Apple iTV rumored to be passed over at MacWorld

Take it for what you will, but the latest AppleInsider rumor to chew on is that at MacWorld next week Stevie J will not be officially introducing the iTV. It's been kind of a given that since last year's "It's Showtime" event when the iTV was informally announced, that Macworld 2007 would be when we all got to have a looksee at the final product. According to AI, however, Apple is still working the kinks out of the device software, and will delay its launch until late January or early February. Whether it'll make it through the fog of development still dubbed "iTV" no one yet knows, but we'll be honest, it's what we don't know is coming down Apple's product pipeline that we're most interested in right now.

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 8:45PM]

At least Apple is going to wait instead of releasing buggy software/hardware. Microsoft should take some notes...

[CT @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:48PM]

How come when Microsoft delays products people say how bad they are, when Apple does it Steve Jobs is thanked for being cautious? Even Sony with the PS3.

Not that I really care about any of these companies but seriously, call it fair.

So allow me to echo what was heard during the Vista delays... WILL IT EVER COME OUT?

[John Doe @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:39AM]

Yah right. As if Apple makes steller first gen products. Talk to any Mac head and they will warn you away from anything first gen out of Apple. Then you have their patches that they post then pull all of a sudden for no reason. Along with buggy out of the gate OS's. Panther's file vault anyone? Or how about that firewire issue that scrapped many a Panther user's external HD. Or the buggyness that was Tiger when it was first released. Apple is no better then MS.

PS- I type this on a Core 2 MBP. Replaced by Apple after I took my first gen MBP in for repairs for the 6th time since I got it in Feb. So please DO NOT speak to me of Apple quality.

[sawaaaaaaan @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:02PM]

Hmmm...Something tells me that this won't be the last "rumor" Engadget will be reporting before Macworld.

[BrandonLehman @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:26PM]

I sure hope not.

[Galley @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:26PM]

I honeslty never expected it to be available for sale at MWSF. I am expecting, however to hear concrete details about the final version which will be available in a few more months.

[shamrock593 @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:29PM]

This means the chances of the 6G iPod revealing at MacWorld are even higher. Yay!

[alloneword @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:31PM]

I am not expecting anything on iTV at MacWorld. They have announced it, now everyone knows it is coming that is all Apple needed to do. They will release it maybe halfway through next year, if not later. Everyone knows it is coming, and they will wait for it. They might not like waiting, but Apple knows there isn't any danger of them looking else where for a similar product, they will wait for the Apple one.

[Gregory Capobianco @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:39PM]

I read the AI article more like...iTV won't be available at the show, aka you can't go to the Apple Store an hour after the keynote to buy it.

However, I don't think AI made it seem like the iTV was going to be "passed over". In fact, Apple may very well announce the whole package, have Steve demo it on stage, and announce it is shipping in early February (as they have done many times in the past).

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:01PM]

The fundamental difference that sets apple apart from these other companies is that when Apple finally does release their product it is, compared to the alternatives, flawless.

[moma @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:34PM]

The difference is Apple never set a release data for this thing!

[h0mi @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:04PM]

This was set to launch 1Q 2007. Last I checked, February was still 1Q 2007. Vista delays were years, not weeks.

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 9:58PM]

then you clearly have never used Apple/Linux. If you're stuck in the Winblows rut, as I was for quite some time, I suggest you take a second to discover what you're missing.

[CT @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:11PM]

Alright Fanboy...

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800443

We will see how this month goes for the heavenly OS you praise.

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:26PM]

Tiger's not perfect, but I'll take one or two security flaws stacked up against the billions in Windows.

[Derek @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:43PM]

If people are dumb enough to fall for that, they deserve to have their computer destroyed.

[Giltronic @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:13PM]

we still don't even know exactly what "itv" does. i think apple will announce all the functions and uses of itv and then announce its launch date at macworld. the launch date will probobly be in febuary or march. i think the original goal was to launch at macworld.

giltronic

[erik brunn @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:17PM]

nice, now they can dedicate the whole show to the Apple phone

[CT @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:36PM]

1 or 2? There are 31 days in January. I know math is tough...

Maybe you should check the calender on your fancy MacBook. Or is that more of work related PC task?

[Joel Heflin @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:26PM]

Like others, I thought it was pretty obvious that it was talking about the iTV not being released at Macworld, which isn't a surprise. This does not mean that they won't announce it at Macworld for a later release.

[v_dogg @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:29PM]

Engadget, ive been waiting for the 6G iPod Rumors more. Im gonna buy it if it comes out next week

[Echo_ @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:30PM]

I don't know about you guys, but OS 10.0 was one of the worst OS systems I have ever used, up there with Windows ME.

csjk789 you should take some notes on OS history instead of being a lame fanboy.
And i have zero problems with Windows Vista as well as zero problems with Tiger...
And what hardware is MS releasing that is buggy?

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:23PM]

From what I've heard, it takes a degree in software engineering in order to successfully install the Zune.

I too have had no problems with Vista Release Candidate 2 (haven't gotten the final release yet) except for the fact that it is still inferior to Tiger.

Don't be so quick to write me off as a fanboy, I see flaws in both, just far more in Windows.

[Echo_ @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:31PM]

csjk789 you realize that you are replying to yourself?

And you also realize that the reason Windows has more spyware/viruses that are exploiting it is because of the large user base? *nix based OS are not immune from spyware and viruses, you do realize that?

The Zune's installer problem is a software problem, I was asking about a hardware problem.

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:37PM]

I do realize that this blog is fairly quiet yes...

But to your point, I definitely realize that Linux based OS' are not immune to viruses. However you must take into consideration the stability of Linux based OS'. If a virus infects windows, most of the time it takes down the entire OS, the system32 process. However with Linux based OS' each process has its own tree, if one of the branches dies or is infected with a virus, the whole process isn't killed like system32 is within Windows. Although Linux based OS' are not immune to viruses, they are hardly affected by them and have unmatched stability because of it.

[csjk789 @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:40PM]

And your right, the Zune problem was a software problem.

But what are you going to use a DAP for if you can't load music onto it? :)

[idude135 @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:53AM]

I believe you're forgetting the Xbox 360 and its lousy, overheating nature. Its rushed RTM and poor hardware design created a niche within the accessory market (read: Nyko Intercooler).

I'm sure Apple will not release a product for the sake of meeting people's expectations. The main concern is that Apple needs to have this iTv product out asap to justify and promote a movie service that's beginning to be forgotten.

[derek @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:42PM]

Have you ever heard of iCal? Dumb ass

[Matt @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:19PM]

Sorry, but as a sysadmin for a fairly large corporation, I can tell you that linux is only stable when it is put to a single repeditive task, and there is nothing else running on the system. our linux servers are constantly going down for various reasons, while our Exchange servers hardly ever go down, even under load. Windows as a server is also by far easier to configure and manage.

Linux is no more stable than Windows when you tack on a GUI and a few background applications.

[... @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:39PM]

If you can't make linux work without 'constantly going down', then you are one bad sysadmin...

Anyone with 2 brain cells can make any linux distro work fine with hundred of background tasks... Logs exist for a reason buddy.

[Jarrett Pettigrew @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:34PM]

@ Echo_
"And you also realize that the reason Windows has more spyware/viruses that are exploiting it is because of the large user base? *nix based OS are not immune from spyware and viruses, you do realize that?"

Do you realize that *nix runs on a high percentage of all Internet web servers. I would think that would be a much more desirable type of system to break into than mom's 3 year old Dell.

[Michael Francis @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:52PM]

Sorry Matt, But that's public pwnage for you bud. While its true that when we setup or Solaris, BSD and Linux servers, the linux ones were going down all the time, but that was fixed quickly after reading the logs.

Anyway, isn't this about the iTV? I'd love to have one, now all I need is a proper apple pda, phone and or table mac. Something portable that can run or sync well with iCal, Address book and Mail, that's not palm OS based

[enemes @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:12AM]

Linux is not nearly as stable as many here imply. Neither is it particularly well written (no offense to open source folks here.) OSX is not any less bloated than Windows. I really hate Apple for bastradizing FreeBSD.

[chris @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:36AM]

one word...TiVo

[Tom @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:55AM]

I'm sorry... haven't we had products like this for a while now?

Anyone heard of Streamium? It's a 1st gen product that has a few flaws in it, but my god don't tout Apple like it's some innovative god of technology. Yes, Apple products tend to be consistently good, but usually they are other peoples' ideas painted white and reworked to some extent.

Apple makes for some pretty decent products, but a damn annoying fan base...

[Mischa Lockton @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:54AM]

Does anything use wireless-N yet? :-)

[Mischa Lockton @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:20AM]

I think they may mention the "iTv" but it will not be released yet. I think the phone is not to be released yet either. I believe people need to focus on the computers and the OS, and wait impatiently for the next gadgets.

[Jonhimslf @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:45AM]

@CT

When you talked about why no one harps on Apple for not meeting deadlines, I think - in this case at least - it is because they said it would be ready in the 1st quarter.. so I think that's until March? (I assume that it is as simple as 3 months per quarter unless there's some weird math I don't know about for companies and whatnot) I think everyone just assumed MWSF would be when it would be released, in this case they're not late in getting it out there - not yet at least.

[applesucksLeo @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:31AM]

I learned years ago that with Apple it`s all about the hype.
RDF(Reality Distortion Field) is the idea that Steve Jobs is able to convince people to believe almost anything with a skillful mix of charm, charisma, slight exaggeration, and clever marketing.

[Albert @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:21AM]

I think that this way will not be the most useuful and you will have to look to the standard, that I think that microsoft is accepted with the new standarization for HDTV anf for this size, the one that have zune, and Apple needs to put something different in his standars so it will take at least a year and I think it will be worst than the one that have been developed by Microsoft. People will buy the one builded by Apple only for the shape and the silly thing that exists surrounding the iPod world.
Be carefull if it will be ready next year, and if they sell it, maybe the network will not be working untill two years, so be looking for a zune

[Tom @ Jan 3rd 2007 11:35AM]

Just because something utilizes the next standard in wi-fi doesn't make the damn thing innovative. It just makes it current. I'm sure once wi-N makes it's official debut, Phillips will put Streamium in that signal range as well. Besides - Streamium didn't even come out when wi-N was skipping the waters. Well, Belkin had their "Pre-N", but that's a different story...

[Kris @ Jan 3rd 2007 6:41PM]

Am I the only one thinking that the iTV, in its current incarnation might not be a finished product atall. As I understand it the mac mini is the only machine on the apple website not to benifit from a Core 2 Duo upgrade.

People seem to be hearing about an "OsX light" OS for the iTV - what if its not that atall. Why not a media capable mini with all the I/O we see on the iTV?

Doesn't seem completely unlikely..

[GoonieGooGoo @ Jan 4th 2007 4:23AM]

iTV.....I still don't see what's the point??? If you have an XBOX 360 (especially with TVersity or MEDIA CENTER....or VISTA of any form)....or a SLINGBOX or TIVO On Demand or hell COMCAST on Demand....you'll get better service....and why would I pay for a video I can get for free or record directly to my computer or rip to my PSP, Archos, or iPod?

As a longtime user of both Macs and PCs.......each has their strengths.....Mac....has really been good for my wife and daughters, the grandparents, Unix, home videos....overall casual use. My PCs.....gaming, ripping/archiving/sharing my entire audio and video collections over multiple networks, my sons, general tinkering as its fun to build new Win & Linux boxes (there's just so much more hardware)

[adamtux @ Jan 4th 2007 5:44AM]

May i just say, you seem to mention that apple may release this as "iTV" but, if they launch in the UK under that name, thay will have themselves involved in yet another patent issue, as ITV (www.itv.co.uk) holds rights to the name here in the UK, and is the third biggest broadcaster over here.

[kadayi @ Jan 9th 2007 8:45AM]

When it was first announced last year Jobs said that 'iTV' was a working title for the product. Apple are well aware of the issues of ITV being a taken name internationally.

[roach @ Jan 4th 2007 6:16PM]

Apple has its share of buggy releases. QT is one good example.