14 DAY TRIAL // A developer poking around the USB device configuration list in the new iOS 4.2 beta has reportedly found that Apple’s iProd references are not tied to a future iPad model, but rather to the newly-announced Apple TV which (implicitly) runs a variant of Apple’s iOS.
The folks at TUAW had previously informed the Apple fanbase that a similar “iProd” descriptor was used to denote the original iPad.
The site now claims to have received an intriguing tip from one of the developers with access to pre-release iOS builds, reporting that an “iProd” instance listed in the USB device configuration of the new iOS 4.2 beta is the new Apple TV, not the rumored next-gen iPad.
It posts a screenshot as evidence of the interesting find (available above), adding that Apple’s new set top box will be jailbreakable (since it runs iOS), even though the September 1 Apple TV demonstration didn’t show a central Springboard application.
Continuing to focus on the advantages facilitated by a potential jailbreak of the new Apple TV, the source cites analysts as saying that the onboard storage of the device is likely to be minimal, though not eliminated by Apple completely.
The company did go on record to say that its new TV hub does not rely on storage, but rather on its ability to stream content from the web.
As such, there is little “room” for jailbreak benefits, while running existing iOS apps on the device would not necessarily make much sense.
Custom software, however, may stand a chance at boosting the new Apple TV’s capabilities.
It remains to be seen whether or not this kind of speculation holds water.
With the new Apple TV scheduled to go on sale later this month, all will be revealed in good time.