What is Apple TV?
Before I get started, here’s a big shout-out to Evan, the Going CEO since 2006. He executed our strategy, drove us hard, and generally didn’t take any shit from anyone. His strengths complemented those of the founders and the team and did a great deal to move Going to its successful close with AOL.
Evan bought the new iPhone, along with 3 others in the office. He also mentioned he bought an Apple TV. That’s cool, I thought. Then I thought: Wait, what’s Apple TV again?
Unlike the runaway hits iPod, iPhone, and Macintosh laptops, Apple TV hasn’t gained much traction. Here’s why:
Confused? Me too. Because Apple TV doesn’t look like a TV. It’s not a TV, it’s a box that hooks up to your TV and does cool things. Apple even has a page, What is Apple TV? with a lot of words trying to explain it. But you don’t need that for iPod, iPhone and Mac. What they do is obvious. In the case of iPod, they just made up a name instead of confusing people by calling it Apple Radio.
Steve, if you’re reading, here’s what I’d like Apple TV to look like. Take one of your beautiful cinema displays, pack the guts of Apple TV into it like an iMac, and call that Apple TV. (The current, headless box, could be TV Mini or something.) That way, you sell a TV that looks like a TV, a product that’s easy to demo and to explain, and a fantastic customer experience with something that just works right out of the box.