Apple TV is a pretty neat concept, and like others in its category, does its job well. Until recently, Apple has left Apple TV as a back-burner technology, which could have to do with the fact they were hard at work on a new iPhone and Apple Watch. Speaking to Charlie Rose, Apple cEO Tim Cook hinted that big things could be on the horizon for their TV division, and consumers who adopt it.
In the first of a two-part interview, Cook speaks briefly on TV, and how Apple looks at it. A portion of the interview, which you can see below, shows Cook waxing philosophical about TV as we know it. He suggests TV, despite all its advances, is a technology largely stuck in the 70’s.
Cook is likely speaking to the idea that TV still broadcasts shows at a time, and on a channel, asking that you center your life around it. Much of the rest of your gadgets do the opposite, instead trying to focus on working into your life as you see fit. Even streaming kits like Apple TV or Roku do as much, and though TV has workarounds like DVR — it’s inadequately fit for 2014.
When asked why Apple doesn’t “fix” TV, Cook said “I don’t want to get into what we’re doing in the future”, before noting Apple TV is far more successful than even Apple imagined. Stammering to find a way to say enough without saying too much, Cook also said TV is an area Apple “continues to look at”.
Was Tim Cook navigating tough waters about Apple not worrying about TV because it’s broken, or hinting that big things were coming? Cook once had a similar approach to wearables, so it’s hard to say. He could have been trying not to protract a discussion about networks and providers, but also could have been craftily dangling a carrot in front of us.