Apple's Front Row and Apple Remote
By Peter Rojas 
posted October 12th 2005 2:40PM
posted October 12th 2005 2:40PM
Yeah, not as big as a new video iPod, but Stevie did announce the new Apple Remote, as well as Front Row, a new Mac user interface for navigating your media collection (music, photos, videos, and DVDs) from a distance (like from yer couch, you lazy bastard). The Apple Remote looks a lot like the iPod shuffle, doesn't it? Click on for more images of both Front Row and the Remote.
In responce to many posts about the Front Row being compatible and available for other macs, if you read and think clearly, u will see it is compatible with all newer macs including the mac mini, but it requires that you buy or own an ipod nano, mini, or any reg size ipod, then u must purchase the universal dock, and the remote, both sold sepretly, then these hooked up to any new mac, will give you front row and remote capability. Second i see people compalin how expensive a mac is, and what you need to realise is yes mac systems compared to a pc system in cost, macs are around 300-500 more than a comparable pc system, but for that extra cost, you are getting an awsome machine capable of doing more than the comparable pc and doing it better, as well as you own a computer with a rock solid operating system, that does not require you to take on the job of a full time security expert, as you do with a pc, owning a pc is just pure hell, u are always having to make sure things are patched and up to date, you always have to use extra software to keep you free of viruses, attacks, also more software to keep winblows machines even operating somewhat stably. The mac right out of the box is solidly protected from attacks, viruses to date dont affect macs, so no real need for any virus software, macs dont need things like norton utilites to fix bugs, cause there rarely are any, and you dont need to optimize the drive with some utility, because it does that automaticly too! take all that into consideration and i think the xtra 300-500 is more than worth it!
also for you people that complain you recently bought an iMac and are mad because u missed out on the new one, well my guess is you bought your iMac more than a month before this new one was released, because i ordered a iMac system on Oct 3, and on the 12th i seen the new iMac released and i thought, damn i missed it, but then i received an emal from apple telling me my order for the iMac was on hold, because they were offering me a free upgarde to the new one, and all i need to do was follow the link in my email to confirm that is what i wanted, and i did of course, and i called apple and told them they had shipped my niece the iSight already and they said that is fine just send it back and they will credit me, so as you can see apple is a very fair company and good to its customers, its unfortunate you bought you iMac a month or more before the new one, but as another poster put it, u take your chances, just like when i ordered this iMac, i knew apple was planning an anouncment, but i ordered it rather than wait to here what it was, and happily, apple offerd me the chance to upgrade my order :-)
So am I right in saying that Frontrow wont work for any other mac, such as a powerbook? If I bought a universal doc and the remote what exactly could I do with it? Id really like to be able to control my Powerbook with it.
How dissappointing that the videos are only 320x240. Whatever happened to the "Year of HD"?!
Furthermore, judging by the one music video I downloaded, the picture quality is not impressive, with very visible artefacts. I do believe, however, this is a great segway into video content. The pricing also fits in with the "vending machine" model of the iTunes Music Store; inexpensive enough to encourage a string of impulse purchases without realizing how much you've spent.
As for Apple tardiness into the "media center" and video player markets, I think it's explained somewhat by Steve Jobs' comments in the past--IIRC, that there is not any content, as you cannot copy DVDs, and who the heck wants to record TV on a PC, since you want to be certain that the show is recorded.
To be sure, though, I'd prefer them to have done something earlier, and something better than this--better deinterlacing in DVD Player too. (And I second comments about Front Row being released for other Macs--as an owner of a PowerMac dual G5, what, I'm going to spend a ton of money on an iMac G5 I don't need as well?)
Check out Center Stage Project. I think it is more promising than Front Row, and will work on any Mac.
http://www.centerstageproject.com/
I can all tell you now..... Frontrow works with bluetooth and works well with a sonyericsson mobile phone like the k700i+BT addapter and i do have saillingclicker. I think the remote is BT and not IR but i don't know for sure. Don't worry i think they will start selling Frontrow eventualy otherwise search for it :D
#106 is right. The 'doctored' version of FR works with the K700i on my PowerBook like a charm. Once you get used to FR, you never look back. Elgato told me that they were working on something 'very special' and I hope it's FR integration. If you look at FR's code it's all about (Apple) scripting. FR launches iTunes and Applescript is used to control it. The FrontRow UI looks like the iPod's interface on steroids. I don't see any resemblance to MCE. The Apple remote is IR. Looks like FR will be part of iLife '06 (wild guess). Try it. It's VERY Apple and 6 buttons are enough to control it. Six buttons would be enough to control EyeTV. Black on my TV looks gorgeuos. Just try it
Earth calling nerds with your nose out of joint. Innovation can also refer to how an idea is implemented in an "innovative" way. Apple tends to innovate in the area of usable interfaces for non-nerds/geeks. Not everyone out there is an HTPC enthusiast.
Some of you will never understand the market value of usability and how too many features in one product can hinder the accessibility of software and devices.