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Jason D. O'Grady & David Morgenstern
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Mac mini needs a Front Row

By | October 17, 2005, 7:12am PDT

Summary: After watching Tuesday’s festivities one of the coolest things I took away from the Steve’s presentation was Apple’s innovative Front Row remote control which turns any Mac into a media center—as long as it’s a new iMac, that is.

frontrowremote20051013.jpgAfter watching Tuesday’s festivities one of the coolest things I took away from the Steve’s presentation was Apple’s innovative Front Row remote control which turns any Mac into a media center—as long as it’s a new iMac, that is.

One of the first things I thought was how cool the Front Row hardware and software would be on the Mac mini. After all, the mini was designed to be headless and is perfect in a home theatre setup, right? To my surprise, Front Row will only work with the newly minted October 12th iMacs (confirmed by CNet and Macworld.)

It also appears that Apple’s other new software announcement—Photo Booth—is exclusive to the new G5 iMac, too. Is this simply because both applications are only three days old? Let’s hope that Apple comes to their senses and releases a Mac mini"media center edition" with an IR window and Front Row and that they make Photo Booth a free download to anyone with an iSight camera.

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Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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pslyskh 09 gju
cmakrekwe15-24379016187273110728454977554284 25th Nov
jdtxrc,fxvhwgbb60, bgrar.
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0 Votes
+ -
I don't think so
Roger Ramjet 17th Oct 2005
My guess is that the NEXT mac-mini, based on x86 tech. will inherit this software. I believe that the PPC mini is an evolutionary dead-end. BTW, this will be the FIRST announced x86 mac . . .
0 Votes
+ -
Why limit it to IR?
tic swayback 17th Oct 2005
I think a better strategy would be to start selling Bluetooth
remotes. That way they could sell the remotes (and the Front Row
software) to all Mac owners, rather than just the few who are
purchasing new machines with an IR receiver on the front.
0 Votes
+ -
I'll second that!
crash89 17th Oct 2005
Make it Bluetooth and I am sure there are many of us who would
buy it. In addition, add a TV tuner and this becaomes what MS
Media Center was meant to be!
0 Votes
+ -
It will come
Ken_z 17th Oct 2005
As I recall the IR receiver on the new iMac is behind the Apple logo.
Apple will need to deliver an IR receiver that isn't too chunky.
When that happens Front Row will be ready for anyone on Tiger.
0 Votes
+ -
It's in the iSight from what I've read
tic swayback 17th Oct 2005
From what I've read, the IR receiver is part of the built in iSight
camera, not located by hind the logo.

And bluetooth would relieve any issues with building in an IR
receiver, as most, if not all Macs, come bluetooth ready.
0 Votes
+ -
Give 'em a chance! Sheesh!
Reverend MacFellow 17th Oct 2005
They just announced this stuff! They want you to buy a new computer! If they don't make the hardware to work with the new software third party vendors will! They have probablly already started working on it.
Sheesh! You zd guys will try to complain about anything!

Buy a Mac and be done with it!
0 Votes
+ -
pslyskh 09 gju
cmakrekwe15-24379016187273110728454977554284 25th Nov
jdtxrc,fxvhwgbb60, bgrar.

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