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Apple Adds Media Center to New iMac

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

October 12, 2005, 1:24 PM

At a special event for members of the press Wednesday morning, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage to finally end the rumors about "One more thing..." First up on his list of announcements was a new iMac, which is thinner than previous models and includes a built-in iSight camera and Media Center-like capabilities.

A new application dubbed "Front Row" provides a 10-foot interface that lets iMac users control music, video and pictures while relaxing on a sofa. Text and graphics are enlarged for viewing at a distance.

The refreshed iMac comes also with an iPod-like remote control, which includes only 6 buttons and a slim design. In his keynote Jobs said the remote is much easier than Microsoft's 40-plus button remotes designed for Windows XP Media Center Edition.

Also included with the iMac is a new program called "Photobooth" for making fun pictures.

The new iMac is priced at $1,299 USD for the 1.5 GHz model with 17-inch widescreen LCD display and $1,700 USD for the 2.1 GHz model with 20-inch widescreen display.

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By macspirit

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 11:05 PM

Apple is all about elegant design...and simplicity. They don't have to do it first, they just have to do it lots better. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 player. The Mac wasn't the first personal computer. iTunes wasn't the first online music store. So what's so special about them? Execution. The new iMac with remote is home theater for the rest of us...not the the bleeding edge technogeeks, who salivate uncontrollably at the sight of hundreds of differently sized and colored buttons. It is simple, yet powerful, elegant design at its best. Those longing for a mini-based DVR will probably be rewarded when the first or second generation Intel-based minis are released to the public. Some people seem to have (conveniently) forgotten that Apple is in the midst of a major hardware and software platform change. They're not going to invest a large mass of their capital in converting all of their hardware to media PCs when they're hardware is in a period of major transition. But they've shown us what they can do...what they have been doing. The future looks bright indeed. And what of the major coup of getting ABC-Disney to release their absolute best content on iTunes? I'm sorry...has Microsoft already done this? The new iPod is fabulous. I'll have mine on order tomorrow. ;-)

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 5:39 PM

No TV or PVR functionality? That is a huge piece of the Windows MCE platform.

Speaking of matching black components, those exist now with MCE. Very cool. They bypass the primary XP interface and go directly into MCE.

Score: 0

By ModderXManiac

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 4:52 PM

There goes center stage...

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 4:18 PM

Photo of the remote. Ug.. not too user friendly. It looks like eveyrthing must go thru the onscreen gui. I like my remote where I can use the on-screen gui or hit the "Live TV" or "DVD" or "Videos" buttons.

http://images.apple.com/...frontrowtop20051011.jpg

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Oct 13, 2005 - 1:39 AM

I think you'll find most people will prefer a simple remote to one with hundreds of buttons.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Oct 13, 2005 - 10:16 AM

My remote only has around 20 or so buttons and that includes all the numbers to change channels.

How are you supposed to easily change channels with the remote in the photo? I guess you don't need to since you can't watch or record TV.

Score: 0

By

edited Oct 16, 2005 - 4:30 PM

This is classic ease of 1st time use versus "expert" users wanting direct access. The i-pod suffers from the same simplicity. Try controlling an i-pod blind!

Apple finally realised they needed more than one button on a mouse while thinking they could ignore years of experience with remote design!

Simplicity is good when it enables rather than restricts. The best remotes provide feedback at the remote not elsewhere.

Yet another remote to clutter up my life, I don't think so. I'll stick with my Philips Pronto for all.

Score: 0

By TurningWorm

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 2:40 PM

Don't get me wrong I think this looks pretty cool, but it seems like Apple really missed the marketing boat with this one. They should be pushing this with the Mini. If they had a Mac Mini with AV outputs and this OS, you could have a great little HTPC right out of the box. Add a bluetooth keyboard and it could be a funtional (if somewhat low-resolution) computer. If they wanted to get REALLY crazy they could integrate an ATI mpeg encoding chip and add a DVR to the package. Man THAT would be snazzy...

And you MS guys need to settle down. Yes Windows had MCE first, but ATI, Dell and several others had remote "Media PC" solutions long before MS jumped in. Apple was just the last imitator this time.

Score: 0

By nate

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 3:11 PM

Who says a Mini with media center capabilities isn't coming ;) The iMac is a perfect way to test the waters and get feedback before releasing such a device.

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

edited Oct 12, 2005 - 2:51 PM

You know, that's a very good idea! Push a version of the Mini as another component of your home-theater. It's definitely got the size and style to fit nicely. A black version would also be nice, to match the many black components out there.

As far as MCE is concerned, My only problem is that Jobs is comparing Front Row to MCE, saying its remote is easier to use. Well, that's because it lacks the capability that MCE has. He opened the can on that one, not me.

Score: 0

By babyapartnership

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 2:18 PM

What about a Apple EPG for eyetv users.

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 2:05 PM

My question is this: with a 6-button remote, how much controling can there be?! Let's see...we've volume, maybe a directional pad and "OK" button, and a power button? Wow! Think of all the possibilities of that remote! What's that? No TV or recording capabilities? Oh, ok.

This is definitely not as integrated a feature as Media Center is. This is simply a remote-controlled application, not a sub-set OS. Never fear, though! OS 10.5 "House-Cat" (or whatever they're calling this one) will have a full media-center experience!

Score: 0

By Kramy

edited Oct 12, 2005 - 3:32 PM

Enlarged fonts man. Everything will be on the screen, and everyone will be able to read the text, unlike the current system where 'dad' hordes the remote and won't let anyone near it.

Sounds well and better thought out to me.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 1:48 PM

I am sick and tired of MS copying Apple on everything they do!!! You just watch, MS will release a version of XP and name it something like "Windows XP Media Center Edition"

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Oct 13, 2005 - 1:41 AM

Have you fan-boys actually used MCE? It's an absolute dog of a program, and even worse if you're trying to use it without one of their 'standard' TV cards. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Microsoft's own damn X-Box with a Linux install is a better media PC. :P

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Oct 13, 2005 - 10:15 AM

I use it every day. Yes, there are a few features missing (like better email integration) but it always works. Always. It's really amazing how cool it is. The PVR is as good (if not better than) TiVo, the program guide is free, I can see what movie are on NOW or COMING UP next. I can sort movies by rating. I can shirnk my video (Live or recorded TV, DVD, a vid file, etc..) to the corner and browse something else like my photos, weather, play lists, etc... The coolness goes on and on.

It is very intuitive and to say it doesn't work shows youe ignorance.

Tenoq- I'm not sure if you are a Mac fan or what, but if you are you shouldn't be griping about hardware. A locked platform is the major reason why the Mac has not seen greater success like the Windows and to some degree Linux.

Score: 0

By macspirit

edited Oct 12, 2005 - 2:18 PM

children.

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 2:01 PM

Haha! Let's see the Apple fan-boys challenge this one.

Score: 0

By jojosupp

edited Oct 12, 2005 - 1:44 PM

Steve Jobs sees XP MCE as a threat? One thing is certain: Apple won't be winning people over with HTPCs. If Apple wants to increase market share, they'll have to pull another "iPod" that doesn't force Windows users to jump ship completely (oh, and the video iPod doesn't count, that thing isn't going to influence users any more than the iPod already has).

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

posted Oct 12, 2005 - 1:35 PM

Anyone got any details on "Front Row"? Does it support UPnP rendering?

Score: 0

By kholdstare

posted Oct 13, 2005 - 1:41 PM

forget that i want to know if this will be a G4 or G5 CPU or will this be the first apple with an intel CPU?

Score: 0

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