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OGN
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Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 535
Location: Hawaii
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 Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| HME wrote: | | Not to get off topic, but Core Image a plausible thing to hope for? Would adding Core Image cost Apple that much more? |
Apple would only need to add a video card that is Core Image programmable. They should be able to add a better video card without raising the price. The iMac just received a great new video card and other features and the price came down.
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andp
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Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:42 am Post subject: |
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| Do you guys really think Core Image is required for Front Row? The transition from the desktop into Front Row and DVD menus fading look pretty intense. I have a feeling that some of these effects and transitions may require Core Image. |
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e3mw
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Tupelo, MS
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:13 am Post subject: |
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From what I can tell, the graphics are no more intensive than the "switching user" effect that Tiger has built in, and mac mini handles that just fine. On the other hand, the active blurring of the DVD menu when you resume a DVD may require something a bit more than a 32MB graphics chip. Who can tell. Macworld released an article yesterday highlighting all of our ambitions to get Front Row for the Mac mini. That's good, now we've got some movers and shakers on our side, Apple may wise up if it hasn't already.
I just thought, wouldn't it be cool if Apple would include Front Row in the 10.4.3 update  -- Aww that's just me dreaming again.
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andp
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Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:50 am Post subject: |
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| e3mw wrote: | | From what I can tell, the graphics are no more intensive than the "switching user" effect that Tiger has built in, and mac mini handles that just fine. On the other hand, the active blurring of the DVD menu when you resume a DVD may require something a bit more than a 32MB graphics chip. |
Yea the DVD blurring. I couldn't think of what to call it . I said fading.  |
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billabong
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Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 147
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| devo wrote: |
I'm really surprised Apple didn't make the remote BT. |
Me too! The remote's range would have been better with BT and you wouldn't have to be in line of sight. Plus, it would've been easy for them to offer Front Row on every computer in the near future since every Mac comes with BT except for the entry-level Mac mini |
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poisonfist
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Joined: 03 Aug 2005
Posts: 176
Location: Chicago-Tokyo-Boston
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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For now, you can use the Centerstage for similar functions for your Mini.
http://centerstageproject.com/
All you need is a remote and you're all set.
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e3mw
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
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Location: Tupelo, MS
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Centerstage is extremely unstable on my Mac Mini, it lags up and freezes sometimes. I'd rather wait for Front Row.
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jrt1
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 139
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Apple sells 23" and 30" Cinema Displays. The key word here being Cinema. It's too bad you can't get a FrontRow seat with them. What a stupid move by Apple to only make FrontRow work on the iMac. Apple moves too slow!  |
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picaman
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Joined: 16 Aug 2005
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Location: NYC
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Susurrus
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Joined: 05 May 2005
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Location: Providence, Rhode Island
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| xmen65 wrote: | | Forget about Front Row, I'm waiting for Back Row. I hate sitting up front at the movie theater anyways. Using a remote control with a 17' iMac is the equivalent of using a remote control with your car stereo. It's cool but not very functional. |
I have to argue with this point because using a remote with a car stereo is probably the biggest feature that I would look for in a car stereo. I had a nice pioneer one with a remote and it was the greatest thing ever. I don't know if you've ever had one, but it's a godsend.
Okay, does anyone know if Front Row uses Core Image? Did anyone notice that the iMac has the nicest graphics card standard than any other Mac? Does anyone think this is a coincidence? It also has a damn fast CPU. I surriously don't think that the Mini could handle the graphics for Front Row. Firstly, because I'm sure it uses Core Image and the Mini (even Rev 2.) doesn't include support for that, or Core Video. Secondly, the VRAM at 64MB right now is still small. That UI would be seriously laggy with these inherent limitations.
I didn't finish this thread before I had to interject, but the remote is IR and the receiver is in the area of the iSight on the iMac. It wouldn't work on other computers. It would be nice to have a BT remote, but that would eat batteries crazy-fast and might actually need too high of a voltage draw to use the, I'm assuming, hearing-aid/watch batteries.
There are other USB remotes that can do the same thing as Apple's Remote. Just get that and stop whining.
As for this being useful, I already do this with my Mini, but I'm fine turning on a movie and not using a remote to change to another movie as it's easy to get up. Also, if you have a Logitech KBM, there are Skip Forward/Backward, Play/Pause, and Stop buttons that work in iTunes and such. Works just as well as a remote and is "free."
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e3mw
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Tupelo, MS
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 3:18 am Post subject: |
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I really don't think that front row is a very graphics intensive app. I mean, mini's handle the "switching user" transition very well, and by the looks of it, Front Row is very much the same type of transition with a fade-out thrown in, as far as the rest of the UI in Front row, everything is vector graphics, everything is scalable and clean, typical Apple style. The only thing that I believe could utilize a significant amount of graphics processing power is the active 'blurring' of the DVD images when settings are being adjusted while watching DVD content.
Even if I'm wrong and Front Row uses as much GPU power as it can, then I would be perfectly happy with a Front Row that is "tailored" to the mini, i.e. different transition, less effects. But that remote is a must. Apple could release a different remote, either BT--- or RF/IR with a bundled USB adaptor, and everything will be perfect.
I am hoping for an announcement about the future of Front row as early as Apple's next press event. Maybe this Wed.? Apple would be crazy not to go ahead and jump into this HTPC frontend market that they're currently testing the waters in.
By even offering Front Row at all, Apple has enticed ALL mac users. Surely they've realized by now that all Mac users want this program. Capable macs or not. Apple should really get the ball rolling as soon as humanly possible, or some people are going to get irritable. 
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Zaty
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Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Switzerland
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:45 am Post subject: |
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I had a chance to see Front Row in action and I don't think CoreImage is required to run it. Like others have already mentioned, it's mostly text based anyway. I guess the reason why Apple doesn't want to sell Front Row separately is because they want to use it as an argument towards the purchase of an iMac if a customer is not sure whether they should buy a mini or an iMac.
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Last edited by Zaty on Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cubist
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 52
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:55 am Post subject: |
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If the mini is your first Mac, Apple tends to introduce new features with new hardware, and then keep them exclusive to each other for a time. After about six months, they'll do either one of two things: They'll offer it as a kit seperately, for less than a hundred dollars. Or, they'll only offer it with new hardware releases, adding it to each new Mac that comes out.
Like you guys, I would love to have it on my Mini, but I think it'll be about six months before we see whether or not we'll be able to retrofit older hardware with it. |
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g5g5
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 2725
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:34 am Post subject: Re: If you are interested |
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I hope everyone signs that puppy!
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e3mw
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Tupelo, MS
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: If you are interested |
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I signed it, but some people have been fouling it up by flooding the petition, making it less convincing. 
Another nice thing to throw in: if you type in "Apple Front Row" in Google, this petition is the fourth link from the top that Google returns.
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Aftershift Music Project | My Music! Feel free to download!
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