The Apple TV was launched at Macworld last year and was over shadowed by the big launch of the iPhone but it is back with a vengeance. I did a blog post a bit back about why I thought the Apple TV did not get the credit it deserved but now Apple have done a update “Apple TV Take 2″ now there is even more reason to get one. Personally I don’t like the new simpler UI I liked the old one with the scrolling images on the left. When the Apple TV first came out it had the ability to do HD but iTunes did not sell HD which was a bit of a shame because that meant you couldn’t really use the HD ability that well, so it might have well being a SD box.
Apple seem to now be focusing on giving us the option as to how we get your content such as the iTunes store, iTunes WiFi store and now we can buy from the Apple TV making the iTunes experience something that we don’t even think about we just do. Apple also offered us the ability to watch our Flickr and .Mac photos thought the Apple TV but to be honest I think this is a useless feature I would never use because if I want to look at photo’s I would use a computer it might be nice if you want to show photos to family but this opportunity really arise well for me. The Main feature I think of the Apple TV Take 2 is that there is no need to have a computer with iTunes this means that the Apple TV is standalone box and can be used even if you don’t have a computer but you can still sync you computer if you want.
Rupert, I do understand your point about the Apple TV’s ability to view photos from online photo services. It is unique to you. However, for most people, this feature is invaluable.
Remember, the old days when we flip through pages on a physical photo album? We did that in the living room or probably somewhere else that was not in front of the computer. With digital photography and photo hosting services being the norm now, we are forced to use the computer as a conduit to viewing our photos. To me, this is unnatural. Viewing photos is supposed to be a social thing that you share with friends and family.
Apple TV’s ability to view online photos will finally bring back the old days when we can sit on our couch and enjoy the photo viewing experience with our family and friends again.
For more of my view point and other Apple TV-related articles, you can visit my site, http://appletvsource.com