Apparently, the rumor is that Apple wants to buy TiVo. I really hope this happens, since TiVo hasn’t been doing well of late.
TiVo has always been a very user-focused device, as a comparison with my father’s DVR revealed. A while ago, I asked him if he saw the recent Daily Show, and he replied that he “didn’t stay up that late”. Funny thing was, he has a DVR that was provided by the cable company, but couldn’t figure out how to program the thing. He typically uses it to pause TV, but not for much else. TiVo, on the other hand is simple to use. Want to record a show? Simply push the record button. Its question-based interface takes care of the rest for you.
Much like TiVo, Apple has a commitment to the user, which shows through in all of their products. The iPod is unbelievably easy thing to use. Within seconds of picking it up, even the most computer-adverse person is instantly an expert. OSX is also very easy to use –my mother has had her iMac for over a year now and I have only fielded one support call.
However, Apple is a media company that produces closed systems, which is an anathema to TiVo, which is basically a normal PC with an mpeg encoder that runs Linux. It would be difficult for Apple to have a device like this in its lineup, as it’s unlike anything else they produce. However, parts of OSX are open sourced, so maybe I’m making too much out of this.
Anyway, I love my TiVo, and I’d really hate to see them go under. They make a marvelous product that is unequaled by everything else out there. It’s a shame that lesser products are taking over the market. Here’s hoping something good comes of this.
February 24th, 2005 at 6:50 am
These rumors make me wonder. As a fellow Tivo (and burgeoning OS X) fan, I’d hate to see the brand get completely digested. At the same time, Tivo’s challenges amidst a changing industry are probably more than they can handle. Here in NYC, Time Warner’s DVR product is almost as good as Tivo’s (better, in some regards) and considerably cheaper.
If Apple’s positioning the Mac Mini as a home appliance, it seems to me that they’d be more interested in the Tivo Desktop software than the actual hardware.
Mac Mini + Tivo Desktop = Windows XP Media Center killer? Perhaps. Me, I’m just waiting for Apple to announce their plans to get into the cell phone business. iPhones will be here soon enough.
March 2nd, 2005 at 11:43 am
yeah but then your tivo will be made of white translucent plastic..
March 3rd, 2005 at 4:14 pm
Come on, they haven’t used translucent plastic for years. The TiVo would be made of white opaque plastic… and cost $1000.