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In an article by Daniel Eran Dilger over at Roughly Drafted – the Windows XP Media Center is compared with the upcoming Apple TV.
Apple critics tried hard to pretend that this year’s Macworld was a huge disappointment because no new Macs or iPods were trotted out on stage. Of course, these same critics have also long lambasted Apple for not offering a “true video†iPod, nor a handheld mobile, nor a Media Center Mac, nor other copies of Microsoft strategies.
What they failed to catch at Macworld was that Apple has leapfrogged Microsoft’s consumer electronics efforts with just three simple product introductions:
- the iPhone makes an absolute joke out of both Windows Mobile phones and Windows Media players
- the new AirPort Extreme offers an obliterating alternative to Windows Home Server at a fraction of the cost
- the new Apple TV slingshots a rock right into the forehead of Microsoft’s Media Center PC
I agree with many of the conclusions – particularly those that addresses the negativity people have raised about the Apple TV only supporting certain formats – before it is even available so who knows really?
Since I switched to Mac I batch convert all my video to H.264 as it (in my view) provides a better quality and smaller file size. I avoid sites with Windows DRM video or if there is no alternative – I watch it on my old Windows box.
I guess it is a bit like VHS vs BetaMax – you have to choose at some point, have one of each or get Parallels/Boot Camp for your Mac.
