The two long rumored devices were unveiled today. While the iPhone is still awaiting FCC acceptance, looks like the Apple TV is going to be here one of these days. And I'm thinking of waiting and getting the second generation of both.

I've been predicting for a couple years this would happen and we'd see a major change in the way we watch TV. I foresee things going to all on demand and if you want to watch "24" you have to pay $50 for the season. I already do this for Battlestar Galactica as I don't get Sci-fi on my apartment's cable feed. (but that is changing yeah!)

This is the perfect way to integrate my all Apple home.

Dont you just love apple users....LOL
If Microsoft did this you would all be up in arms jumping all around chanting things like "uncompetative and locked in! and world take over.."

I really hope this apple TV and phone things fails badly...

My opinion

Other than the technology will work with either Mac or PC. Apple isn't trying to lock people in. Although I find it extremely funny that the Zune isn't Vista compatiable.

I'm dying to get an iPhone, definitely innovation, haven't seen anything like it. I'm heavily against vendor lock-in, however, the iPhone is a perfectly acceptable competitor.

xboxrulz

Apparantly Cisco own the name iPhone and are sueing Apple.

But, yeah, it'll be intresting, particular battery length and quality of picture/sound.

Ok I have cast my eye around a few sites to do with this Iphone..and I'm really not impressed!!..as usual Apple claim they have re invented the wheel!! and are charging the earth for a product thats two years out of date.
Yesterday I had a rant at that Ipod Tune Studio thingy and exposed that as worthless garbage...lets go head on with the Iphone )

So today I went to Apple.com and got forced to watch demos on this Iphone..
With every new release they just add more and more spin to their press releases..
Lets explore some of these "claims" shall we..
They are saying that operating a mobile phone by touch screen is their idea and are even try to patent it!!
Just like they did with the jog wheel design they stole from Creative and are now due to have to fight a court case over...

These are direct quotes from the apple site...then below the lies and myths picked apart..

Breakthrough Internet communications device...

Breakthrough? in what way? I have a Qtek9090 smartphone now for almost TWO years - I can surf the net via EDGE and or WIFI - I use the most advanced web browser for a phone already!! its OPERA not Safari.I have never had any troubles syncing my mail or to think about it my bookmarks from my pc, Active Sync or 3rd party apps take care of this.

I have a great button on my phone like a joypad that I can use to scroll up and down webpages with so you don't have to keep tapping the screen to scroll..

My phone is FULLY multi-tasking too!! I can watch DIVX movies and take calls..I can listen to Mp3s have a half played game and an SMS/Email open all at the same time no probs at all..not that I do that but when I first got the phone I used to forget and leave lots of apps open all the time.

WideScreen Ipod...

My phone has a 3.5 inch "widescreen" also and at a flip of a button I can change from portrait to landscape mode..perfect for watching tv or movies on.

Drag and drop lets me sync all my content from my Mp3 folder (I do not use Itunes!!) and ofc I can access it at the touch of a finger with a choice of about 50 different mp3 players..

Revolutionary mobile...

This has to be the biggest lie imho..what the hell is revolutionary about using your finger to select a number from your address book? every smartphone with touchscreen allows this!! Mine not only allows this but I can dial any number in the world with one finger!! I can revolutionary use a finger to key in a number!!

And guess what? yes I can sync all of my contacts from my pc/sim card etc just like the Iphone.I can select what order I listen to my voicemails in too and my carrier even sends me a a free sms telling me the number that called me and if or not they left a message on the voicemail is that a revolution?

Any smartphone with a touchscreen does all of this.....

High Technology....

High technology???

I know Apple are Americans and IMHO speak English as a second tongue ( yes I am English so I have the right to say that ) but to use such a phrase as "High technology" on thier site is just plain stupid.

Should it be High grade technology?? or Stoned technology?? High standard technology?? or should it be High revolutionary standard revolutionary technology revolution???

Still I am really having trouble with the word revolutionary as you can see..its reared it's ugly head again on this quote from Apple..and once again I CANNOT see the revolution!!! a standard touchscreen phone has ALL of those features!!! and mine has a highly durable qwerty kb that slides out of the back..and it even has revolutionary blue LEDS on it!!

Are Apple going to allow us humble non revolutionists access to the inner workings of the OSX thats running on it? are we going to be able to make our own apps and post them as freeware like the smartphones can? is there going to be thousands of apps written for this? like there are has been for the smartphones?

I have to mention its got a 2 megapixel camera installed when the new phones these days have a 3 megapixel camera in them.

Storage - Apple say that it will come in two models a 4gb and an 8gb version..what!! you can't use memory cards in it?? why?? My phone uses SD format cards and I have a 4gb 150X speed card and a 2GB 150X card my phone makerclaims to only support it upto 6gb but people on forums have an 8gb card running in it no problems at all, so the potential to get 10 or 12gb cards in it is there..

So all in all this Iphone is NOTHING that the whole world didnt see 2-3 years ago..there is NO REVOLUTION despite Apple chanting it like a Mantra!!..

Mark420-Exploding the MYTHS that Apple sow.....

If Apple even has one functioning brain in the entire company, they better just pay Cisco right NOW just to get this over. I personally do not think Apple could take on Cisco in court... after all, Cisco has more money and lawyers and has a pretty dominate role in the world.

Apple failed to properly do their homework so they are paying the consequences.

personally, the "Apple Phone Device" and AppleTV is dumb. Why isn't RedHat coming out with a Fedora Powered phone? or "FedoraTV"? The idea is impractical. That's why.

[N]F

Simple Red Hat doesn't have iTunes and the iTunes Store with contracts with the major networks and offer consumers a good balance between digital rights and fair use. Not only that, but AppleTV is the future of content delivery. Until recently, the cable package including in my condo fees did not include Sci-Fi. So I purchased the seasons pass for it off iTunes for $40. I know a lot of people who now wait for shows like lost and 24 to come out on DVD (if they don't have a DVR) so they can watch the series when they have time. With people skipping commericals, via DVR or downloading from iTunes or buying on DVD, the studios are having to figure out ways to make shows work $$$.

Ultimately this is probably a good thing since shows that people want to watch will be purchased in some fashion as advertising gets reworked to where stars are "Going to starbucks" or "Drinking a Coke." with the cup/can clearly displayed in the show. Which ironically is how TV shows were orginally sponsored back in the 1950's. GM produced this show, Phillip Morris another (hey kids, smoking is good for you).

I also think this will give creative folks another outlet. I am in the process of working on a 3D animated series of shorts targeted for the web and Video iPod to test the waters. The content is going to be offered free at first, but we may offer a higher resolution version for $2 off iTMS. If we get 3000 people to spend, we've brokeeven on production costs. The internet being what it is, if we produce something good, we can likely get that number. If it's crap, then we don't.

I really believe the days of network TV may not be numbered, but I see the trend of products on demand soon being the way to go. If I were to get cable (currently included in my condo fee) on my own, my bill would be about $60 a month. The shows I watch on a regular basis are: Mythbusters, Battlestar Galactica, Stargates, and Glenn Beck Networks I watch from time to time: History (when its something new), CNN, and Fox News...oh and Fox Sports Midwest for Cardinals games during the summer. I do watch HBO often, but only because it's part of the package. I wouldn't pay for it seperately.

$720 a year. Let's say those shows cost me $60 each for a season of downloads....that's $300 for BSG, MB, SG1, SGA, and say $20 a month for Glenn Beck. In total that's $540 a year. So even if Baseball was a $100 for the season for just the Cardinals...

Well after looking at the site and reading the posts you could say that the Iphone is a bona fide Vista of telephones, all show and nothing more.

Agree with max all they did was upgrade it and combine already if not old technologies, like the touch screen (credit card scanners, PDA's), vista lke graphics oooh lets ***** out the glass effect why don't we . Added an ipod and video/audio software. Heck Verizon has something similar without the spiffy graphics.

The only conclusion I could come up with is that Apple is sucking in the OS department so they want to get in on the phone market. Of course you think they would try to do something with Ipod and make it better or something but nope, they want in the phone market that hey have no chance in getting to the top.

But with Cisco though, apple is playing fire they can't handle that is well proven, of course the question would be does anyone know what product they made in order to have Iphone copyrighted in the first place? I think the move Cisco should make is keep the threat about suing going and see how popular this IPhone gets, if it is good take a sure of the profits, if not sell the name to Apple and let it ruin them .

Either way I think it is kind of pointless to make all those phones do all this stuff, yeah I got one but really whats takes you two minutes to read an email on a computer it's takes like 3 hours to read it on a phone (not really but you know what I mean).

Good point SM..yes Apple have had a success with the Ipod but as we know it was nothing new..and the one thing that maade it stand out was the jogwheel...the same jogwheel Creative invented 3 years before and hold the patents on...
Apple are trying to be a Microsoft and "be all things to all men" they are dipping into markets like the phone market where large companies like Sony and Nokia have been battling for years..so how do Apple try to compete there? they offer a product that they claim is a "revolution!@!!!!"

But when you see whats inside you realise is just plain "OLD!" but hey its got a really nice shiney case on it!!
Apple own Ipod so of course the phone should be called Iphone!!! my bet is their arrogance got in the way of checking if that name was actually available to them to use..

Edit...I found this on the BBC news site..It proves thier arrogance even more!!

I hope Cisco stand back and see if its a success (i HOPE its not!!) and then stick Apple for Millions of dollars for infringing Cisco copyright, they asked permission to use the Iphone name and were DENIED but hey they went ahead with it anyways!!
Apple have this great way of marketing old technology to the masses..they been doing it for years with thier computers..and of course getting all those geeky graphic designers who use Quark and all the musicians who use Cubase to chant like a mantra "Apple is better!! Apple can do so many things a PC cant!!!" guys that argument was over 5 years ago or longer...Apple can NEVER compete in the computer market!! so they shift thier focus to other products such as Mp3 players and phones..
I hope the big companies in these sectors take them apart like the big computer manufacturers have in terms of computers..

Sorry if your an Apple user but hey you choose to be second best..but hey you got nice shiney boxes to look at!!!