14 DAY TRIAL // Well, the ever-lasting waiting for Apple TVs is approaching its end, the much-anticipated set top box should arrive any day now. This is probably the week the first Apple TV shipment will take place. Sing with joy, pre-ordering customers!
This event has triggered a new wave of analysis and commenting, of course. The Apple TV is Cupertino's certain winning hand. If the iPhone is essentially a gamble and could very well fail miserably, Apple TV is completely another story.
Expectations for the set top box aren't as high as with the iPhone and its competition is nowhere near that of iPhone. Also, it's not as outrageously expensive as the Apple cell phone. It's very likely Apple TV will in fact be Cupertino's commercial success this year.
David Haskin wrote yesterday a piece for ComputerWorld entitled 'Why Apple TV is more important than iPhone'. He says the success of Apple TV will mean much more to Apple that that of iPhone, which is essentially an iPod with phone functionality.
"Apple TV, however, could open a whole new market for Apple and also has the potential to bring Internet distribution of movies and television into the mainstream.", says the editor. He also thinks Apple took a chance when limiting Apple TV content sources to just iTunes. While it worked for iPod, "closed distribution may work against, not for, Apple TV."
iSuppli analyst Chris Crotty thinks the secret to Apple TV's success would ultimately lie in Apple ability of creating a product that is elegant, simple and very easy to use. This is what will push Apple TVs in customers' living-rooms.
Related to the matter, Macrumors reported yesterday that Apple TV buyers were already charged the price of the device. "Several individuals who ordered the Apple TV early have noticed that today (March 12th) their credit cards have been charged the full amount for their Apple TV order." The reflected ship date on orders is still March 20.