bushido
Apr 25, 01:46 PM
would be nice timing to put my late 09 mbp to rest
APPLENEWBIE
Sep 5, 08:08 PM
Showtime may be a two track movie store. One track to rent or purchase movies for the 'big screen' tv, computer monitors. A second track to download movies in a much smaller format specifically for the new "Showtime iPod." That way, movies become very portable and easy/fast download for iPod, and a much longer download for the "Apple Movie Machine" for tv/computer?
Could be a really neat show and tell....
Could be a really neat show and tell....
whiteboytrash
May 3, 10:46 AM
The trackpad option is awesome. Every bundled Apple mouse I've gotten for the past 15 years has gone straight in the trash. The only good mouse Apple ever made was the ADB II. At least now I get a free trackpad to play with! Cool!
Agreed. Trackpad is the only way to go.
The free trackpad option in place of the magic mouse has been offered in Apple Stores since December 2010. It has only been a verbal offer if the buyer requested it.
I bought my iMac this way and several friends recieved the same.
Agreed. Trackpad is the only way to go.
The free trackpad option in place of the magic mouse has been offered in Apple Stores since December 2010. It has only been a verbal offer if the buyer requested it.
I bought my iMac this way and several friends recieved the same.
Ugg
Apr 11, 07:28 PM
Its a diesel ;). But I guess it also shows how crazy US emissions regulations are.
Is it emissions regulation or just plain laziness by the automakers?
Is it emissions regulation or just plain laziness by the automakers?
brepublican
Sep 19, 03:54 PM
If it destroys their whole business model, then it is not dumb to not "try it out".
Apple is clearly not interested in the subscription or rental business models.
edit: Clarity
How does it destroy 'their whole business model'? I just think there has to be differentiation between movies and songs. Wheras I have no interest whatsoever (and never will) in renting songs (read: subscription model), I do have an interest in renting movies. I can listen to the same song 10 times over in one day. Can I do the same with a movie? Yes. Will I? No.
I can count the number of movies I've watched more than twice on both my hands. So can a lot of people out there. If you're really interested in being a collector and keeping the movie, downloading it off iTMS is a dumb idea.
So is it dumb for Apple to ignore a market of people such as myself? Yes. Does it destroy their business model to offer movie rentals (NOT TV shows or music)? You explain that to me :confused:
Apple is clearly not interested in the subscription or rental business models.
edit: Clarity
How does it destroy 'their whole business model'? I just think there has to be differentiation between movies and songs. Wheras I have no interest whatsoever (and never will) in renting songs (read: subscription model), I do have an interest in renting movies. I can listen to the same song 10 times over in one day. Can I do the same with a movie? Yes. Will I? No.
I can count the number of movies I've watched more than twice on both my hands. So can a lot of people out there. If you're really interested in being a collector and keeping the movie, downloading it off iTMS is a dumb idea.
So is it dumb for Apple to ignore a market of people such as myself? Yes. Does it destroy their business model to offer movie rentals (NOT TV shows or music)? You explain that to me :confused:
iRun26.2
Apr 24, 05:35 PM
Yeah it should be, there's no hard drive to make noise and unless you keep it on a stove or do insanely heavy processing you shouldn't hear the fan either.
Sandy Bridge should also run more efficiently than the C2D. That will not only extend baterry life, but it will also keep the normal operation temperatures down.
(Oops! I replied twice. Is there a way to delete my own post?)
Sandy Bridge should also run more efficiently than the C2D. That will not only extend baterry life, but it will also keep the normal operation temperatures down.
(Oops! I replied twice. Is there a way to delete my own post?)
FatDaddy 64.5
Sep 15, 06:14 PM
Wow. I just ordered my MBP on Wen. Looks like I'll be sending that back for the upgrade.
cuestakid
Sep 26, 11:32 AM
http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)
ThinkSecret claims that Apple and Cingular have signed an agreement (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0609cingulariphone.html) that will make Cingular the exclusive carrier for Apple's upcoming phone, reportedly due in early 2007. The contract is said to last 6 months, after which Apple would be free to expand its offerings to other providers. According to the site, Apple is still in talks with providers in other parts of the world on other exclusive deals.
The site has previously (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060915182716.shtml) claimed that Apple's phone will feature a candy-bar design with a 2.2" display and 3 megapixel camera, with "robust iTunes and iSync" support. MacRumors has posted an artist's rendering (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060913215342.shtml) of how our sources have depicted the phone.
I would just like to say that i had said this exact same thing a couple weeks ago-apple would probably initally only sign on with one carrier and everyone else would be left out in the cold-so to al those who said it wouldn't happen it appears that it will be happening
ThinkSecret claims that Apple and Cingular have signed an agreement (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0609cingulariphone.html) that will make Cingular the exclusive carrier for Apple's upcoming phone, reportedly due in early 2007. The contract is said to last 6 months, after which Apple would be free to expand its offerings to other providers. According to the site, Apple is still in talks with providers in other parts of the world on other exclusive deals.
The site has previously (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060915182716.shtml) claimed that Apple's phone will feature a candy-bar design with a 2.2" display and 3 megapixel camera, with "robust iTunes and iSync" support. MacRumors has posted an artist's rendering (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060913215342.shtml) of how our sources have depicted the phone.
I would just like to say that i had said this exact same thing a couple weeks ago-apple would probably initally only sign on with one carrier and everyone else would be left out in the cold-so to al those who said it wouldn't happen it appears that it will be happening
BWhaler
Aug 28, 11:01 PM
Well, I was disappointed, but not surprised.
Since no manufacturer is shipping until mid-September, it is no great shock that Apple did nothing today. Plus, they don't want to be grouped with those companies anyhow.
Since no manufacturer is shipping until mid-September, it is no great shock that Apple did nothing today. Plus, they don't want to be grouped with those companies anyhow.
madmax14304
Mar 23, 05:07 PM
Hopefully DWI checkpoints yield such low benefits from these apps that they become extinct although I doubt it. Hassling thousands of honest, sober citizens to catch the 1-2% legally intoxicated drivers isn't worth the price we all pay. I question our freedom in America each time I drive up to a checkpoint. If you're wondering, no I've never received a DWI nor driven intoxicated and I still hate these checkpoints. They don't make me feel safer on the road.
Wolfpup
Jan 13, 01:11 PM
Explain how to set UAC up correctly to eliminate that issue with online games?
There's nothing to set up. You should increase the setting to maximum when you first install Windows 7, but other than that it has nothing to do with playing games online.
Because the cumulative vulnerabilities of third party software such as Flash, Java, and etc included by default in Mac OS X inflate the count for Apple. Vulnerabilities are attributed to the vendor if included by default. Most of these third party softwares have worse security in Windows.
Flash, Adobe, Java, etc. all have virtually identical issues under all three OSes. It's rare you see something that only affects one, unless it's a significantly different program.
There's nothing to set up. You should increase the setting to maximum when you first install Windows 7, but other than that it has nothing to do with playing games online.
Because the cumulative vulnerabilities of third party software such as Flash, Java, and etc included by default in Mac OS X inflate the count for Apple. Vulnerabilities are attributed to the vendor if included by default. Most of these third party softwares have worse security in Windows.
Flash, Adobe, Java, etc. all have virtually identical issues under all three OSes. It's rare you see something that only affects one, unless it's a significantly different program.
Plymouthbreezer
Sep 12, 05:23 PM
Decent update. Good new features.
I just wish the upped the 30GB to 40GB and kept the price the same.
I just wish the upped the 30GB to 40GB and kept the price the same.
dime21
Mar 23, 06:23 PM
136 negatives to this story ... nice. :rolleyes:
Any perceived hit towards censorship obviously trumps the value of human life. :rolleyes:
I wonder how many who posted here in favor of removing these apps, are also supporters of wikileaks? i'm sure it's a significant number. how ironic.
How about you duervo, you a wikileaks fan? hmm?
The true irony here is your blatant assumption that is based on nothing more than a "gut feeling".
ok... so will you answer my question then please?
and silence from duervo. how unsurprising.
Any perceived hit towards censorship obviously trumps the value of human life. :rolleyes:
I wonder how many who posted here in favor of removing these apps, are also supporters of wikileaks? i'm sure it's a significant number. how ironic.
How about you duervo, you a wikileaks fan? hmm?
The true irony here is your blatant assumption that is based on nothing more than a "gut feeling".
ok... so will you answer my question then please?
and silence from duervo. how unsurprising.
gugy
Sep 19, 01:59 PM
wow! impressive.
I guess people value convenience over quality. That's great for Apple. That confirms it will be a success.
For me I rather buy DVDs or wait for hi definition downloads, but I guess many people out there are satisfy with lower quality.
Can't wait for ITV tough.
I guess people value convenience over quality. That's great for Apple. That confirms it will be a success.
For me I rather buy DVDs or wait for hi definition downloads, but I guess many people out there are satisfy with lower quality.
Can't wait for ITV tough.
Macula
Nov 14, 02:54 AM
Apple is behaving quite like a rogue indeed.
linux2mac
Apr 28, 10:57 PM
Really!? You never received a quality product? In 20 years? Please tell.
The closest was Windows 2000 Professional. I quit at XP.
The closest was Windows 2000 Professional. I quit at XP.
ciTiger
Apr 14, 12:03 PM
I hope the new MBPs get USB3.0!
Multimedia
Sep 9, 01:56 PM
Yeah it is interesting but in the context of a desktop machine you are not getting a lot for the wait. A new front side bus and a Merom to go with it. AND 64 Bit support which can be very important for some.
I guess what I'[m saying is that if you are willing to wait for this upgrade then you really don't need a new computer even with this rather significant update to the iMac. Maybe that is where our paths diverge as I see this as a significant upgrade. Sure it is a stop gap measure for 64 bit support but it does offer significant performance advantages and should adapt well to Apples move to 64 bit.
I do know that with Core 2 Intel has the potential for significant upside on clock rates. It looks like we could see both a core race and a clock rate race again.
What I'm wondering is where the optimal number of cores is for the average desktop user. I know that dual has some pretty amazing results on the desktop so how far do we go for core wise. 4, 8, 12 or more? Especially on i86, it is to bad the PPC guys never got their acts together.
DaveWell I am 100% certian four is not enough. But I have read there may be diminishing returns beyond 16 perhaps even beyond 8 - I have no idea. But Clovertown can't come soon enough for me. Would be great if the speed will rise rapidly as well next year. Hope you're right. With both up a lot, what I am doing could be done in a few minutes insead of hours. That's my dream.
I guess what I'[m saying is that if you are willing to wait for this upgrade then you really don't need a new computer even with this rather significant update to the iMac. Maybe that is where our paths diverge as I see this as a significant upgrade. Sure it is a stop gap measure for 64 bit support but it does offer significant performance advantages and should adapt well to Apples move to 64 bit.
I do know that with Core 2 Intel has the potential for significant upside on clock rates. It looks like we could see both a core race and a clock rate race again.
What I'm wondering is where the optimal number of cores is for the average desktop user. I know that dual has some pretty amazing results on the desktop so how far do we go for core wise. 4, 8, 12 or more? Especially on i86, it is to bad the PPC guys never got their acts together.
DaveWell I am 100% certian four is not enough. But I have read there may be diminishing returns beyond 16 perhaps even beyond 8 - I have no idea. But Clovertown can't come soon enough for me. Would be great if the speed will rise rapidly as well next year. Hope you're right. With both up a lot, what I am doing could be done in a few minutes insead of hours. That's my dream.
ghostlyorb
Apr 29, 07:29 AM
Go apple!
W1MRK
Mar 23, 06:51 PM
There is also the issue of government control. Heres another similar
There are apps that allow you to listen to tons of live scanner feeds and hear real time what police and fire are responding to. Michigan and Indiana had laws up until recently that made Police Scanners in cars illegal. They said it was to help prevent crime.
Yep, That sat real well with Race Car Fans heading to the 500.
It is illegal to commit a crime with the aid of a scanner. Federal Law
It is also illegal and stupid to drive drunker than the state limit or even close to it. Common Sense and Law
A Scanner wont help you, neither will the Trapper app when you use it to avoid the stop and weave in and out of your lane past a patrolman or motorist who calls 911. You play with fire, some day you will get burned. Maybe not that day but theres no guarantee they would get you at the stop anyway as around here they only take every third car. (to be fair) It makes me feel like a random check at the airport for really bad stuff.
I appreciate the thoughts of people who think removing this app will help in the fight against Drunk Driving or Under the Influence. If I thought it would help solve the problem I would get behind it also. But Its not the next best thing since sliced bread. And in reality this is really more for those of us not intoxicated just minding our own business trying to get home without being treated like John Dillinger.
I hope Apple does not cave to the concerns of lawmakers who if they ever got stopped at one of these "checkpoints" would have the officers begging not to lose their jobs for the mistake.
Mike Kulis
There are apps that allow you to listen to tons of live scanner feeds and hear real time what police and fire are responding to. Michigan and Indiana had laws up until recently that made Police Scanners in cars illegal. They said it was to help prevent crime.
Yep, That sat real well with Race Car Fans heading to the 500.
It is illegal to commit a crime with the aid of a scanner. Federal Law
It is also illegal and stupid to drive drunker than the state limit or even close to it. Common Sense and Law
A Scanner wont help you, neither will the Trapper app when you use it to avoid the stop and weave in and out of your lane past a patrolman or motorist who calls 911. You play with fire, some day you will get burned. Maybe not that day but theres no guarantee they would get you at the stop anyway as around here they only take every third car. (to be fair) It makes me feel like a random check at the airport for really bad stuff.
I appreciate the thoughts of people who think removing this app will help in the fight against Drunk Driving or Under the Influence. If I thought it would help solve the problem I would get behind it also. But Its not the next best thing since sliced bread. And in reality this is really more for those of us not intoxicated just minding our own business trying to get home without being treated like John Dillinger.
I hope Apple does not cave to the concerns of lawmakers who if they ever got stopped at one of these "checkpoints" would have the officers begging not to lose their jobs for the mistake.
Mike Kulis
Nomadski
Apr 13, 07:07 AM
MagnusVonMagnum -
- Sonos is not "way better quality" (AppleTV2 output is DIGITAL and so the "quality" depends entirely on the stereo you connect it to. So sorry but you have no point there.
Unless you've purchased / converted music in Apple lossless format it IS way better quality. Im making the comparison of my situation listening to FLAC vs the masses who purchase mp3s on iTunes. You could rip your music in Apple Lossless for sure, but then your hooked into iTunes, cant play on WMP or most other mp3s other than iPods. Like with a lot of stuff iTunes related, if you go that route, your stuck. Even the all inclusive Sonos S5 sounds better than the best iPod dock on the market (Bose 10 / Zeppelin whichever grabs your boat the most).
- It may not be better quality, but it IS "way more expensive". AppleTV2 costs $99 (same price as an Airport Express which is "audio only" like Sonos). Sonos OTOH costs $349 for a basic receiver which then still requires to either be connected directly to a router (wired) OR you have to pay ANOTHER $99 for a "bridge" to send a separate wireless signal off your router just for Sonos devices (waste of bandwidth and clutters the band with more wireless signals instead of just using your existing wireless router, which most people already have (how many used a wired only router and if you did you cannot use the Sonos wireless for anything else). So already you are at LEAST $450 in the hole for a single room with Sonos and you have ONLY AUDIO capability.
Sonos isnt cheap for sure, but that is why I said people who have no shortage of money at the start of my thread. Some people have massive Mac systems, those people shouldn't skimp when it comes to music, if they like music, or video for that matter.
One of the big features of Sonos which you obviously arent aware of is that Sonos DOESNT hog your bandwidth. It uses its own Mesh network which works independantly of your home wireless network, hence no bandwidth constraints, which is why you can have up to 32 Sonos units all working AT THE SAME TIME on the same or different sources whilst not affecting the bandwidth capability of your home network. Try using even 2 AppleTV2s at the same time and see how much of your bandwidth is left.
Also, if you live in a large house, or one with thick walls, or you want to listen outside, because Sonos recreates its own Mesh network each time it hits a Sonos unit strength signal on the opposite side of the house to the router is still very high, each Zone Player acts like a new Sonos signal source.
Yup its expensive but I bought my first Sonos bit of kit in 2006. Since then ive added 3 more units, 2 of which were new redesigned units released a couple of years ago. Ive also added a second controller when they moved to touchscreen 2 years ago. And you know what? It all works seamlessly with each other. Old hardware, new hardware, built up over time. New features added over time (for free) seamlessly updated into even the oldest bit of hardware with a firmware update, they even added full Touch, iPhone and iPad control options so I could use any of them to control the audio around the house. Can you integrate AppleTV2 with 1? Can you honestly say in 5 years time your money spent will still work with the rest of your AppleTV system as they upgrade and add new features? When 3 year old sounddocks wont even charge new ipods I would hazard a guess...no.
-But then I would be forgetting you need a SOURCE of music. You tout the use of an NAS, but most NAS devices aren't exactly cheap or anything. For all intensive purposes they are a just a headless computer and most run Linux. AppleTV2 is out of the box a PITA if you don't want to leave a computer on, but you can put XBMC on it which will use any NAS or networked source. You then have the same functionality as Sonos BUT you also have full video capability. You could instead get a cheap Netbook for $250 (cheaper than most NAS devices) and connect a hard drive to that and run iTunes and the full Apple interface if you'd like and still have XBMC available as well. Personally, I just use an old PPC G4 PowerMac as a server and 24/7 Internet terminal. Intel machines can also be set to Wake On Lan, so you can have your machine sleep while AppleTV is not in use. In short, NAS isn't as great as you make it sound (most are also dog slow compared to a real computer) and there are alternative options even with Apple software like a cheap Netbook as a server.
NAS or WHS arent cheap but youve just contradicted yourself.
Sonos will also play from any networked PC, MAC, External hard drive on Airport, netbook. To use a NAS you dont have to install XBMC on it, it works out of the box from any source you want. That PPC G4 would also work with Sonos, or you could play Last.FM, or Pandora, or Spotify, or Napster, or unlimited internet radio (you can even add your own internet radio addresses).
Best of all, you DONT have to use iTunes. You can if you want, but you dont have to.
Sonos also gives you multi room grouping. Group 2 or more zones together and enjoy synced music wherever you want it. Not miliseconds out syncing like Sony or Logitech but 100% synced. Dropping zones can be done at the flick of the controller.
Read a review of a new album in the newspaper? Listen to it 5 seconds later on Sonos.
So the kids can listen to their own music streamed in their rooms upstairs, my wife can be listening to the TV, or some music in the living room, and I can be in my little den listening to my music whilst enjoying near full speed wireless capability on my pc or mac, or maybe my wife likes a song shes hearing upstairs and links zones so she can hear it downstairs.
You can buy a standalone unit which sounds better than the B&W Zeppelin, or get the amped unit for attaching to any speaker system you want, or get the small unit for use (as you do) with your existing stereo system. You can add these anytime you want, building up your Sonos system over time, without the fear it will be redundant over time.
Its a high end multi room music system vs a limited single streaming unit.
-Now I come to the heart of the matter...VIDEO. You suggest a Popcorn Hour in ADDITION to the already out of this world priced Sonos system. They start at $179 and go up to $299. That brings your total minimum price for a wireless system for a single room to $629 AND you have to switch between two separate devices to listen to audio and/or watch videos. With AppleTV you have all your movies, tv shows, photos, music, music videos, YouTube and Internet Radio (plus the options of XBMC with a quick hack including non-Apple formats) and your TOTAL COST for **one** room wireless using an existing wireless router is $99. $629 versus $99...Hmmmmmm. And then there's the matter of Popcorn Hour's crappy interface versus Apple's polished one. XBMC makes Popcorn Hour look bad as well. Bugs or popcorn? :confused:
Cost seems to be the big issue with you, so I wonder if you own a mac mini as opposed to 3 macbook pros, an imac, apple tv2 etc etc as many posters here have? If so, Sonos etc wont be for you. If you do own multiple Apple systems why are you so concerned with price? If you want the best you got to pay for it.
With Apple TV you DONT have all your movies or music or internet radio. you have limited experiences with all 3. No 1080p, no DVD images (Popcorn will load your dvd image in exactly the same way your dvd player would), wont play .mp4 .m4v .mkv .wmv .avi .aac .divx, doesnt have full support for all subtitle formats, wont play FLAC or anything else outside of your iTunes library audio wise and its internet radio function is gimped.
Its sure nice to have it in one box, but *it* is very very limited. Dedicated systems will always trump jack of all trade systems.
The interface is nice on AppleTV2 for sure, my popcorn looks better though with my skin on it. The default layout looks boring ill agree.
So for the price of your ONE room audio and video, I could have SIX rooms using AppleTV2 with both video and audio and still have $29 to spare
Except you couldnt do that could you? Your wireless network would be crippled with half that many running at the same time. I can assure you I can play a 1080P movie AND have 3 other Sonos units streaming at the same time. Try that sometime with 4 AppleTVs...
With XBMC installed, it can play any format (just like Popcorn Hour).
No, no it cant. DVD isos? All subtitle formats? 1080P? Also your slightly expanded feature set (not out of the box) is achieved by essentially hacking your AppleTV 2, so good luck on the next firmware update.
Hell, I can even buy a cheap 3.5" internal hard drive and slot that into my popcorn hour if I want to store the films locally, what sized hard drive does Apple TV2 have? Oh wait.
Your not seeing the advantages with zero configuration audio system, and a play all with no hassles video system? The only mucking about in my system is if you want a nice shinier interface with Popcorn Hour. You have to convert audio, replace (essentially) the OS to XBMC, have a linux system and a Crystal card to play 1080p on an OLDER Apple TV (your not factoring in this stuff with your price or integrated system arguments are you?) and you STILL have a far more limited setup.
Reading thru your post I guarantee you your costs are higher than $99 and in about 2 years time your system will be redundant.
Im not saying the AppleTV 2 is useless for everyone, for many of the dumb masses who are locked into iTunes already its probably the best thing since sliced bread, and really its only advantage is a cheap price and movie rentals, in glorious 720P, but if I want to feed my 42" 1080p plasma with subpar 720P video I could use the xbox or PS3 sitting under the TV, which I also dont bother with. For audiophiles or moviephiles it doesn't cut it.
- Sonos is not "way better quality" (AppleTV2 output is DIGITAL and so the "quality" depends entirely on the stereo you connect it to. So sorry but you have no point there.
Unless you've purchased / converted music in Apple lossless format it IS way better quality. Im making the comparison of my situation listening to FLAC vs the masses who purchase mp3s on iTunes. You could rip your music in Apple Lossless for sure, but then your hooked into iTunes, cant play on WMP or most other mp3s other than iPods. Like with a lot of stuff iTunes related, if you go that route, your stuck. Even the all inclusive Sonos S5 sounds better than the best iPod dock on the market (Bose 10 / Zeppelin whichever grabs your boat the most).
- It may not be better quality, but it IS "way more expensive". AppleTV2 costs $99 (same price as an Airport Express which is "audio only" like Sonos). Sonos OTOH costs $349 for a basic receiver which then still requires to either be connected directly to a router (wired) OR you have to pay ANOTHER $99 for a "bridge" to send a separate wireless signal off your router just for Sonos devices (waste of bandwidth and clutters the band with more wireless signals instead of just using your existing wireless router, which most people already have (how many used a wired only router and if you did you cannot use the Sonos wireless for anything else). So already you are at LEAST $450 in the hole for a single room with Sonos and you have ONLY AUDIO capability.
Sonos isnt cheap for sure, but that is why I said people who have no shortage of money at the start of my thread. Some people have massive Mac systems, those people shouldn't skimp when it comes to music, if they like music, or video for that matter.
One of the big features of Sonos which you obviously arent aware of is that Sonos DOESNT hog your bandwidth. It uses its own Mesh network which works independantly of your home wireless network, hence no bandwidth constraints, which is why you can have up to 32 Sonos units all working AT THE SAME TIME on the same or different sources whilst not affecting the bandwidth capability of your home network. Try using even 2 AppleTV2s at the same time and see how much of your bandwidth is left.
Also, if you live in a large house, or one with thick walls, or you want to listen outside, because Sonos recreates its own Mesh network each time it hits a Sonos unit strength signal on the opposite side of the house to the router is still very high, each Zone Player acts like a new Sonos signal source.
Yup its expensive but I bought my first Sonos bit of kit in 2006. Since then ive added 3 more units, 2 of which were new redesigned units released a couple of years ago. Ive also added a second controller when they moved to touchscreen 2 years ago. And you know what? It all works seamlessly with each other. Old hardware, new hardware, built up over time. New features added over time (for free) seamlessly updated into even the oldest bit of hardware with a firmware update, they even added full Touch, iPhone and iPad control options so I could use any of them to control the audio around the house. Can you integrate AppleTV2 with 1? Can you honestly say in 5 years time your money spent will still work with the rest of your AppleTV system as they upgrade and add new features? When 3 year old sounddocks wont even charge new ipods I would hazard a guess...no.
-But then I would be forgetting you need a SOURCE of music. You tout the use of an NAS, but most NAS devices aren't exactly cheap or anything. For all intensive purposes they are a just a headless computer and most run Linux. AppleTV2 is out of the box a PITA if you don't want to leave a computer on, but you can put XBMC on it which will use any NAS or networked source. You then have the same functionality as Sonos BUT you also have full video capability. You could instead get a cheap Netbook for $250 (cheaper than most NAS devices) and connect a hard drive to that and run iTunes and the full Apple interface if you'd like and still have XBMC available as well. Personally, I just use an old PPC G4 PowerMac as a server and 24/7 Internet terminal. Intel machines can also be set to Wake On Lan, so you can have your machine sleep while AppleTV is not in use. In short, NAS isn't as great as you make it sound (most are also dog slow compared to a real computer) and there are alternative options even with Apple software like a cheap Netbook as a server.
NAS or WHS arent cheap but youve just contradicted yourself.
Sonos will also play from any networked PC, MAC, External hard drive on Airport, netbook. To use a NAS you dont have to install XBMC on it, it works out of the box from any source you want. That PPC G4 would also work with Sonos, or you could play Last.FM, or Pandora, or Spotify, or Napster, or unlimited internet radio (you can even add your own internet radio addresses).
Best of all, you DONT have to use iTunes. You can if you want, but you dont have to.
Sonos also gives you multi room grouping. Group 2 or more zones together and enjoy synced music wherever you want it. Not miliseconds out syncing like Sony or Logitech but 100% synced. Dropping zones can be done at the flick of the controller.
Read a review of a new album in the newspaper? Listen to it 5 seconds later on Sonos.
So the kids can listen to their own music streamed in their rooms upstairs, my wife can be listening to the TV, or some music in the living room, and I can be in my little den listening to my music whilst enjoying near full speed wireless capability on my pc or mac, or maybe my wife likes a song shes hearing upstairs and links zones so she can hear it downstairs.
You can buy a standalone unit which sounds better than the B&W Zeppelin, or get the amped unit for attaching to any speaker system you want, or get the small unit for use (as you do) with your existing stereo system. You can add these anytime you want, building up your Sonos system over time, without the fear it will be redundant over time.
Its a high end multi room music system vs a limited single streaming unit.
-Now I come to the heart of the matter...VIDEO. You suggest a Popcorn Hour in ADDITION to the already out of this world priced Sonos system. They start at $179 and go up to $299. That brings your total minimum price for a wireless system for a single room to $629 AND you have to switch between two separate devices to listen to audio and/or watch videos. With AppleTV you have all your movies, tv shows, photos, music, music videos, YouTube and Internet Radio (plus the options of XBMC with a quick hack including non-Apple formats) and your TOTAL COST for **one** room wireless using an existing wireless router is $99. $629 versus $99...Hmmmmmm. And then there's the matter of Popcorn Hour's crappy interface versus Apple's polished one. XBMC makes Popcorn Hour look bad as well. Bugs or popcorn? :confused:
Cost seems to be the big issue with you, so I wonder if you own a mac mini as opposed to 3 macbook pros, an imac, apple tv2 etc etc as many posters here have? If so, Sonos etc wont be for you. If you do own multiple Apple systems why are you so concerned with price? If you want the best you got to pay for it.
With Apple TV you DONT have all your movies or music or internet radio. you have limited experiences with all 3. No 1080p, no DVD images (Popcorn will load your dvd image in exactly the same way your dvd player would), wont play .mp4 .m4v .mkv .wmv .avi .aac .divx, doesnt have full support for all subtitle formats, wont play FLAC or anything else outside of your iTunes library audio wise and its internet radio function is gimped.
Its sure nice to have it in one box, but *it* is very very limited. Dedicated systems will always trump jack of all trade systems.
The interface is nice on AppleTV2 for sure, my popcorn looks better though with my skin on it. The default layout looks boring ill agree.
So for the price of your ONE room audio and video, I could have SIX rooms using AppleTV2 with both video and audio and still have $29 to spare
Except you couldnt do that could you? Your wireless network would be crippled with half that many running at the same time. I can assure you I can play a 1080P movie AND have 3 other Sonos units streaming at the same time. Try that sometime with 4 AppleTVs...
With XBMC installed, it can play any format (just like Popcorn Hour).
No, no it cant. DVD isos? All subtitle formats? 1080P? Also your slightly expanded feature set (not out of the box) is achieved by essentially hacking your AppleTV 2, so good luck on the next firmware update.
Hell, I can even buy a cheap 3.5" internal hard drive and slot that into my popcorn hour if I want to store the films locally, what sized hard drive does Apple TV2 have? Oh wait.
Your not seeing the advantages with zero configuration audio system, and a play all with no hassles video system? The only mucking about in my system is if you want a nice shinier interface with Popcorn Hour. You have to convert audio, replace (essentially) the OS to XBMC, have a linux system and a Crystal card to play 1080p on an OLDER Apple TV (your not factoring in this stuff with your price or integrated system arguments are you?) and you STILL have a far more limited setup.
Reading thru your post I guarantee you your costs are higher than $99 and in about 2 years time your system will be redundant.
Im not saying the AppleTV 2 is useless for everyone, for many of the dumb masses who are locked into iTunes already its probably the best thing since sliced bread, and really its only advantage is a cheap price and movie rentals, in glorious 720P, but if I want to feed my 42" 1080p plasma with subpar 720P video I could use the xbox or PS3 sitting under the TV, which I also dont bother with. For audiophiles or moviephiles it doesn't cut it.
aricher
Oct 12, 12:58 PM
Oh Bono...
http://www.u2station.com/images/images/oprah_06.jpg
I hope he sterilized that cheek with a blowtorch after the show. Whatever, at least he's a whore for good causes.
http://www.u2station.com/images/images/oprah_06.jpg
I hope he sterilized that cheek with a blowtorch after the show. Whatever, at least he's a whore for good causes.
bdj21ya
Oct 12, 01:14 PM
Granted, this is a good thing.
But does anyone else find it ironic that the iPods in question are being made by people who according to media reports could use this type of financial subsidization as well?
It's not really the same. They are poor and struggling to improve their lives, but their entire people is not being wiped out by a disease that they don't have the resources to understand, much less combat.
But does anyone else find it ironic that the iPods in question are being made by people who according to media reports could use this type of financial subsidization as well?
It's not really the same. They are poor and struggling to improve their lives, but their entire people is not being wiped out by a disease that they don't have the resources to understand, much less combat.
ctdonath
Apr 4, 12:45 PM
Very sad. Someone lost their life over something so trivial. And said that the guard has to live with knowing he took a life. :(
Sad indeed. Sympathies to the guard, who at least is alive to know what happened; if he hadn't done it, odds are too high that he wouldn't be.
Sad indeed. Sympathies to the guard, who at least is alive to know what happened; if he hadn't done it, odds are too high that he wouldn't be.