Apple Extreme

10 Must Do's for Microsoft to Save Itself.

2007-04-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my best shot at what Microsoft could do to try and turn things around:

1. Admit defeat
If only to themselves MS has to admit that Longhorn is a complete and utter failure. To have come this far, spent this much money and wasted this much time to ultimately produce an OS which barely has any of the features that was to make it great, is a beyond pathetic. Time to own up to the fact that everybody screwed up.

2. Thin the herd
First one out the door needs to be Ballmer. He is an idiot on a good day and he has just reinforced that image with his bungling of the Longhorn situation. After he goes then its time to go down the line trimming the fat and doing some serious house cleaning. Once that is done then look outside the company for a few decent managers.

3. Do your best
Since Longhorn is the only thing you got at the moment that is what they are going to have to sell. Try to make the best out of a bad situation. This is the point at which you should be treading water while you work on something else.

4. Dump it
Throw all of the current Windows code away. All of it. Everything from 9x to XP to Longhorn, everything has to go. It’s all crap and its time to jettison those reeking piles of poorly written, buggy code.

5. Start over
This may be the hardest pill of all to swallow but the way I see it they have two choices. Plan A, try and make a new OS from the ground up. Just like the people who designed Unix, security and stability have to be your main goals. But that approach is going to take time, a lot of time in fact. And time is something that MS doesn’t have much of right now. So, they might want to look at plan B. Plan B involves doing pretty much what Apple did. Use BSD as the core of your OS then build around it. Now, I realize that doing this would be a major embarrassment and would require the biggest software company on earth to swallow its pride, but ultimately they would see that it’s the best choice.

6. Decouple
There is no need to make IE so deeply attached to your kernel. Bad things happen when you do stuff like that. Same thing with Media Player, uncouple it. Strive to make the system as small as possible. You build the basic system and then offer pieces that can be attached as needed.

7. Move on
It’s time to tell the public that if they want to use the newest applications for then they need to upgrade. Everyone who still uses 98 has to get real. All of you still using 95 need your head examined. And any of you using ME, God help you. Microsoft needs to stand up and inform people that they will no longer bend over backwards to accommodate their old, clunky, piece of crap software. Its time to update all of your applications. 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP and Longhorn are dead, move on. That step alone would make the OS much smaller, faster and more secure.

8. Accept the losses
Microsoft is going to lose market share no matter what they do. If they followed this strategy then they would lose market share faster than if they stuck it out with Longhorn but in a few years they would be in a much better position to come back and reclaim what they had lost.

Wrapping it up

So, there you have it. The current state of the Longhorn, a prediction of things to come and a few hints for the folks in Redmond. It will be fun to watch what happens in the industry in the next few years. We will see if I am right. What do you think? What did I miss?

Update
Since I have received so many comments that seem to dwell on the same point let me clarify my position. I don’t think Microsoft is going to go anywhere soon. However, I do think that they are on the downturn. They have reached their peak and now they are in decline. It will take a long time for their influence to fade (a decade at least) and for a good part of that time they will still be a force to be reconded with. But that still doesn’t change the fact that, as a company, they are falling instead of rising.

Blog
www.applematters.com/index.php/section/comments/dont_look_now_but_the_coroner_is_measuring_microsoft_for_a_black_suit/

The Nails in Microsoft's Coffin

2007-04-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

The 3 nails in the MS coffin

In order of importance:

1. Microsoft
They have always been their worst enemy. Shoddy software practices are forced on programmers due to incompetent managers which in turn produces the mess that is Longhorn. Even if the computing world was relatively quiet (which it isn’t, not by a long shot) then MS would still be in deep horse pucky over the gross stupidity that their leadership has shown. And to make matters even worse management has now realized that this time there isn’t going to be a “quick fix”. There are no more features left to cut. This time the deadline is real because their competitors are getting their act together in a way that hasn’t ever happened before.

2. Apple
Making matters worse is Steve Jobs. He has Apple humming like fine tuned violin. Tiger is everything Apple promised and its only been released for three months or so. And I imagine things are only going to improve. And if that wasn’t enough Apple is going to squeeze out yet another OS before Microsoft can get Longhorn out the door. Ouch, yet another kick in the balls. Then you have this whole Macintel thing going on plus rumors about the iPod/ITMS/movie business all of which draw the attention of the media towards Apple’s successes.

3. Linux
Never forget Linux. They may be a disorganized, fragmented group who may not present a challenge on the desktop but they are chipping away slowly at MS’s dominance. Then on the server side Microsoft has finally realized that they are fighting a losing war. And this is evidenced by the growing number of MS backed “independent” research groups claiming Windows server is (pick one, cheaper, better, faster, more secure etc.). Those tactics speak of desperation. They are a smear campaign plain and simple.

Mindshare
This is a good indication of how bad the situation currently is and how much worse its going to get. Think about how much of a market share Apple has. Something like 3% of yearly sales with an install base of about 10-15%. Now, think about its mindshare. What is mindshare you ask? Well, its the extent to which people know about a phenomenon. The iPod has enormous mind share. You might not own one yourself but chances are you know someone who has does. The iPod alone has made Apple’s mindshare sky rocket. Now factor in the ITMS and how profitable it has been. Now think about the recent announcement of their switch to Intel. And then there is the ever present rumors about them starting a movie store much like the iTMS. People can’t stop talking about Apple and Jobs is just fanning the flames, trying his best to fuel the fires and feed the rumor mills.

And all the while the media focuses on Apple do you know who they aren’t talking about? Microsoft. Think about all of the buzz that MS has gotten in the past when they released a new operating system. And here they are about to release an item they claim is their most revolutionary product ever and . . . no one is listening. No one cares. Redmond is no longer where all of the news is coming from. If you are about to release a killer product, something that is going to save your company and allow you to ride its success for years to come, the last thing you want to hear are yawns.

News flash! Longhorn is going to be drastically overshadowed by Leopard and Macs running Intel. Make no mistake about it, Jobs is a master showman. As such, he will wait untill the best moment possible and then try and wow the world with all of Apple’s new toys. Who wants to cover a stripped down, bare bones, bug infested OS like Longhorn (which is already being called XP SP3 if that gives you any indication of how bad things are) when you can go look at Leopard running on a pumped up PowerMac with Intel’s latest and greatest chip inside?

Linux learns to game

More bad news for MS is called Cedega. And do you know why it is bad? Because it allows Windows only games to be played on a version of Linux called Linspire. Uh oh. Thats not good.

Gaming is the one area in which Microsoft can truly call their own. No one really even competes with them on the desktop as far as gaming goes. Anything else and Apple and Linux can put up a good fight but not when it comes to games. Until now. With the release of this product Half Life, GTA, Doom 3 and the rest can now be played in Linux. And if they can do it for Linux then they can do it for Mac. And that simple fact should scare the heck out of Microsoft. Because if that program is ported to OS X then the top games in the industry can be played on a Mac, using Intel’s fastest chip, using NVidia’s best graphics card on a 30” aluminum display. Over night PowerMacs could become the best gaming rig in history.

And remember, its gamers who drive companies to produce the best product possible. Normal people don’t go out and buy the latest and greatest stuff just because it’s out, gamers do. When you are playing Doom 3 you want it to be as realistic as possible and if that means buying a $300 video card then they will do it. If that means buying the fastest processor they will do it. And if that means upgrading to the newest OS then they will do it. Say, we don’t know anyone coming out with a new OS any time do we?

Realistically how long do you think gamers will stick with Windows if it turns out that the best gaming experience can be had on a Mac? And if the rumors are true and Apple does bring AltiVec to the Intel side of things then it is quite possible that Apple may be the ones who very soon are producing the fastest computers anywhere. And remember, gamers always want more power.

Blog
www.applematters.com/index.php/section/comments/dont_look_now_but_the_coroner_is_measuring_microsoft_for_a_black_suit/

Microsoft is in Trouble!

2007-04-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Why are they in trouble?

Momentum. It all boils down to momentum. Google has it. Sony has it. Apple has it pouring out of its orifices, Microsoft though. . .not so much.

You see momentum is what pushes that reluctant manager to go ahead and upgrade his system instead of waiting for something better or (very scary music plays in the background) switching to Linux. Momentum is what gets a word of mouth campaign going that convinces your everyday user to go out and buy the latest OS. Momentum is what keeps the media friendly, sort of.

But lately MS has been getting all of the wrong types of momentum. They aren’t getting that “battering ram” momentum no, it’s more like at sinking ship momentum. You see the ram is going through, but the ship is going down. Big difference.

Right now Microsoft can’t even hold a press release about Longhorn without either saying its going to be delayed again or that they are cutting even more features. This really makes them look incompetent. I mean, I know they are incompetent but this really lets the rest of the world in on the joke as well.

And no matter how they spin it they have now reached the point where it’s impossible to make the situation sound any better than it is. Three years ago they could have made these announcements from a position of strength. Two years ago they could have made these announcements and then lied heavily in hopes of saving face. One year ago they made these announcements and it started looking really scary for anyone whose business depended on Longhorn. And now this year these announcements make them look like a company that is adrift, with no real vision, desperately trying not to drown. Congratulations Bill you have officially lost any momentum you thought you might have had.

Blog
www.applematters.com/index.php/section/comments/dont_look_now_but_the_coroner_is_measuring_microsoft_for_a_black_suit/

Steam your Phone with iTunes

2007-04-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

The release of Apple TV a few weeks ago has opened up an intriguing new possibility: streaming music from iTunes on your home computer to your cell phone.

No, Apple TV does not stream over the Internet or across a cellular phone network, but the SlingBox does. And Sling Media, the maker of the SlingBox, confirmed to CNET News.com on Monday that the company is working on making the Slingbox compatible with Apple TV. The most likely--and compelling--scenario would be to allow the streaming of Apple TV content (which is synched with a PC) to a mobile device.

"It is definitely something we will support," said Brian Jaquet, a Sling Media spokesman. While he would not reveal any time frame for availability, he confirmed that the company is currently testing the interface and ensuring that the infrared codes and software can correctly control the Apple TV box.

If it works as planned, content could be streamed from the PC to the Apple TV to the SlingBox and finally to a phone running any of the three mobile platforms supported by the SlingPlayer software--Windows Mobile, Palm or Symbian. This set-up might be a bit complex and pricey ($300 for the Apple TV and at least $150 for the SlingBox) but it would make a person's entire music collection available practically anywhere without a fistful of pricey memory cards.

While that scenario could be compelling to serious geeks, the concept could enjoy much wider appeal should Apple step in create a direct and simple link between iTunes on a PC and its upcoming iPhone.

My colleague, Scott Ard, promoted a similar concept back in November, in a piece called, "What the iPhone Should Do." In it he said, "Namely, I would like to see an iPhone that connects to the owner's computer, allowing full streaming access to movies and music stored on the Mac (or PC). Call it 'iTunes to Go.'" He argued that the SlingBox was already capable of streaming music and video from a DVR, so adding the capability to iTunes on a computer and to the iPhone would be fairly easy for a company of Apple's technical prowess.

The iPhone is scheduled to be shipped in June, the same month that Apple's new OS, dubbed Leopard, will be released. It will be interesting to see if Apple's got a surprise in store that could really separate the iPhone from the pack.

Blog
news.com.com/2061-10801_3-6174606.html

Top 10 iTunes Add Ons

2007-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

We selected a list of 10 of the best iTunes add-ons for Mac and PC that we found on the Internet.
Included in this list are great programs that shouldn't be missing from the computer of an iTunes user.

>>>For Mac users:

Synergy
Synergy is a tiny little app that puts basic iTunes controls in the menu bar, for playing, rewinding, fast-forwarding audio tracks and displays real-time track information in a small floating window. You also can assign system-wide hot keys for controlling iTunes without the mouse. You can find settings for configuring the spacing, visibility, and style of the control buttons, as well as for configuring what track information Synergy will display.

Fetch Art for iTunes
This small program works by grabbing the cover art from Amazon's music listings so you don't have to search for it manually. It allows you to preview the art that was found and add the art you want to iTunes.

iTunes Monitor
One of iTunes's greatest features is its ability to share music across a local-area network. iTunes doesn't provide much information about who is connected or what is being shared.
This utility monitors iTunes to provide a solution for this inconvenient.

iPodRip
iPodRip allows you to get the most out of your iPod. You can transfer music from your iPod back to your iTunes Library, listen to music directly on your iPod -saving valuable disk space, plus much more. iPodRip gives you flexibility importing songs of any file type including MP3, AAC, Audible.com, and Protected AAC. It is available not only for MAC, so if you want you can download a PC version from here.

RadioLover
With RadioLover you can: record internet radio streams as individual MP3 songs, schedule recordings of your favourite daily or weekly shows, record multiple radio streams at the same time, split and organize recordings by song, time or size.

>>>For PC users:

Volume Logic
Volume Logic is a sound enhancer that improves the sound quality of your iTunes music playback. Volume Logic offers a range of presets for different types of music, as well as a bass boost adjustment.

EvilLyrics
EvilLyrics is a very useful application that will find lyrics to the currently played song and displays it in tiny window.

G-Force
“G-Force is the most dynamic and sophisticated, yet entirely artistic, music visualization available - and it keeps getting better.”
Some of the features include Advanced mathematical engine with millions of visual effects and and that you can add your own visuals.

EyeJamz
“EyeJamz for iTunes adds an exciting visual dimension that greatly enhances the enjoyment and the usefulness of your iPod and iTunes.”
You can easily download free Album cover art, load Album Cover Art to your iPod and then display them while your iPod plays your favorite music.

FoxyTunes
This application simply places a small audio control panel at the bottom of your Firefox browser, letting you perform actions such as playing a song, rewinding, and adjusting the volume without accessing the iTunes.

The list is open and you can give us tips about other iTunes add-ons you consider that are must have applications for an iTunes user.

Blog
news.helpero.com/article/Top-10-iTunes-Add-Ons_311.html

7 Must Have iPod Applications

2007-04-09T09:38:00.001-07:00

No one has beaten Apple at the portable - audio - player game yet.
iTunes is a free software application for Mac and Windows that you must first download, then use to find and buy songs.
This is a list of 7 applications that are designed to make up the ground that iTunes hasn't kept pace with.

>> iDump
iDump it's a freeware that will allow you transfer your songs off your iPod to a PC, iDump does come wrapped in installer but you can simply drop the .exe in the root directory on your iPod and run it from there.

>> iPodCopy
iPodCopy is a useful application that allows you to copy songs or playlists from your iPod to your PC. Songs are saved under artist/album folders. Large copy operations can be canceled while in progress. Copy all your music in a couple of mouse clicks. Transfer songs and playlists from your iPod directly into iTunes.

>> iGadget
iGadget lets you to realize the full potential of your iPod. With iGadgetTM, you'll be able to transform your iPod into much more than a simple music player. You'll have the ability to turn your iPod into an information repository.

>> MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is an easy-to-use organizer for serious music collectors.
It catalogs your CDs, MP3, WMA, and OGG audio tracks, and looks up and intelligently tags and renames/reorganizes them.
MediaMonkey rips CDs, converts audio file formats, and easily creates mixes. It integrates with Nero for CD Burning, and with Winamp for playback.

>> Plato Video to iPod Converter
The application converts various video file formats to MP4 for iPod, supports almost all digital video files (AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MOV, 3GP, SWF) into an iPod-ready format. It features hardware auto-detect: Automatically detect your hardware and decide the best converting speed.

>> SuperAV Converter
It works flawlessly, converting both audio and video files from almost any format imaginable into almost any format imaginable.
SuperAVConverter is an all-in-one, multimedia converter. You can rip CD tracks to WAV, MP3, WMA, and OGG files, and convert audio and video files. Supported audio formats include WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA, APE, AAC, AC3, and RMA.

>> iPodSync
iPodSync is a tool to keep your Microsoft Outlook calendar contacts, tasks, and notes synchronized between your PC and your iPod. iPodSync also syncs weather forecasts and news from the Web. iPodSync turns your iPod into a PDA. You specify what information you want to sync and iPodSync does the rest.

Blog
news.helpero.com/article/Best-7-Must-Have-iPod-Applications_306.html

7 Must Have iPod Applications

2007-04-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yahoo MP3 to Challenge Apple iPod!

2007-04-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! (YHOO) is the latest company to go after the Apple iPod. It is going to offer an MP3 player with chip and storage company Sandisk (SNDK). The product will work with Yahoo! Music and other download stores. Sandisk has had some success in the MP3 market with a share of 9%.

The new music player will work with WiFi so that customers can connect to the Yahoo! Music service using a wireless connection.

Sandisk has a similar relationship with RealNetworks (RNWK) and its music download service.

Yahoo! should not bother wasting its time. Microsoft (MSFT) has already begun to go after the iPod with its new Zune player. The early results cannot even be described as lackluster. The MP3 market has been lost to Apple (AAPL), and would-be competitors are better off expending their energy elsewhere.

Apple Blog

Apple Unveils Higher Quality DRM-Free Music on the iTunes Store

2007-04-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

Apple(R) has announced that EMI Music's entire digital catalog of music will be available for purchase DRM-free (without digital rights management) from the iTunes(R) Store (http://www.itunes.com/) worldwide in May. DRM-free tracks from EMI will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding, resulting in audio quality indistinguishable from the original recording, for just $1.29 per song. In addition, iTunes customers will be able to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for
just 30 cents a song. iTunes will continue to offer its entire catalog, currently over five million songs, in the same versions as today -- 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM -- at the same price of 99 cents per song, alongside DRM-free higher quality versions when available.

"We are going to give iTunes customers a choice -- the current versions of our songs for the same 99 cent price, or new DRM-free versions of the same songs with even higher audio quality and the security of interoperability for just 30 cents more," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think our customers are going to love this, and we expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of this year."

"EMI and iTunes are once again teaming up to move the digital music industry forward by giving music fans higher quality audio that is virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings, with no usage restrictions on the music they love from their favorite artists," said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group.

With DRM-free music from the EMI catalog, iTunes customers will have the ability to download tracks from their favorite EMI artists without any usage restrictions that limit the types of devices or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. DRM-free songs purchased from the iTunes Store will be encoded in AAC at 256 kbps, twice the current bit rate of 128 kbps, and will play on all iPods, Mac(R) or Windows computers, Apple TVs and soon iPhones, as well as many other digital music players.

iTunes will also offer customers a simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free format for 30 cents a song. All EMI music videos will also be available in DRM-free format with no change in price.

The iTunes Store features the world's largest catalog with over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 400 movies. The iTunes Store has sold over two billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over 1.3 million movies, making it the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store.

With Apple's legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod(R) and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at a reduced price, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and will enter the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.

Apple Blog
www.phonecontent.com/bm/news/1773.shtml

Apple TV is a Good Start, but Limitations Remain.

2007-04-09T03:07:00.000-07:00

APPLE TV has the beginnings of a great service. But it's still a long way from being the best way to watch movies on your TV or even matching the offerings of rival services.
For Mac fans and Apple iTunes lovers, the $299 set-top box delivers on simplicity and ease of use in allowing you to watch or listen to movies, music, videos, photos and podcasts on your TV. I've used it for a week and marvel at its design, from the tiny but useful six-button remote control to the small size of the sleek Apple TV box itself.

Its biggest limitation, though, is that you can use it only with wide screen or high definition TV, not a standard TV.

It doesn't match the breadth of capabilities in an Xbox 360 or a Windows Vista computer in terms of accessing all sorts of media in the living room, but it does a nice job simplifying a network of Apple devices and tying them together in a shared entertainment network.

Setting up this computer-to-TV bridge is easy.

You'll need a wireless base station such as the new $179 AirPort Extreme that Cupertino-based Apple makes for transferring all of your media from the computer wirelessly to the Apple TV box. I plugged an iMac into the AirPort Extreme so I wouldn't have to string an Ethernet networking wire from the iMac to the living room.

Then I downloaded the new version 7 of the iTunes media-downloading software to the iMac. Once I did that, the Apple TV icon appeared on the computer screen as one more device(just like another iPod) connected to iTunes. I plugged the Apple TV box into a power outlet and then connected it via an HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) cable to a Panasonic 40-inch plasma HDTV. (You can also use other connectors such as component video.)
I typed in a passcode from the Apple TV to pair it with iTunes. Then I began downloading movies and TV shows from iTunes onto the iMac. Since my DSL service doesn't provide the speediest connection, it took a few hours to get "The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy" as well as the hour-long pilot of the new TV show "The Riches."

Then I had to wait again as I transferred the shows to the Apple TV box, which has a hard drive with 40-gigabytes of space (33 GB of usable space), or enough for 50 hours of video or 9,000 songs. You can't be as spontaneous with your movie viewing since you have to wait for the shows to arrive. After you've downloaded a few shows, you can play one of them while you're waiting for new material.

You can also stream movies from the computer, or play them from a device such as an iPod, without actually storing them on the Apple TV box. The Apple TV device will give you a choice of the devices that you could use to stream. For streaming, you definitely need the higher transfer speed of the AirPort Extreme, which uses the 802.11n draft 1.0 wireless standard to transfer data at up to 300 megabits a second, or five times the speed of today's typical WiFi networks.

The user interface on the TV screen is intuitive, with fonts and movie poster images that you can view from your couch.

The ability to use Apple TV and iPod together provides great flexibility. You can start watching a movie on the TV and then finish it later on an iPod. The beauty of this feature is that it happens automatically as you put your iPod in a dock. Considering there are 100 million iPod users, that feature could be widely appealing. My kids got a kick out of seeing pictures of themselves on a big screen TV. You can put that slide show to music as you watch it.

Apple has a huge advantage in music with 4 million songs available and more than 2 billion sold to date.

But the selection is very limited for movies and TV shows. There are more than 400 movies and 350 TV shows on iTunes, but there are some big gaps. "American Idol," for instance, isn't available on Apple TV.

That's the greatest weakness of the service now, but I expect that to get better with time.

For now, Apple has done a great job with making everything easy to navigate. There are small annoyances, however. I had to point the remote, which has a 30-foot range, directly at the Apple TV box. The fast-forward seems to be a little clumsy. You hold down the FF part of the click wheel and then have to click on the Play button quickly in order to stop at the right spot.

"The Riches" show looked decent on the Panasonic plasma TV. But it didn't look spectacular. That's because Apple TV currently has movies available in the DVD-quality 480p format, which fits a wide screen but isn't the best video quality. The Apple TV box can convert the 480p video into the 720p format (or 1080i) of my TV. But it doesn't look as good as the best 1080p format being used in Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies disks. That said, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" looked excellent on Apple TV.

Jai Chulani, product marketing manager at Apple, says that Apple has the best total solution that enables both living room and portable viewing.

But there are other ways to get digital movies and move them to your TV.

The biggest edge the Xbox 360 has over Apple TV is the ability to download HD movies. However, while you can use a Microsoft Windows Media PC or an Xbox 360 to stream videos to your TV, you can't plug in a Microsoft Zune portable media player in the same way that you can sync the same movie on an Apple TV and an iPod.

Netgear also has a couple of models of its Digital Entertainer HD product that can stream HD movies to your TV from your PC. And while Apple TV is limited to a closed selection of authorized movies from the iTunes store, the Netgear device can transfer and play content from many sources.

This is the age of YouTube, but Apple TV doesn't allow you to just go looking out on the Internet for free stuff. That's Apple's style.

But since the Netgear box and other options exist, and since 42 million consumers already have a PC capable of running Microsoft's Windows Media Center, Apple TV could be a tough sell.

It's a brave foray into the living room, but it's late and Apple has to build on it.

Apple Extreme
www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_5626251