Why Apple should let go the idea of producing TVs without Steve

Apple certainly had a fascinating rise to being the world's most valuable company. The impetus was rekindled at the Macworld Expo in 2007, when the first iteration of iPhone was unveiled, along with a momentous announcement by Steve Jobs that Apple is shifting its focus from computers to mobile electronic devices. Hence, Apple Computer Inc. became Apple Inc., and as they say - the rest is history. But at the same time, there was actually another product launch that seemingly got buried amidst the hullabaloo and palaver. Yes, we are talking about the Apple TV; a set-top video device that originally started out as iTV.

Why Apple should let go the idea of producing TVs

When it first started out in the commercial framework, the Apple TV was marketed to bridge the gap between the reach of iTunes and high-definition television. It came with an updated 160 GB hard disk, included ports for both HDMI and component video and could play HD video at 720p. But the product with a base price of $300 was considered a little bit bulky, especially is regard to Apple's trademark style of aesthetics. The critical reviews were also not too flattering, with a myriad of issues ranging from its limited data sharing capability, problems with iTunes downloadable content to an ultra-minimalist remote with no volume control and complete lack of DVD drive.

In view of such factors, Apple completely revamped this product and re-launched the next 'improved' iteration of the Apple TV in 2010. This design element of this new Apple TV was novel, sleek and definitive in a significant number of ways. The volumetric proportions were actually a mere quarter of the size of the original 2007 product. The pristinely petite rectangular form with chamfered corners, with charcoal gray paint and a glossy finish certainly did appeal to our minimalist artistic senses. But most importantly, the pricing was fixed at $99, which was conveniently less than one-third the cost of the first version.

So, did Apple manage to fend off its 'ghosts of past' with this newest bantam creation? For this to be answered, we need to delve into the basic functionality of the two versions of Apple TV. Circa 2007, it was launched to synchronize with the whole domain of iTunes. But with its limitation of downloadable content and hinging on just QuickTime player, made the product somewhat undesirable for many a potential customer.

Now, fast forwarding to 2010, the customer oriented functionality of this revamped version significantly changed in comparison to its predecessor. This time the company made a fully conscious move to capture the thriving streaming-video business, with accessible features to Netflix, YouTube and even iTunes stores. But the glaring shortcoming was too obvious to behold. The intrinsic mechanism actually limited the amount of content (which in itself can be considered as the most important feature of a television) available for the viewers, with just four supported TV networks - ABC, Fox, Disney, and BBC. To have a clear perspective; its nearest commercial system i.e., Amazon Video on Demand actually provides more number of TV shows qualitatively.

Other clear predicaments lie with the technology offered by the diminutive setup. The connective component cannot be linked up with older television sets without HDMI ports. Furthermore, there is a high degree of incompatibility with PC and Apple TV oriented iTunes availability.

Finally, at the end, one thing remains unequivocally certain - Apple TV does not bring anything new to the table, at least when technology is related to user oriented features. Other 'successful' Apple products like iPad and iPhone did have that clean cut aesthetic appeal imbibed in themselves, but it was backed up by a complimentary (and efficient) software system like the iOS with a plethora of apps. In this case, the unique visual/spatial philosophy of Apple is maintained, but in a sense it is not bolstered by the same level of customer satisfying attributes.

So, with Steve Job’s resignation as Apple's CEO, it does herald an end of a nigh intriguing era for Apple. Maybe it's high time for the company to re-think their strategy about those less appealing products still making their way into the commercial scheme of things.