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Editorial - Apple Keynote: Lots of Stake, Not Much Sizzle

TMO at MWSF - Editorial - Apple Keynote: Lots of Stake, Not Much Sizzle

by , 5:45 PM EST, January 15th, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO - This year's keynote address by Steve Jobs solved a major problem for Apple - its relationship with Hollywood was at stake. It also introduced some evolutionary improvements in the iPhone, iPod touch, and the MacBook lines. However, when it comes to sizzle and excitement, it wasn't there, and the audience was quite a bit more subdued than times past.

Apple is a changed company on many levels. The approach to consumer electronics and entertainment has required Apple to work more closely and visibly with partners, and as a result, we're not on the edge of our seats about new products so much as we are about affirmations of the stories we hear regarding what Apple is up to with its partners.

This year we knew something was cooking with 20th Century Fox. We knew that the Apple TV had to have new life breathed into it. We knew that Apple had to start offering high-definition movies in some starter fashion no matter what. And that's what a lot of the keynote presentation was all about: affirmation of Apple's essential initiatives.

In that vein, Apple had a lot at stake. When Mr. Jobs showed the list of minor studios that have come on board first, there was a pregnant silence in the audience. When Mr. Jobs showed the next slide with six major studios, there was an obvious gloat on this face. "See, we did it," the look seemed to say. All you naysayers said we couldn't do it.

However, the compromises Apple had to make then became obvious. The customer will have only 24 hours to finish watching a movie. One can start watching it on a PC or Mac, finish on an iPod, but that may be the limit. Coexistence on both devices was not so clear. Compromise. Hollywood is very much in control of these viewing terms.

In terms of the MacBook Air, it's going to be a wonderful computer to use, but, again, it is an evolutionary device. To be sure, there was some extreme effort on the part of partner Intel to make it happen, but evolutionary nonetheless. It's not that Apple won't sell a boat load of them. Rather, we al kind of sensed that evolution. After all, as my distinguished colleague Jeff Gamet said, how can one improve on the MacBook design? Thinner and lighter is a good start.

But hardly sizzle.

Apple is a company that feeds on making our dreams come true. More that ever before, that's going to require that Apple work with other companies to deliver entertainment and creative tools. As a result this keynote merely avoided disappointments and gave us incremental improvements in our lives. It paved the way for, as Mr. Jobs said, the remaining 50 weeks in 2008.

Come to think of it, the development of Apple is like a war. Apple has to take the beach before moving inland. And those beach scenes can be ugly and dangerous. Sizzle will have to wait for another keynote.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Apple Keynote: Lots of Stake, Not Much Sizzle

HD content only available on the Apple TV is concerning being the owner of a Mac Mini attached to an HDTV. The lack of HD content had stopped me from purchasing movies from the iTune store. Maybe that restriction will be released in the future without a hardware/software purchase but highly unlikely. The original Front Row was Intel only and the second version, Leopard only.

Seems Steve and company have discovered that George Orwell wrote "Animal Farm" as well as "1984". The pigs are becoming more and more like Farmer Jones.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: What?

You're expecting a revolution every year?

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

What a yawn. Much like the CES

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Not sure what the compromise is on the 24 hour rental. Where I am (maybe different where you are) if I go to the rental store and rent a movie I can have it for only 24 hours or pay for another 24 hour rental. Appears to be the same for iTunes with the difference that I don't have to go to the rental to get the movie and take it back.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Get real

Why don't you "no sizzle" people get REAL

GPS ON THE iPHONE!

MACBOOK AIR!

HD MOVIEW RENTALS ON iTUNES!

and we're TWO WEEKS into 2008!

:rolls eyes:

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Satisfied but not buying

I think that all the product updates and the air are great, but won't be buing any of it for know at least. What I wanted, and might still get is mac LED backlite and gestures on the afformentioned book. Give me LED and I will be satisfied. Now what I really would like is a region free macbook.
I would love to see someone sue to make them all region free as I believe it contravines the WTO.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: The sizzle is in the stake

Quote
Guest wrote:
Why don't you "no sizzle" people get REAL

GPS ON THE iPHONE!

MACBOOK AIR!

HD MOVIEW RENTALS ON iTUNES!

and we're TWO WEEKS into 2008!

:rolls eyes:

Finally someone who see the sizzle in the stake! Today’s announcements were significant, especially the ones on Apple TV 2 and movie rentals. And I’m saying that as someone who rarely watches movies…

Almost everything Apple has done over the years has been evolutionary. It is HOW they did it that was the revolutionary part: Apple I, Mac, HyperCard, OS X, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, Apple TV 2 + digital rentals. I don’t think many people realized how big the iPod was going to be when it was announced. The real revolution is that Apple has the uncanny ability to make things relevant. Movie rentals over the web MADE EASY, is going to be huge. Why? Because it is relevant. So suddenly people will buy the Apple TV, whereas before they would shrug their shoulders: cute but what can you do with it? The MacBook Air is evolutionary in the more general sense of the word, but the movie rental part is like the iTunes music store was four years ago: revolutionary in its relevance. It will drive iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV.

Today’s announcements on movie rentals (even though we knew it was coming) were at least as relevant as the original one-more-thing announcement of the iMac (which took us by surprise). Maybe the sizzle was not as big as the unveiling of the iPhone, but, listening to my wife and daughter, at least as relevant: (living in Canada) I crave an iPhone because I’m on the road a lot but they crave an Apple TV, being movie junkies.

Close Name:luvmymac Posts: 2 Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Subject: The stock price agrees with no sizzle

Like a Pavlov dog the market expects something radical when it didn't get it, the stock tanked and even the audience was subdued. IMO, a they needed to take care of these details for their products to gain further depth. the new laptop is somewhat like the introduction of the ipod mini. Everyone thought it was a terrible idea being just $50 less than an ipod with a lot less capacity. Yet it was a hit and helped put Apple on main street.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Spelling... PLEASE

Don't you mean Steak??

Close Name:yoyo52 Posts: 1174 Joined: 02 Feb 2002
Subject: Re: Get real

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Why don't you "no sizzle" people get REAL

GPS ON THE iPHONE!

MACBOOK AIR!

HD MOVIEW RENTALS ON iTUNES!

and we're TWO WEEKS into 2008!

:rolls eyes:


No GPS, I'm afraid.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Recognizing a homonym...PRICELESS

Hey, Guest!

Stake was the meal. But the hot-cross pun is the tasty dessert.

Close Name:yakirz Posts: 457 Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Subject:

Pseudo-GPS, in the form of tower triangulation. Which is fine, I have a real GPS, real GPS is not a necessity, but I'd have liked to see a 16GB iPhone for $399, 32GB for $499.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Spelling... PLEASE

"Don't you mean Steak??"

Didn't you read the article??

Close Name:macbones Posts: 23 Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Subject: sizzle

Plenty for me. What more do you want? And the week b4 they brought out 8 core macpros as the standard model. I think they are kicking but. I think it's really not fair to diminish a really great effort. Check out the Sony TZ notebooks and see what you get for $2G. A POS next to the Air, not even considering you are stuck w/ winblows.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: What more do you want??

Ok so 2007 was a great year for Apple. The keynote told us what great products came out.
But.......IF YOU WANT AN IPHONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON EVERY KEYNOTE THEN GET YOU TAIL END AT APPLE AND GO MAKE IT HAPPEN!!
This is crap that just because you didn't get all excited about a new sweet laptop and updates to Apple TV and the iPhone doesn't mean that the keynote was a bust.
If you don't like it....go compare this to what Microsoft did in 2007 or even in the first 2 weeks of 2008. I don't think Sync for a Ford really compares.
So please. If you don't like it go fix it. Otherwise. SHUT UP.

Close Name:papamaui Posts: 47 Joined: 28 Jun 2001
Subject: Lots of steak, Lots of sizzle

John Martellaro must have gotten up on the wrong side of bed this morning! Remember, sizzle is in the eye and ear of the beholder!!! I watched the presentation and was very impressed by Apple's new innovations and what they're going to mean to Apple's performance this coming year! Apple continues on a roll! People who still haven't switched to Apple (and there are far more who haven't than have!!!) are going to sit up and take notice now!!! IN MY OPINION, THERE WAS PLENTY OF STEAK and PLENTY OF SIZZLE ... so much that I plan to add to my Apple holdings ... certainly NOT SELL!!! Today's sell-off is going to make a lot of people VERY happy because it means bargain prices for those looking to add to their positions!!!

Close Name:WetcoastBob Posts: 83 Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Subject: Evolution rather than Revolution

I watched the video of the keynote. What I saw was evolution in every product Apple is producing. I think that this shows stability and sense of direction. Apple Inc. is now to big to do revolutionary flip-flops.
I really appreciated that Steve admitted that the original Apple TV was not a success. The Apple people are only human and the resulting change in Apple TV shows that they are learning from their mistakes. I also have a feeling that the new Apple TV is a masterstroke. The whole rental industry might just be put on their ear.
The MacBook Air is a great product, a logical evolution of the MacBook line.
We must remember that Apple Inc. is not only in the technology business, it is also in the business of making money so that it is important in how, and at what pace the technology is rolled out to the public. The marketing is second to none.
In the last two years there has been a steady roll-out of new stuff and features which are enough for mac folks to buy more and some exciting products that attract the attention of non-mac folks so that they too join the mac world.
The great thing for me is-- the tools I use get steadily better and better.
We are all winning.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Dude... Read the article.

No, the writer is playing on words. "Lots at stake with Hollywood".

Read the article next time.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: WhatÒ‘s the purpose of the MacBook Air??

I was hoping for a MacBook Pro update, but no news on that. That sucks.
WhatÒ‘s the purpose of the MacBook Air? Those components, at that price, the one with 64gb SSD is more expensive than the Mac Pro, which is the most powerful computer ever! And the cheapest MacBook surely gives better results, for only $1100! Ok, itÒ‘s thin... so what? ItÒ‘s a VERY nice toy.

Close Name:ctopher Posts: 134 Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Subject: Not impressed with air?

Quote
Guest wrote:
I was hoping for a MacBook Pro update, but no news on that. That sucks.
WhatÒ‘s the purpose of the MacBook Air? Those components, at that price, the one with 64gb SSD is more expensive than the Mac Pro, which is the most powerful computer ever! And the cheapest MacBook surely gives better results, for only $1100! Ok, itÒ‘s thin... so what? ItÒ‘s a VERY nice toy.


so was the iPod. People said "It's pretty and all, but I can't mount it like a flash-drive and I can get more music AND FM on the existing and cheaper MP3 players."

But hordes and hordes bought "pretty" and pretty functional.

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