First off, today's my birthday. Go 21! Jace gave me a bitchin' drawing over here.

Now, as promised, my "lengthy, nerdy entry about something Apple should do". Unlike previous things I've written, this isn't a giant bashing on Apple, which certain individuals out there may like or may be disappointed by. This is an honest and fair look at a product that Apple really should make. A product which could make the Mac present in 60% of homes rather than 3% of homes. A product which would offer literally unparalleled convenience and simplicity for the most knowledgeable or most tech-fearing individuals.

Forgive the length of this. I like to be thorough, make few assumptions, and ensure everything is laid out with all points covered. I'll first go through a bit of history to explain how things are (which is important to know, because it helps understand why change is or is not a good thing). Then, I'll explain previous attempts at the product idea I'm presenting, focusing on why they failed. Then I'll describe why the time, technology, and company (Apple) actually has a shot at this product. Finally, I'll close on some interesting potential applications and fallout were this product to be created. If you want to skip the history lesson, skip down a couple paragraphs to the one starting with "Enter the", but naturally because I wrote all of this, I do wish people would read it.

It wasn't until the past decade, give or take a half, that computers were viable for enjoying media on. From the very start they were intended to be work machines, doing calculations and solving equations at rates exceeding what humans could do. Being general-purpose calculators, they were for the most part Jacks of All Trades, and Masters of None. However, as we'd had the technology for distributing and viewing audio and video for decades longer than computers were viable for average people, or even enthusiasts, to own, analog and digital media did not wait for computers to catch up. Large, single-purpose machines popped up and formed an entire, wire-heavy, component-redundant media ecosystem commonly known as the home entertainment center. Over just the past decade we've seen the use of the VCR, DVD player, Blu-ray player, HD-DVD player, record player, CD player, cable TV box, TV, speakers, amplifier, A/V switch box, a dozen gaming consoles, TiVo boxes, direct-to-optical-disc recorders, and more. Each of these devices ranges in size from the size of a small book to the size of a mini-fridge. Each device requires a plug for electricity, absolutely mandating a power strip or two overall, and an audio and/or video connection to at least one other device in the system. Most devices require a remote control which uses 2 AA batteries, and many functions (such as volume and video adjustments) are duplicated across every device. The average low-end system today consists of just a TV, VHS and DVD player. A high-end system involves several times as many parts, and dozens or hundreds of feet of cables, half a dozen remotes or other wireless devices, and an entire piece of furniture (a home theater cabinet) just to house the non-speaker parts of the system. The system is a huge mess, and it can be frustrating for even the most avid A/V fans, while impossible to use for average people (remember the joke about not knowing how to program the clock on your VCR?).

Back to computers. As I said, it wasn't until about the past decade that computers could do anything media-related. They evolved as work machines, and many people still think of them as being intended primarily for that. There was a time not too long ago when a computer lacked the space and speed to store or play a 22-minute TV-resolution video. Of course, this has improved immensely--with modern codecs, a ~$100 hard drive can store enough TV-resolution video to play nonstop for approximately 3 months, and playing such a video is a trivial task for even a laptop. With music, such a drive has enough space to store up to a year of nonstop music, somewhere around 120,000 songs. Computers have gone from being totally insufficient for media, with their monochrome 8" displays and 100 MB hard drives, to absolutely amazing for media, with screens ranging from 20-30 inches and enough drive space to entertain the average person for 5-10 years. Unfortunately, they have largely remained disjoint from the mature home theater setups. For the average person, a computer is a work machine that has no connection (mental or physical) whatsoever to their 42" TV and 500 Watt 5.1 sound system.

Enter the Media Center computer. This, for those who don't know, is simply a computer that has been tailored slightly to interact with home theater systems. Commonly features include TV tuners for TV viewing and recording, inputs to plug consoles and other devices into, outputs for large TVs and multi-channel sound systems, smaller dimensions and quieter, cooler running for better integration into living spaces, wireless remotes, mice, and keyboards for controlling from a distance, and more. Microsoft attempted to spearhead the effort and make these mainstream about a half decade ago by launching Windows XP Media Center Edition--a version of the popular OS, but with Windows Media Center. Media Center offered a streamlined interface for recording TV shows and playing back all sorts of media, designed to be used at both lower TV resolutions and higher desktop display resolutions. Computer builders were encouraged to include hardware features like I described earlier, at the very least a TV tuner and simple remote control.

Unfortunately, this product niche never caught on, for a number of reasons. Although systems were sometimes made that were between DVD-player and speaker amp sizes, often the systems used standard tower form-factors. Hardware wasn't what it could've been, lacking a full suite of audio and video inputs and outputs, to allow the computer to be the brainy center of a media setup. TVs were usually low-resolution, making standard computer functions annoying or impossible on them, and computer displays were usually small, making communal viewing annoying on them. Those technical issues aside, many people never even knew about the media center systems, as they weren't widely advertised, and of those who did know, many did not care because the computer doesn't seem like it belongs in a communal space such as a family room. Computers were and to a large degree still are commonly thought to be glorified (and internet-enabled) typewriters, with any entertainment (games, entertainment websites, music) just being an attempt to add a little fun to a work machine. I must admit that even I find the notion of checking my email or browsing the 'net on a large TV to be unusual, even if I were the only one around (privacy issues negated).

Enter Apple. Having not too long ago officially changed their name to reflect changing from a computer company to a consumer electronics company, and having launched many media-related products such as the iPod, iPhone, iTunes, and Apple TV, this company has shown their interest in expanding from selling just computers (which they already tend to regard as fun machines, rather than work machines) to potentially all things digital and fun. And while I'm not exactly a fan of Apple, I can't deny that they would be immensely well-suited for taking over where Microsoft was largely unsuccessful. Computers being large and unsightly? They make the Mac Mini, which is cheap, small (uses mostly laptop parts) and absolutely workable for a media center (although the storage space and connections leave a bit to be desired). Presently, a sizable enough population have high-def TVs to make regular computing actually workable on them. Perhaps most importantly, Apple has the public's ear and wallet, and people are actively interested and seek out information on their latest products and services. Finally, Apple makes all their own machines, so they can ensure a strict hardware set, and make tight software-hardware integration to allow the devices to be as streamlined and user-friendly as possible. If anybody can pull this off in a big way, with success, it's Apple.

So here's what I'm proposing. Apple makes a desktop which is at a pleasant medium between the minuscule Mac Mini, and the immensely expensive and large Mac Pro. Let's call it a half-tower. It's larger than a Shuttle Small Form Factor PC (which are the size of toaster ovens and can hold multiple hard drives, multiple processors, and two dual-slot graphics cards), but not by a whole lot. The device has a built-in slot-loading Blu-ray player (upgradable to HD-DVD combo) and eject button on the front, and a bunch of audio/video connections on the back. At the least it would have HDMI, Component, S-video, coaxial, and S/PDIF for inputs and outputs (and HDMI-to-DVI/Svid-to-Composite dongles), ideally with several of each. Let me make it clear that with regards to inputs and outputs this thing would be an absolute monster, allowing at least 3 separate audio/video input sets and two audio/video output sets. To enable regular computer functionality, they would make a wireless mouse and keyboard combo which they would sell with the system, Bluetooth-enabled.

Additionally, Apple would take an iPod touch and strip it down further. They would take out most of the storage space, leaving just a couple hundred MB at most, and in its place they would put an RF transmitter and receiver--for those who don't know what that is (gasp), it's what allows the Gamecube's Wavebird wireless controller to communicate with the system. RF would be preferred over Bluetooth because of range, I think, and absolutely preferred to IR (what most TV remotes use) because it would be able to go through walls. Now, what exactly would this thing be used for? A variable function, multi-touch-enabled remote control. The buttons and functions displayed on it would change to suit the current use of the system, so you wouldn't have a Record button taking up space when watching a DVD, and you wouldn't have a Next Chapter button while watching TV. Why is it important that it doesn't require direct line-of-sight with the device itself? Well, that way you could put the system away in a cabinet or other piece of furniture, or control it from other rooms. Combined with the onboard memory, it could store an up-to-date list of all your media, and just as you would on an iPod or iPhone, you could pick a song to play or add to the current song queue, and control your stereo from anywhere in the house.

On the software side of things, Apple would just have to modify Front Row, their Windows Media Center rip-off software, and make it the default when you turn the device on (configurable of course). Turning on the device (or rather, bringing it out of standby) would give you a menu with a few simple categories: Videos, Movies, TV, Music, Pictures, Games, Mac, and other icons for attached devices (so if you plugged a Wii, for example, into Component Input A, you would pick a Mac-like Wii icon... this as opposed to the Input 1, Input 2, Input 3, etc that we currently see when switching between various inputs on TVs and such). Videos would be for various non-movie video clips on the computer and network, as well as YouTube browsing. Movies would be for purchased movies that have been registered in iTunes, movies stuck in a movie folder, or a currently inserted DVD or Blu-ray title. TV would be just that--standard TV watching, or using an interactive TV Guide program to pick things you want to watch or schedule to record. Music would be a streamlined iTunes designed just for picking and playing music, hiding some of the more advanced functions like iPod sync and ripping. Pictures would be basically iPhoto, like Music it would be optimized for simple use, but to look up and touch up photos. Games would be like Vista's Game Explorer, showing all installed games and letting you pick the one you want to play. Mac would drop you into regular OS X for all other computer tasks. The other icons for attached devices would just switch the display to full-screened video feeds of those devices, making it easy enough for even a child to pick what they want to do.

All that Apple would have to do in order to make this a reality is to make a smaller Mac Pro case (people have long criticized their lack of a proper, consumer-level tower), get an A/V Input/Output card(s), make a stripped down iPod touch, aka multipurpose remote control, and add a bit to the software side to neatly integrate all of this--I'm pretty sure that Front Row already does half of this stuff. Ideally, to maximize the potential of their system, they would start using Core 2 Quad CPUs (cheap and available these days), Blu-ray (suspected that they'll integrate it into their products this month anyway), and launch "iTunes HD", adding HD movie and TV show rentals/permanent purchases to their current offering.

Let me reiterate what the result is of that little bit of work. They fully integrate immensely powerful, storage-heavy general-purpose computers with existing home-theater setups, replacing everything except for the HDTV, speakers, and game consoles. They show their full dedication towards a high-def, media-rich and connected future. They put onto the market a product which is so useful and convenient that even a current laptop owner considers getting one, just to make the awesome connections between their media setups. Allow me to demonstrate by example:

You turn on your TV to see what's on, and using your iRemote, you enter TV mode. You go to the TV Guide channel and look at the current show listing--you see that a rerun of Heroes is on, so you select that and the channel changes to that. You push the iChat icon on your remote, and a list of your iChat buddies pops up on the remote--you find somebody who you know is a Heroes fanatic and push an "Invite to View" button next to their name. They get an IM inviting them to watch the episode with you, and they accept, dropping them into TV mode (or if they choose, TV windowed mode, where the video plays in a window like a regular program). If they too have a suitably equipped Mac, it just switches to the appropriate station. If they don't get that station or don't have a compatible Mac, on your end it compresses the video to H.264-encoded (see why you want a quad core?) in real-time and streams it to them live. But just watching together isn't that exciting, and you are on a computer--why not add in chat? You can type messages on the keyboard and have them fade in a small section of a corner of the screen, or use a microphone to do voice chat--or if you're really adventurous, a camera to add video chat with a small, semi-transparent video feed of them in the corner where the text would be. It's the best thing you could possibly do without them actually being there with you. Of course, this could be extended to any video or picture sharing, letting you effectively share any content you want in real-time with anybody, anywhere, so long as they're on a Mac.

So yeah, text/audio/video chat with somebody while watching a TV show or movie together, played locally or streamed over the 'net in real time if no alternatives exist. What else could it do? How about video chat with somebody whose head is as large on the screen as it is in real life? That could be epic. Why contain the video streaming feature to just TV shows and movies? Why not let any video on the screen be streamed live to people? Show somebody the coolest thing you found in Super Mario Galaxy whether they're across the street or across the world, with real-time text/audio/video chat--nearly as good as them sitting right next to you, really. What if you want to record something for later, for whatever purpose? No problem, just push the omnipresent "Record" button on your iRemote and the audio and video gets recorded into a high-quality, native-resolution (for whatever is being displayed, so a Wii game isn't needlessly a 1080p video) video that gets filed away according to time and source, ready for you to view, share, or edit some other time.

As this mini-tower would have sufficient space for serious hardware, as opposed to the iMac and Mac Mini, they could get an actual gaming-grade system, both for the occasional Mac game, and for running in Windows mode. So they'd not only satisfy the gamers who don't want crap hardware or to have to spend $4000+ on a gaming-capable Mac, but they'd satisfy people who already have good displays and TVs, and want good computers to go with them--not the watered-down, storage-starved Mac Mini.

The advertising practically writes itself. "Watch, record, and share live TV. Enjoy high-definition movies on the biggest screen in the house. Turn your video chat larger-than-life. Browse and play your tunes from any room. Welcome to Mac Media." Or how about "For years, the home theater was the only place in the house to enjoy movies and music. Today, we can do better. Introducing the Mac Media, a computer which cares as much about enjoying movies, TV and music as you do. Fully connecting your home theater and computer for the first time, Mac Media lets you enjoy your digital life the way it was meant to be--on demand, in high definition, on your biggest screen and loudest speakers, with friends around the world. Pause and record live TV. Virtually watch videos and live shows with your friends. Kick back and play some games. Pick your tunes without having to pick up a keyboard. All this and more, available today, starting at just $1299".

Can you imagine an entertainment system before and after this is introduced? You'd go from having a sea of cables and a mass of equipment to having just a few devices. DVD and/or Blu-ray /HD-DVD player? Throw them out. TiVo? Antiquated. DVRs? Old news. Boxes dedicated just to picking between a half dozen game systems and video sources? Get rid of them. Having three or four remotes sitting around and taking up space? Replace them with one elegant multi-purpose backlit full-color remote. Indeed, somebody getting used to this would probably find him or herself unable to switch to anything else, due to the incredible simplicity and useful features it would introduce.

Apple has the public's ear. They're not just an obscure company that makes fairly unknown computers--everyone has heard of them for the iPod at least, and if you watch TV, you've probably seen iPhone ads and "get it on iTunes!" on the bottom corner of a bunch of TV shows. If they pushed this product, it's not like they couldn't get people interested. They wouldn't have to stretch the truth or outright lie about PCs, and make Macs out to be the hip computers. All they would have to do is show the unparalleled feature set--all your media, fully connected, ready to share with friends, while being as simple to use as a DVD player. Looking into getting a new high-def player for $300-600? For a bit more you get a very powerful machine which can do everything that the stand-alone player can, and everything that a computer can do, and a whole set of unique features where the two playing fields mix. They could make this work.

In fact I have no doubts when I say that if they were to do this, it would eclipse the significance of anything else they have done. A graphical interface? That's hardly rocket science, and they didn't even invent it themselves. Portable music players known as radios, cassette players and CD players existed and were popular for years before the iPod. Music stores, even online ones, existed before iTunes Store did. No, this would be an area in which they could make viable something which has previously been unsuccessful and only attempted in the unadvertised products of a few wishful companies. Tying together the two electronics ecosystems--home theaters and home computers--and eliminating redundancy while adding new features and extreme simplicity is something that they could get serious props for. And while I would still take issue with their closed hardware ecosystem, insulting advertising, prices, DRM, and general attitude towards competitors... at the very least, I wouldn't be able to complain that they don't offer decent gaming and home theater PC hardware. They would embrace and popularize what is still today a small niche of the computer industry, and maybe cause the Mac Media to become as widespread in people's lives as the iPod. And when that happens of course, it means that the Mac is as widespread as the iPod, and Microsoft has a serious fucking problem.

Thoughts, comments?

AN ADDENDUM:
After such a product had been out for a while, say 6 months, or even concurrent with its launch, it'd be a prime moment for Apple to become further-entrenched in consumer electronics. Having replaced everything in the home theater setup except for the display and speakers, they could introduce their own. They've shown no aversion to this sort of behavior in smaller scales in the past--they put out the... what was that lame product... iPod HiFi or whatever? iPod boombox-style speakers. And they currently sell stand-alone displays at sizes up to 30 inches. If they put out simplistic-looking TVs and speakers aimed at the over-40-inches and over-400-watts categories, they could effectively provide... well, everything in the setup except for already-existing game consoles. If they made a serious effort towards game developers, they wouldn't need to care about that very much, as they'd make the Mac a gaming platform. And then what's left? They provide all your portable devices, all your computers, and all your home theater stuff. What more could they make, microwaves and vibrators?