Apple TV 2 ? Apples Games Console ?

At present, I’m awaiting delivery of my Apple TV (ETA Monday 4th October 2010).

I was thinking last night of the future of the Apple TV, and how this is could be a lot more than a TV, and might be Apples version of a Games Console.

Why you may ask ?

• Ok, I’ve read on multiple blogs, that the device runs on a version of iOS 4.1, there should be no reason why games designed for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad shouldn’t be able to run on it.
• Introduction of the Game Center, which is a cross device “Social Gaming platform”. Currently this only works on the iPod Touch and iPhone, but see no reason that this can’t also work on the Apple TV.
• Rumours of a Apple TV App store, this would make it possible to download and buy your favorite games you have on your current devices, and play them on the big screen
• The Apple TV has an internal 8Gb memory, don’t you think this is a little large just to host the Apple TV Front Row software. With the new Apple TV, all the media content is streaming only ?
• The Apple TV has the A4 chip, and 256Mb of Ram, making it the same spec as the iPad
• Epic Citedel. This demo looked amazing, it’s being pitched a online multiplayer experience, Could this be a launch title when the Game Center is switched on ?
• iOS 4.2 was announced last month, this would finally bring multitasking to the iPad, over the air printing etc, I do wonder though, could these features also be coming to the Apple TV ?. I did also note, that during the keynotes on the 1st September 2010. The Apple TV was mentioned, but the only focus was on the size and price of the device, the software wasn’t touched on at all ?
• I would assume that the controller for the Apple TV, would be any iThingy device, eg iPod Touch,  iPhone or iPad, and possibly work together like Nintendo attempted with the DS and Wii. If so, the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G would make an awesome motion controller with the gyroscope

Anyway, these are all purely speculations, however there’s a lot of power in that little device, and it would be a shame if Apple didn’t do more with it that “just stream media”. If I’m right, I expect another Apple press conference some time before the launch of iOS4.2 in November

Tags: 1st september, Apple, apple tv, Center, demo, Download, favorite games, focus, front row software, future, game center, gaming platform, gyroscope, ios, ipad, iphone, iphone 4, ipod, ipod touch, keynotes, launch, media content, Monday, motion, motion controller, multiplayer experience, October, platform, power, reason, screen, social gaming, software, store, touch, tv rumours, wii

First Impressions: Windows 7 Beta

Well, I have a spare machine, so thought I’d download the Vista 7 Beta, and see what’s in store for windows users.

Currently I’ve spent only an hour or so using it, however I thought I’d give my first impressions.

It’s quick, it’s stable and so far no crashing.

The UI is improved, however seems more and more like Mac OS

The below are just first impressions, and the resolution is possible, however not clear.

Currently don’t like to the fact that that you can’t change the control panel to classic mode.

There is no longer a quick launch toolbar (I need this in my life)

Unable to turn off UAC

I’m a little curious how it was able to access my NAS drive (which requires name/password), and have full access ?

as I’ve said, this are first impressions, and I will add posts when I’ve sussed out how to do the above.

edit: Ok, now I’ve had a little more time, I’ve now answered my questions. Instead of UAC, you now have a feature that gives you a sliding scale of how often you want Windows to annoy you, turning this to never, allows your to do what you like.

Sussed the taskbar, I had it locked…now I can drag and “pin to toolbar”

Sussed how it was able to access my NAS drive, it seems to be smart enough to use the NT/Authentication setting that I logged onto Windows 7 with, and try these…and it worked.

Finally as for the control panel, you are unable to change it to classic mode, but you can “show all control panel”, and this displays the log, however it does seem to reset when you go back in.

The playing will continue

Tags: 7, authentication, Beta, classic mode, control, control panel, Download, drive, fact, First, first impressions, hour, Impression, launch, life, Mac OS, machine, mode, name, nas, nas drive, panel, password, quick launch, resolution, store, Sussed, taskbar, toolbar, UAC, ui, vista, windows, windows users