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The Mobile Gadgeteer

Matthew Miller & Joel Evans

New Apple TV to be iTV running iOSTV?

By | August 24, 2010, 3:15pm PDT

Summary: The latest rumors are putting a refreshed Apple TV on the market for under $99 in September. Will you pick one up?

If you believe the latest rumors, there’s a new set-top box coming to town next month. The box, the iTV, will come from Apple and will finally be a refresh of the Apple TV.

So far the iTV sounds like it’s going to deliver everything that people have been waiting for, complete with the ability to use iOS apps, since it will run Apple’s iOS. The highlights include what’s being dubbed as iOS TV applications, which will be apps specifically designed for use on the TV, a la carte stations, picture and video sharing via MobileMe, and more. The kicker is that the iTV will sell for around $99.

Kevin Rose is the man behind many Apple rumors, and this one definitely does seem to be credible. You can read more about it in his blog entry.

If the iTV does in fact become a reality you can count me in for buying the first generation. For starters, I have two MacBooks in the house, iPhones, iPod touches, an iPad–basically, I’m an i-Geek! Seriously though, the iTV, as rumored, will finally unify all of the things that I do on my phone, iPad and computer, and for a great price, too. I own an Apple TV and even with Boxee, it just didn’t do what I wanted. The iTV does seem like it will finally deliver everything, including the kitchen sink.

Is the rumored iTV on your buy list?

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Topics

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space.

Disclosure

Joel Evans

Joel is a serial entrepreneur with his most recent business, CronkSoftware (cronksoftware.com), focusing on consulting and building games and applications for mobile devices. Joel has consulted for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile division and advises other companies on how to incorporate mobile into their existing brands and products. Joel purchases many of his devices and others are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the supplier. If any devices are provided as “keeper” Joel will clearly disclose this in his reviews.

Biography

Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands, technologies and services into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently serving as the Managing Director of Cronk Software, Inc., a company he founded to offer full-service, end-to-end mobile strategy, design and development services.

Joel is the former founder and "Chief Geek" of Geek.com, a website praised by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and others as one of world's best sources of information for technology professionals and enthusiasts.

Joel also serves as a technology expert for a number of well-known publications and regularly advises corporations, analysts, journalists and bloggers on what the future of technology will bring. He brings decades of relationships with leading game publishers, online communities and publishers, along with both hardware and software product management and delivery expertise. Joel can be found online as "JoelGeek" and you can follow him on Twitter @JoelGeek.

Talkback Most Recent of 31 Talkback(s)

  • Again?
    Well here's to hoping the rumor is true because it's gotten rather stale. I'll definitely be buying one.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    24th Aug 2010
  • Everything about this rumored device makes a lot of sense
    Except the price. It's just not credible for an Apple product.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Mac Hosehead
    24th Aug 2010
  • You're right
    @Mac Hosehead

    It does have that "It sounds to cheap to be true" ring to it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    24th Aug 2010
  • RE: New Apple TV to be iTV running iOSTV?
    Why not just hook a computer up to your TV? I don't get this at all.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Droid101
    24th Aug 2010
  • No, would not walk across the street to see it.
    My Satelitte TV works just fine.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NoAxToGrind
    24th Aug 2010
  • Why doesn't Apple just give up?
    With the utter and abject failure that is AppleTV, why doesn't Apple just give up already?

    Cue the double standards...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    24th Aug 2010
  • RE: New Apple TV to be iTV running iOSTV?
    @NonZealot
    Where's the double standard? I don't see one.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    A Grain of Salt
    24th Aug 2010
  • RE: New Apple TV to be iTV running iOSTV?
    @NonZealot
    For the same reason MS refuses to abandon Zune. But there is one major difference. Instead of following a familiar pattern, Apple will reinvent the Apple TV into "something else". We will need to wait to see what that will be (this consumer included) but it seems a safe bet that the "new Apple TV" will bear as much a resemblance to that first generation product as the iPad bore to the Newton.

    Let's hope MS still has a few creative persons left to enhance the Zune hardware and the Zune's music delivery concept.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    kenosha77a
    24th Aug 2010
  • That's his point
    I believe he is saying that people repeatedly say MS should give up on Zune, Bing, WP7, etc because of past failures. Apple shouldn't give up on iTV if they think it's a viable market anymore than MS should give up on Bing. Long term the stakes could be too high to not keep trying.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    LiquidLearner
    24th Aug 2010
  • Not sure what you mean.. Par for the course with you:P
    @NonZealot
    If you mean to compare it with say the Zune I'd say that I'm not familiar with MS's margins on the Zune and what kind of money it is making on said? However I'm fairly certain that Apple makes good solid money with every Apple TV sold to date and yes the Apple TV has not been the success of the iPod or iPad nor the iPhone but I'm not certain it is a failure even in the area of sales numbers. If you have any facts to point to that Apple TV sales numbers mark it as a fail please present them.

    Now talking about double standards how many versions of Windows have you given MS compared to what 3 versions of the Apple TV to date? I think there was a Windows 1.0,, I actually saw a shrink wrapped version of Windows 2.1 so I assume there was a Windows 2.0. I remember there being a Windows 3.0 followed by 3.1 and eventually what I would call the first workable Windows 95.

    Pagan jim
    ZDNet Gravatar
    James Quinn
    24th Aug 2010
  • What is this double standard you refer to here?
    @NonZealot Seriously what IS the double standard here?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    25th Aug 2010
  • omega watches
    I hope you have a nice day! Very good article, well written and very thought out. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    lpca520
    24th Aug 2010
  • RE: New Apple TV to be iTV running iOSTV?
    Great article, Attractive enough for me, thanks for your kind writing. Of course, want to own.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tomorrowark
    24th Aug 2010
  • Let me guess...
    If I watch a show that Apple doesn't approve of, will they brick my device?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    itpro_z
    24th Aug 2010
  • Does this mean you are actually considering it?
    @itpro_z
    My how you've grown:P

    Pagan jim
    ZDNet Gravatar
    James Quinn
    24th Aug 2010

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