Tech analyst Tom Rowley has made an interesting observation – the hard drives in current computers aren't actually big enough to meet the dramatic storage demands of people who find that digital audio and video files are taking up more and more space on their machines.
People are doing the usual kinds of things they do when a superior solution doesn't exist in the market – buying external hard drives, network attached storage, and other tools inadequate to the pressing problem. None of these options deal with the reality of a world where digital rights management means making media function across devices is harder than it needs to be.
But what about a high-volume, DRM-focused home media server? An iServ, if you will. Sounds great! Does it come with an iHome IT person? Because I can guarantee this market is more niche than it looks – and it would be hard to use even if Apple designs it.
Most people don't understand how to log in to a server, let alone configure them. Even a server where all of the functions are hidden from most people would fall into unusability once enough "You haven't backed up your computer in three days" messages begin popping up on every computer in the house. This bit of analysis ignores what is really needed in digital media – access to music anywhere, not data back-up. People need to back up – if they lose their songs, they're screwed – but people don't back up. What they care about is listening to music in any room in the house or being able to play a movie on their computer on their TV.
And the iTV is going to do that. I think it would be smart of Apple to have a hard drive built into it so that it can store data locally and thereby stream media more consistently. But people don't necessarily blend their expertise with computers with their expertise in a home theater. Having to deal with back up sessions, server log-ins and connectivity issues is what they deal with at work everyday. They don't want or need it at home. They want what the iTV can bring.
"A boom in digital content and DRM headaches will drive 'Apple iServ'-like products" [New Rowley]
Via Digg**.
