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You may think the busiest time for the technology industry is the Christmas season, when everyone is buying the latest gadgets. Actually, it is in the month after Christmas when things get busy. That is because every January, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and Macworld Expo in San Francisco bring visions of the future for the technology that shapes our lives. Two of the biggest names in the industry, Microsoft and Apple, want to be in every aspect of your life: in the living room, in the den, in the car, in your pocket. We are approaching an age where big media will become less relevant in your entertainment choices – instead, it will be big technology. What do Microsoft and Apple have in mind? Let’s take a look.
First up, let’s look at Microsoft. The software giant has long dominated the personal computer market, with well over 95% of the world using Windows PCs. Windows Vista, the latest iteration of the operating system, includes some new features that Microsoft hopes will cement its position as the leader in home entertainment. These include cross-platform functionality with Xbox 360, Microsoft’s successful video game console and the Zune, the company’s first foray into the MP3 player market. In the coming months, Hewlett-Packard will be releasing the “Windows Home Server,” a computer that will store and stream your media to all of your PCs, in addition to acting as a central backup hub for all of your hard drives. Microsoft has the software, and some good ideas for hardware, but the challenge for the company will be getting movie studios and record labels on board to deliver content on their platform, in addition to convincing consumers to use it. It is here that they have their biggest competitor: Apple.
Apple is well known as a major force in the world of entertainment. Their iPod and iTunes combination has completely changed the way we buy and listen to music, and they seem poised to do the same with television and movies. Using iPod and iTunes as the base, Apple hopes that you will want to take all that media you have bought through the iTunes store and stream it out to your HDTV, your car, and even your phone. The major announcement to come out of Macworld this year was the unveiling of the “iPhone,” a touch-screen iPod-cellphone-internet-device-hybrid that Apple hopes will be the biggest thing since their iPod. In addition to the iPhone, Apple released the “AppleTV,” a small box that will stream content from iTunes to your HDTV. Nevertheless, will Apple’s ideas compete with the company that has the majority of the computer market cornered, and great cross-platform functionality in video games?
Two companies, two visions. Whether Apple or Microsoft, the end-product will be the same for the consumer: a convenient new way to get all of your music, movies, TV shows, photos and podcasts when you want, where you want.
Bangor Daily News