CNNMoneys David Goldman has seen the Apple future, and it is available today from Microsoft!
According to Goldman, (tip o the antlers to ).
Wait, wait, wait. David Goldman. David Goldman. Why does that name ring a bell of ridiculousness in the Macalopes furry head?
Ohhh, yeah. Probably because he was the guy who said , as competitors like the Motorola Xoom were giving the iPad a run for its money.
He said that. He really did. The Macalope gets the feeling that sometimes people think he makes up the stupid things these pundits say, but the sad reality is that hes never had to.
If that wasnt weapons-grade dumb enough for you, Goldman also warned back in 2010 that
Yeah.
Anyway, he continues to be employed by CNNMoney to write about technology.
[sad trombone]
If youre longing impatiently for the much-hyped features of Apples rumored new TV, you dont have to wait. Theyre already here.
Buh? The Macalopes wondering how anyone could say that when we dont have the slightest idea of what an Apple TV would look like. But now he remembers whos writing this piece, so lets just continue.
Microsofts Xbox Live service already does what Apple is reportedly negotiating with the cable companies to pull off.
Oh, no! Then why is Apple even bothering?!
The company has 40 million Xbox Live customers, while Apple has sold fewer than 10 million Apple TVs.
Microsoft has , which anyone can become for free just by owning Windows, an Xbox, or maybe even one of Steve Ballmers sweaty old shirts.
With Xbox Live, Microsoft hasnt tried to outshine its partners.
Dont make the sum greater than the parts! Just make it equal to them! Theres a recipe for a winner of a product.
According to Goldman, you can get all the features of the rumored Apple television with the Xbox Live. The only difference is that Microsoft played softball with the cable companies, while Apple will play hardball in order to get a better experience for its customers. So, he admits, theyre really not the same at all.
Wow, this has been a pretty quick journey from the lede to here, hasnt it? The Macalope thinks he may have gotten whiplash.
Pundits, no one knows what an Apple television will look like yet. Please stop trying to review it or compare it to existing products.
Our journey of adventurecomparing things that exist to those that dontcontinues, as the s Dwight Silverman asks (tip o the antlers to ).
So & uh & Dwight.
You know that the next iPhone isnt even &
Yeah, you know.
As you know, Im considering switching from an iPhone to an Android smartphone. Ill make my decision once I see the next iPhone, which may or may not be unveiled on Sept. 12.
What the hey?! Does Texas have bait-and-switch laws?
&if the next iPhone is my choice, Im going to bump up to the 64-gigabyte model. My iPhone 4 has 32-GB of storage, and because Ive got nearly 20 GB of music on it, the phone is almost full. And thats not all my music Ive probably got another 5 GB of songs that I am not syncing to the device to save space.
The Macalopes new name for you is Nutty edge-case guy. Or maybe Nutty edge-case guy who doesnt doesnt know how Smart Playlists work.
Im presuming Apple will keep the same price structure with the next iPhone&
Gosh, who knew analyzing products that dont exist yet would be so fraught with uncertainty?
Silverman notes that by buying a 16GB Samsung Galaxy S III and a 64GB memory card, he can get an 80GB phone for less than a 32GB iPhone. And he doesnt even mention all the space hell save by having fewer quality apps to choose from!
In addition, I could sell my iPhone 4 to recoup much of this cost. If I was to unlock it and sell it on eBay, it could fetch well over $300.
Huh. Why it that the resale value of iPhones is so high, while the resale value of Android phones is so much lower? OH, WELL.
Still, the biggest factors in my decision to switch or stay put will be the quality of the hardware and software, as well as the overall ecosystem.
Then why are we even having this discussion?
If Apple offers a cutting-edge iPhone that leaps ahead of the top Android devices, the price wont matter all that much.
Well, it all depends on how you define cutting edge. If cutting edge is some features-based list of checkboxes, then enjoy your Android phone. If, however, cutting edge is the phone with the best overall user experience &
Unlike the Apple television and the next iPhone, its not too early to give Tim Cook his annual review, as he has in fact been Apple CEO for a year now.
Itd be kind of hard to argue that Cooks tenure has been anything less than a success, even if hes mostly just stayed the course. Staying the course isnt as easy as it looks. You cant shake a stick in this country without hitting an executive that screwed up an otherwise fine company by chasing Gartner quadrant unicorns or industry buzzword faeries.
Go ahead, try.
No, harder.
HIT THEM.
GET OUT OF THE WAY. GIVE THE MACALOPE THAT STICK. YOU SWING LIKE A HOUSTON ASTRO.
The point, of course, is that Cook was one of the architects of the course. Despite the many cries that Hes no Steve Jobs, he didnt have to be. Because Tim Cook already worked at the company, you see, and no one was pulling the company out from under him and forcing him to start all over.
For the Macalopes moneywhich, fortunately, is not really at stake herewed need to see Cook get through a new product line introduction to know if his review merits an Exceeds expectations. Still, theres no real cause to think he and the company cant do it. Reinventing product categories and shipping major hits are pretty much in their DNA right now.
But the Macalope understands that, if youre looking for pageviews, TIM COOK TOTAL FAIL is much more enticing than Apple soldiers on.
Oh, how he understands.
Macworld