Apple to launch plasma HDTVs at Macworld next week?
By Paul Miller 
posted Jan 7th 2006 6:30AM
posted Jan 7th 2006 6:30AM
Mr. Powerpage himself, Jason O'Grady, is laying down a rumor of Apple plasma displays at Macworld,
alongside the annals of his recent breakfast at Wawa. At Wawa he grabbed a breakfast sandwich, but at Macworld he's
expecting 42 and 50-inch plasma HDTVs with DVI-HDCP and VGA hookups. The real story here is that Apple would be
cramming in whole VIIV computers into these things, including Mac OS 10.4.4 for x86, and charging a mere $2599 or $3299
respectively for the privledge. He's also saying the included remote will be all 12-buttoned and LCD sporting, but that
no keyboard or mouse will be included, leaving these squarely targeted at working your media. Since we're hanging in
Vegas we've already started the betting pool, which is currently at a buck fifty for and fifty cents against (high
rollers, we know) but we'll leave it to Stevie J to verify this one on tuesday at Macworld -- our fingers are crossed.
any idea how they are going to prevent image burn-in?
Wow, just what I need. Another credit account. At least this one will be worth it!
any idea how insane u must be to by this?
no way.
people aren't going to want a computer to be stuffed into a $2500 plasma display. how often do people replace plasma TVs? how often do people replace computers? exactly.
Yeah, I'm with x23 on this one. This doesn't sound very Apple-like. I wouldn't hold my breath or money waiting for a semi-reasonably priced plasma display from Apple (however much I'd like it to be true).
I'd certainly look out for that! :D
I doubt it. Plasma technology is too dated for Apple to adopt it now. If it was LCD I would kinda believe it.
I sure hope it's not true because I got me a nice 40" last month
Er, have you actually read the Powerpage story..? It's written as a joke about all the rumors that are flying around in the week leading up to MWSF. It's not meant to be real and I bet Jason O'Grady is laughing his head off at the way it's spreading around the web. Even the prices mentioned in the article are $25.99 and $32.99 not $2599 and $3299. And even if there were a shred of reality about the story, those prices would crush it. Apple charge a premium for their products remember... Their 20in LCD panel is $800 while Dell has the same panel for $500. There's no way they would sell a plasma screen *and* a computer for less than the screen alone from other manufacturers.
Shame on engadget for reporting this like news. One too many comp'ed drinks in Vegas boys?
I wouldnt like a 50 inch plasma on my desk. Id need a telescope to find dock and my toolbar. The 30 inch is big enough for me and I find my 15inch imac perectly fine. How would i find a wallpaper with a big enough resolution.
You morons. The article is a joke. No, not the "that's crap" kind but the "ha ha, that's funny" kind. They're mocking the rumor sites.
With CES up you folks are still so hungry for news that you'll turn off your brains? Come on...
oh god, now my TV is going to be white.
I'd buy one.
The day these are released I'm buying.
Wait, they have Wawa in Vegas? I'm from Philadelphia and am addicted to wawa... Didn't know they were expanding THAT fast
Plasma? Don't those burn out after a few years?
I'll pass...
"I doubt it. Plasma technology is too dated for Apple to adopt it now. If it was LCD I would kinda believe it." -Pete Plasma
Actually, Pete, LCD technology has been with us for decades, way longer than plasma, so your logic is flawed. I remember seeing LCD TVs since the early 1980's and LCD projector techlology is also quite old. It's only now that they've been able to make them higher rez and/or bigger. This news sounds far fetched but you never know, we've been suprized by Apple before.
Looks like Apple fanboyism trumps common sense and reading skills.
Well, if it doesn't come with Photobooth and an internal iSight then I don't want it! What's the point?
GadgetGav - have you yourself read the story. Even if it's a joke the pricing refrence was meant in disguise. Talk about not picking up on the tone.
Pete Plasma - What time portal are you stuck in? Plasma displays are significantly newer than LCD displays.
As for plasmas in general they don't burn through as easily anymore, most have pixel jumping technology to shift pixels around. The main issue with a plasma display is that when they do fail they fail hard due to bleed throughs. But give it some credit, it'll still last you a decent time. Didn't any of you play with LCD display when they first arrived? Wasn't a very good display period, despite how long it lasts.
All this Computer/TV Integration is still too complex.
Give me a Mac Mini/DVR with an RF remote control that an be used anywhere in the house with Mighty mouse buttons, ability to broadcast HD RF signals and have any an all TVs tune in using an indoor HDTV antenna, use the same RF signals for music. Leave my wireless network ALONE! Better yet, give me a Media xServe with multiple RF remotes as dumb terminals that can display the UI on my TV via HDTV
An LED backlit LCD perhaps, and I'm sure at some point Apple will bring such a beast to market... It fits with the other rumors in the consumer electronics, but next week is pretty unlikely. They'd be foolish not to have a mobile device and home devices by the summer in order to retain the iTunes market advantage, though Steve is rarely in agreement with the fan boys.
CAN someone tell me who will write the interface software so i can use my microsoft smart watch to control the tv???
Blake, I know... That's why I was mentioning the price. In the article it's an obvious joke and yet in the 'news' story on Engadget it got converted into prices that could be plasma prices, but not plasma with Apple badges and computers built in. Even if the $25.99 price had been assumed to be a typo, even the converted price didn't make sense. This is such a non story - it's a joke about a joke.
Man, people are thick! The $25.99 wasn't a typo, it was part of the story. Context, people. Clearly you didn't get the gist of it.
Plasma burn-thru is an old story.
And, when Front Row first was introduced, the first thing I thought of, was wouldn't that be nice, if I could have that built into a plasma display.
I hope they launch a black ibook, just like the new ipods, and intel inside, of course...
"How much will they be?" I ask.
"$25.99 and $32.99" he mutters.
"For a sandwich and a salad?!" I practically yell.
"No. Ahhh, just forget it man" he says in disgust.
"You don't get it, do you?"
I don't think he means this article as a joke. O'Grady seems to be writing in the style of "Mac the Knife" -- the original anonymous rumor columnist for MacWeek magazine back in the 90's.
That said, when was the last time Jason O'Grady accurately predicted anything?
Happy now..?