14 DAY TRIAL // Remember the Apple TV? The iPhone got so much coverage, that I got to think Apple's set-top box was left behind without a good reason, and today I will try to restore this situation to what I see as being normal. Of course, I won't tell you again what was already known about this device, since some secrets have been revealed, as it seems...
Previously known as the "iTV", the Apple TV was only partially revealed to the public by Steve Jobs during his keynote speech at the Macworld, since no details on the bus speeds, CPU and video decoding technology used were given. Obviously, some people began to dream, and some rumors were heard here and there, but nobody paid much attention to those, since all eyes were set on the iPhone (and probably this is still true in many cases, but the Apple TV will be available next month, while the iPhone has to wait).
Today, in an Apple Insider exclusive, Kasper Jade published the details about Apple TV that weren't revealed yet, so it's my pleasure to tell you what I've been able to find out while reading it. At this moment, Apple's official page with the technical specifications for the device still includes the "Intel Processor ", so we're still talking about rumors, but I am sure we'll get their details pretty soon, since they're already taking orders for the device, and how can you buy something when you don't know what's hidden inside the box?
Apple Insider's sources say that the Apple TV is built around a 1GHz Pentium-M chip, code-named "Crofton", underclocked to run on a 350MHz bus. Having 2MB of L2 cache, this processor is based on Intel's pre-Core Duo "Dothan". The component handling the video decoding part is a nVidia G72M with 64DDR2 video memory, essentially a GeForce Go 7400, while the 256MB of DDR2 system memory is said to be soldered to the logic board.
The 40GB hard drive seems to be a 2.5 inch PATA, and there are two ways of joining a network with your Apple TV - over 802.11n wireless or using a 10/100 ethernet network, where available. Finally, the USB port is said to be available only for troubleshooting purposes.
What else can I say? Now that you know most things that you should know, prepare for the Apple TV! Anyway, I have one question of my own, and I am really curious about it - if Apple says that the maximum operating altitude is 10,000 feet, are they going to design a special edition for Bolivia's capital, La Paz?