Apple and Steve Jobs had their state-of-the-union press conference yesterday. And the expectations we tech geeks have for these things is probably out of control. But, it’s only because we’re so accustomed to Apple releasing yearly game changers.
Now, Apple seemed to be most exciting about the “revolutionary” additions to their existing iPod line. I know, not too exciting. But we have to remember that this is the device that made Apple who they are today. So, they’re probably smart to make sure they forever hold the mp3 player market share lead. And now that these multi-touch devices can download games and apps on Apple’s network, iPods could become the leader in portable gaming as well.
But let’s get to the cool stuff.
iTunes 10. Jobs announced a social-network friendly iTunes for both musicians and fans called “Ping”.
The New Apple TV. This 2nd-generation Apple TV probably has the biggest chance for being a game changer. The device can now fit in the palm of your hand and has a built-in power supply, HDMI connector, along with built-in ethernet and Wi-Fi.
The idea is similar to Google TV, except you don’t have to buy a Google-compatible TV. You simply hook Apple TV up to your existing unit. It can stream HD content as well as stream from your computer. There is no storage, because everything is by rental. Movies. TV shows. Music.
Will this 2nd generation finally catch on? It’s too early to say. But it’s Apple.