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Apple TV

Philosophy of Steve Jobs evident in latest Apple TV subscription service

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Steve Jobs remains a visible presence in the Apple 1 Infinite Loop office literally as even now, 4 years after his death, the company celebrates his birthday and his office remains exactly as it was when he was alive. In a recent interview with chief executive of Apple, Tim Cooks, the legacy of Jobs was to train everyone at Apple to reject a limited mindset. It was this “big idea” philosophy that drove the company to succeed as well as it did and today, this same philosophy is evident in new products or changes in Apple.

The Apple TV Service

Apple is rumored to be on the edge of offering a TV service as company executives have hinted at being in talks with programmers about a bundle offer with different networks to be launched sometime in the fall. What this means is that with the Apple TV service, customers have more choices including abandoning the TV altogether with streaming!

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Currently, there are the following services: Sling TV ($20/month), CBS ($6/month), Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. With the rumors of Apple cutting a partnership deal with Comcast, chances are high that Apple could be the key to online video finally making it big.

Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple is currently negotiating with major TV networks to come up with a bundled 25 channel package to be launched in September. However, as early as April, HBO Now will be available to all Apple users for a minimal charge of $15/month.

All the talk about the Apple TV service has led to a rash of activities as large networks are said to be considering changing the terms of their agreements with cable companies. Also, stocks of some top cable companies have dropped following the news of Apple’s plans for streaming.

This whole scenario appears to mimic the time when Steve Jobs launched the iPod and iTune in 2001. It caused the music industry to work even harder against music piracy and get involved with the retail of digital music.

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Of course, the problem with Apple today is that their loyal customers have a very high expectation unlike in 2001 when the iPod was launched. Cook has addressed this concern by saying that Apple develops new products but is also very serious about reinventing what is available like the TV and the watch. History shows and will continue to show that Apple never gives up. It will keep plodding on to improve because that is what Steve Job did and did well.

News

No game-changing products for Apple since Steve Jobs

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Apple’s latest event was promoted with invitations stating, “we still have a lot to cover.” Judging by the wide range of topics and products they touched on during the press conference, it certainly wasn’t false advertising. It wasn’t, however, terribly exciting, either.

While the new iPad Air and revamped iPad Mini have received the majority of the attention from consumers and tech experts alike, Apple executives made a number of smaller announcements as well. Foremost after the iPad news is the fact that the new Mavericks operating system is available, and it’s free. Any Apple user with a system capable of handling the latest OS is able to download it, at no cost, from the Mac App Store. In addition, the iWork and iLife suites of applications have been upgraded considerably, and updates for them are also available on the App Store and iTunes Store at no additional cost.

Though the latest series of Apple announcements have further established the computing giant as a provider of premium hardware with prices to match, such as the soon-to-be-released $3000 Mac Pro desktop and $799 iPad Air, it has also dropped prices in other instances. Apple slashed prices on older iPad models, in what many are calling an attempt to compete with the lower-cost Amazon, Google and Microsoft tablets. Furthermore, the prices for MacBook Pro laptops are being discounted by $200.

Despite a myriad of interesting announcements, some in the tech world have felt that the latest Apple event lacked focus. It covered a lot of ground, but there were no significant revelations in any one category. Even the upgrades to iPads and apps were expected, and in line with recent developments from Apple’s competitors. They’re good, but they aren’t terribly exciting or innovative.

If it wasn’t apparent already, the most recent Apple event solidified the fact that the company, while still great, isn’t the same without Steve Jobs. This is not the same Apple that changed the world with the iPhone and shook up consumers and technological rivals with the iPad. While developments such as Thunderbolt and Mavericks are great, they aren’t earth shattering. Still, because we all remember the early days of the iPhone and the eagerness to line up overnight and be the first with the new Apple gadget, we continue to hope that each next product release will be “the big one” again.

Items such as the iPad Mini with retina display or iPhones with Touch ID are fantastic. Despite expected low fourth quarter earnings, the iPhone 5s has been a bestseller, and reportedly 200 million devices are running iOS 7. Apple is arguably the most valuable public company in the world. Unfortunately, recent products have failed to create excitement and capture hearts like earlier Apple tech did. While the company will steadily continue, in many smaller ways, to shape cultural and technological trends, it will take a major product release like the fabled iWatch or even a significant update to an existing product, such as an infrared keyboard, to really get the world buzzing about Apple again.