Comments on: The Apple, AMD, Cisco & Microsoft Conspiracy to Kill the Cable Set-Top Box http://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/the-apple-amd-cisco-amp-microsoft-conspiracy-to-kill-the-cable-set-top-box/ Digital Trends is your home for technology news, CE product reviews, mobile app reviews and daily videos. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:14:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter von Elling http://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/the-apple-amd-cisco-amp-microsoft-conspiracy-to-kill-the-cable-set-top-box/#comment-59687 Peter von Elling Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:56:16 +0000 http://www.digitaltrends.com#comment-59687 I run both my music and videos off a USB drive through Apple AirPort Extreme, making them act like NAS devices and don't have any problems using iTunes as the media manager. And a home server is the last thing I see my wife or parents wanting to set up in their home.<br /> <br /> Also, don't discount the ability to view photos and watch homemade videos on the AppleTV, which is a huge draw for me since I'm tired of the family crowding around a laptop. <br /> <br /> The XBox will have to get past the stigma of being a gaming machine before it can get widespread adoption. Whether Microsoft can execute in making all XBox functionality easy and stable remains to be seen too. MS doesn't have a great track record in this arena (MSNTV?). I run both my music and videos off a USB drive through Apple AirPort Extreme, making them act like NAS devices and don't have any problems using iTunes as the media manager. And a home server is the last thing I see my wife or parents wanting to set up in their home.

Also, don't discount the ability to view photos and watch homemade videos on the AppleTV, which is a huge draw for me since I'm tired of the family crowding around a laptop.

The XBox will have to get past the stigma of being a gaming machine before it can get widespread adoption. Whether Microsoft can execute in making all XBox functionality easy and stable remains to be seen too. MS doesn't have a great track record in this arena (MSNTV?).

]]> By: Ian Bell http://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/the-apple-amd-cisco-amp-microsoft-conspiracy-to-kill-the-cable-set-top-box/#comment-59686 Ian Bell Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:11:47 +0000 http://www.digitaltrends.com#comment-59686 AT CES, Microsoft showed off their new IPTV service which I believe works with cable providers, in addition to supporting the Media Center PC, and possibly even the Xbox 360.<br /> <br /> Out of all the aformentioned services, I really see the Xbox 360 being the killer product. With a huge user base and the potential to view content througout the home and connect/interact with your home PCs and a media server, this is the lowest cost all-in-one machine out there I think.<br /> <br /> The AMD technology is great, but let's be honest, it will not be marketed enough, same with Cisco. So it could really come down to Microsoft and Apple here. And between these two, the Xbox 360 has been around longer, has a larger user base and more features. AT CES, Microsoft showed off their new IPTV service which I believe works with cable providers, in addition to supporting the Media Center PC, and possibly even the Xbox 360.

Out of all the aformentioned services, I really see the Xbox 360 being the killer product. With a huge user base and the potential to view content througout the home and connect/interact with your home PCs and a media server, this is the lowest cost all-in-one machine out there I think.

The AMD technology is great, but let's be honest, it will not be marketed enough, same with Cisco. So it could really come down to Microsoft and Apple here. And between these two, the Xbox 360 has been around longer, has a larger user base and more features.

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