Will iTV Connect Directly to iTunes Store?

Is it conceivable that, just maybe, Apple hasn't given us the whole story on iTV yet? Sure, it's cool if it's sorta a streaming network hub that connects to your TV so you can play back downloaded videos. That makes it an AirPort Express with video out ports right? (And, presumably, a processor that's needed to do some decoding for H.264 on the fly.)

So why does it have a USB port? For a keyboard and mouse? A printer?

My guess would be external storage -- if it's a wireless hub with a processor, why not allow it to be a home file server, too? It would be handy to let you store images on your iTV and call them up anytime, whether or not your Mac is close by.

Of course, that would also be nice for audio and video, wouldn't it? In essence, whether using internal or external storage, the iTV could easily become an essential home entertainment component, capable of calling up and playing back tons of stored material to the TV -- or to any Mac or PC -- in your household.

Which, if true, leads to another logical extension of the iTV concept -- why couldn't it function as a standalone interface for iTunes Store, enabling you to download music and movies and TV shows for direct display on the connected TV -- and then, if desired, allow you to sync with your Mac or iPod?

Wouldn't that make sense?

In theory, I guess all of those things would be possible with a Mac Mini connected to a TV, although you'd need keyboard and mouse to navigate. But picture a Mac Mini slimmed down enough to run just Front Row, Darwin and a special TV-centric version of the iTunes Store...and you've got a device that enables you to buy last night's Battlestar Galactica for $1.99 and watch it as it streams in on the fly.

And games would be nice, too.

That wouldn't just be an interesting box for Mac users, but it could be a salvo at NetFlix, DVRs and an incredibly smart implementation of the Windows Media Center solution. It'd be a very Apple thing to do, IMHO, as it would be the sort of solution that might sell in the tens of millions of devices, not just the hundreds of thousands. Translation: Sony would be jealous, and I often wonder if that's Steve Jobs' primary passion.

Or am I dreamin'?

Apple Ships 1.61 Million Macs

As you've no doubt seen, Apple shipped a record number of Macs in its fourth quarter, which, aside from the education buying season, is often a slow one for Mac sales. By all accounts, the move to Intel processors is the deciding factor, with other reports showing that increasing numbers of buyers are considering Macs because they have Intel chips and, thus, a perceived compatibility with the rest of the personal computing world. The demand is driven by notebook sales, which hit 1 million in that quarter with a U.S. market share estimated at 12 percent...and there's no particular suggestion that notebook sales are slowing going into the holiday season. (I'm gonna get me one, for instance.)

Black is Beautiful?

I've decided that I'm in the market for a new Mac of some sort...the PowerBook G4 1GHz 12-inch model that I have right now has been servicable, but I'm starting to notice the slowdowns a bit more prominently. Plus, I've got a new book to start working on that will require a cross-platform approach -- meaning screenshots in both Windows and Mac OS X -- so an Intel-based Mac would be darned handy.

As I've pretty much used a Mac laptop as my main computer for the past 10 years or so, that's the direction I'm looking. The budget is tight, though, so while I occasionally find myself glancing over the MacBook Pro offerings, most of my eBay/Apple Store window shopping is for a regular ol' MacBook. I only look at models that offer 1GB of RAM or more...I've seen that Intel processor running with only 512MB, and it ain't pretty. And I'd love a slightly used model that already has Parallels and Windows XP installed so that someone else takes the hit from M$.

But something about this is bothering me. In spite of my keen eye for a scam, I keep gravitating back to the black MacBook model. Not that I don't like the white version -- although I am a little concerned about the discoloration on some models that seem to have gotten relatively little use. (And, yes, I've already got enough white iBooks floating around the office to make them seem passe.) It's just that I...like...the black MacBook. There's a certain way in which the Apple logo just gleams from the matte black finish that seems very retro future. And I chide myself constantly for even thinking of paying an extra $200 not only for the mere image of the thing, but also because...well...PCs are black! I mean, most laptops for a long time have been black. How is it that Jobs and Co. manage to make it seem so cool?

I generally pride myself on being outside the reality distortion field -- after all, I'm far enough away from California that it's tough enough for it to reach anyway. And yet, here I am, looking for the perfect deal...just the right used price on eBay that makes it seem OK to take the plunge. If I can only pay $150 extra for the privilege of having a Mac that is the color of 90% of all laptops in the world...then...just maybe...I deserve it! {sigh}