week free of Shadowlayer's incessant, far-fetched rumor-mongering.

 

And just when I thought you were banned.....

Back to the topic, I'm just saying this ATV thing specs are far beyond what is needed to stream video. Is overkill, if you check other devices in this category you'll find most of them are sub-X86 embedded devices.

Even at 720p (which the iTMS has not) is just too much. If you take a look at most entry level macs most of them have integrated graphics, and the iMac has the same 7300 chip the ATV has.

My theory is that they could add console functionality anytime, but they are waiting to see if it would be feasible, since the market is already overcrowded.

 

It's actually not that overpowered. Sadly, most DVR type devices are actually underpowered in a lot of people's minds. More processor/RAM lets the machine deal with more tasks simultaneously. The graphics chip could just be the most cost effective one to use.

 

Jobs hates video games so I don't think it likely.

 

It's really just a glorified iPod/iTunes adapter in its present state.

Will they add functionality to it at some point? Probably, just like they add tiny improvements to the iPod with each generation (in an almost EA style), casual games being the one major new development.

What's weird is that it requires an HDTV, but their webpage mentions that only certain brands are supported with the device...Samsung being one of the missing brands...

 

dude theres already some EPIA boards that can handle 720p, so why did they go for a full pentium instead of using that? becos of their new deal with intel? they could use a Xscale and make it even smaller, and lets not even talk about the GPU.

and yeah, I'll doubt they'll go much further than some casual games, nothing too fancy...

 

The issue I see is development. Who would make such games? Certainly not apple (unless you mean tetris, pong, solitaire, or the like). And since they've not "announced" any plans for games, I see it hard to court developers into making/porting stuff for it if. Apple half heartedly advertises the powermac as a gaming machine (or has in the past). We all know how well that worked out.

In terms of the overpowered hardware, I believe one main purpose of this is for headroom. Adding features or reworking the software later on for compatibility issues. Overkill maybe, but better overpowered than underpowered.

On another front, what type of control (physical input) would we have? It looks to me like it only supports IR and 802.11. Neither of which make very good interfaces for controllers.

 

It looks like it will use that crappy magnetic remote all other Macs have.

BTW, this is totally offtopic but I've to post it: it seems the iPhone is $245.83 and $280.83 to make, so apple is getting at least a 50% profit on every unit sold.

That, coupled with the mandatory 2 year contract makes me wonder WTF we are paying for. Class? trendiness?

 

Hmmm.... are you talking about the regular mac remote: http://img.engadget.com/common/images/3060000000056494.JPG?0.382030387377269

Thats an IR remote.

Um... R&D, support, profit. Those cost are for production. When have you bought something (new) for just the cost of parts and assembly? They've been paying engineers, artists, analyst, etc... for the past 3 years to make this thing. They're looking to get that money back (and then some).

 

"And just when I thought you were banned....."

Nice defense mechanism. My hyperbole wasn't too far from the truth, though. You're just trying to push me off.

Anyhow, I assumed you meant game console in the actual context of competing with the big THREE. But since you mentioned casual games, it seems all the more likely, not to mention more sense. Apple and casual go hand in hand.

 

and then I wonder why such expensive HDTV's don;t include their own wireless or wired network adaptor Just imagine the possibilities

 

The entertainment industry won't allow it.

 

To be honest, with almost everything integrating some sort of display and remote control, be it your TV, hi-fi, or refridgerator, I'd really like to have all these devices in a network.

To be able to use my Hi-Fi as an external wireless/wired (over TCP/IP LAN) drive, or for it to be able to transfer songs from my PC to its hard-drive, and be really what it should be, a music box. I m tired of having to have my 360 or *other* hooked up via some complicated GUI or special software.

In the same line, a fridge could give volumetric or temperature information etc to a central control panel/PC/whatever.

These things might have sounded like stuff "of the future" even some years ago, but they're perfectly possible nowadays. To be honest, I also don't believe that something like a Hi-Fi system or a fridge would need a GUI at all, the same way a router doesn't need one.

anyway, I m way off topic ;p

PS: I also want to add networked hard-drives to that wish-list, making them a central storage solution external to any PC or appliance, in order to serve multiple purposes, natively connected over standard networking protocols ^_^