Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware
My theory on why Apple isn't including Blu-ray drives in Macs
Engadget HD linked a theory from Robert X. Cringely as to why Apple hasn't included Blu-ray drives in any of their Macs yet (it isn't even an option in the Mac Pro), despite being on the board of the Blu-ray Disc Association. Mr. Cringely more or less links the lack of Blu-ray in Macs to movies and Apple's strategy with downloadable iTS content and the upcoming iTV. The thinking goes: if Apple can sell you a downloadable movie through the iTS and an iTV on which to watch it - why undercut that model with a Blu-ray drive built right into the machine?I disagree. There's plenty of other uses and potential (heck, they can hold up to 50GB) in these warring next generation optical formats (Blu-ray and their mortal enemy, HD-DVD), and that's exactly the point: these formats are in the middle of an industry polarizing war, and I think Apple hasn't committed to including either in their machines because they don't want risk leaving their customers high and dry once the dust settles and (dear lord, finally) one format wins out. The iTS/movie downloads/iTV theory doesn't hold water in my book also because that would mean they should eliminate CD and DVD drives from their machines - after all, those drives can undercut their iTunes Store music and movie purchases, right? These discs can hold a lot more than simple movies.
This ridiculous Blu-ray/HD-DVD situation is Betamax vs. VHS all over again, and while Apple is known for pushing the envelope on which technologies they adopt, I believe they're simply waiting for an actual standard to emerge. The only question is when these camps are going to get over themselves and stop forcing consumers to stock up on Advil for every trip to the electronics store.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Albert said 4:09PM on 9-24-2006
Apple isn't getting rid of CD/DVD drives because a lot of other formats besides movies come in them. Pretty obvious.
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frogbat said 4:11PM on 9-24-2006
if they manage to ship a combo reader drive in some models and make it accessible via iTV it will add more incentive for peeps to rely on their mac as a source of living room entertainment. More money spent on the apple hw and less on competitors means more eventual revenue from content distribution.
that is of if the itv will manage hd images over wifi...
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David Chartier said 4:22PM on 9-24-2006
#1: That's exactly the point I'm trying to make. I don't buy Cringely's theory on the exclusion of Blu-ray drives because of their threat to iTS movie/iTV purchases.
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Zweihander said 4:30PM on 9-24-2006
Discs? Don't make me laugh. With the high density of the next gen stuff, one tinu scratch nukes the whole thing.
I'd rather spend time pushing for ultrafast networks and larger hard drives. More efficient that way.
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Thomas said 4:34PM on 9-24-2006
Blu-ray, or indeed HD-DVD will in no way undercut the iTS market since iTS downloads aren't even DVD quality. If someone was in the market to buy content on either of the new disc formats then they will at no point consider downloading something of far, far lower quality. If someone had a Blu-ray drive on their computer then the purpose is not going to be movies, they would have a dedicated player for that. Blu-ray is less of a competitor than DVD and they've not stopped supplying them.
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Ken R said 4:49PM on 9-24-2006
#4's comment makes sense.
In a perfect world, we'd all get fibre optic data lines and kill off phone and cable. TV shows could come via either the internet or satellite, and it's already clear that VoIP can kill off the telephone. But our phone/cable based ISPs don't want that to happen, do they?
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Andrew said 4:54PM on 9-24-2006
That's not Cringley's theory.
He states that Apple is holding off on Blue-Ray until Sony puts its movie library on iTunes. That's it. Nothing about Blue-ray competing with the store.
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jtarheel said 5:01PM on 9-24-2006
Just think of how much bigger flash memory keeps getting. It won't be long before we replace our DVD/CD/Hard drives all with flash drives. THAT could be what Apple is waiting for.
Just another worthless opinion.
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tim lindner said 6:27PM on 9-24-2006
Andrew (number 7) is correct. Cringely (Mark C. Stephens) is being badly summarized by this article.
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Desides said 5:27PM on 9-24-2006
"With the high density of the next gen stuff, one tinu scratch nukes the whole thing."
Durabis coating. Google it.
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Twist said 5:28PM on 9-24-2006
The argument that Apple is waiting to see which format becomes the standard is valid but I think it is more likely that a) they are waiting for prices to drop and b) they are waiting for demand to rise (I for one couldn't care less about Blu-ray or HD-DVD right now, though I do think Blu-ray is the better format for computers).
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Jon said 5:33PM on 9-24-2006
Robert X. Cringely? What on earth does the X stand for? I can't think of any names that begin with X.
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Mike said 5:56PM on 9-24-2006
Mac Pro. Two drive bays. HD DVD in one, Blu-Ray in the other...
That be my theory.
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Tony said 6:01PM on 9-24-2006
#11:
Xavier
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lotech said 6:07PM on 9-24-2006
Its amazing this conversation is even happening, Bluray drives have only been available for a couple of months and in no serious numbers - if apple did ship them with the MacPro's - they would make the computer $500 more expensive while not filling any real demand from 99.5% of their customers.
So far I can see the BluRay drive market as Video Production houses (which I happen to do professionally) and ubernerds with money to waste. Need more space? Fill the HD bays first.
Apple are on the Blu Ray Assoc because they happen to make one of the main editing programs (FCP) and especially as they make DVD Studio Pro. Someones making comercial discs, and they need the software to make it.
Expect Bluray drives as a shipable option in 6 months - probably HD-DVD the exact same time. Expect a hybrid (BR/HDDVD) drive in 12 and then placed in new Macs.
No one ever said they were on the association to pick sides - just allowing them to have good 'finger in the pie' when it came to the standard.
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Bob said 6:09PM on 9-24-2006
My guess is that Apple is waiting for the price to come down a bit for Blu-ray Disc drives. apple has made great strides proving that their computers are less expensive with the other guy. Now, why the BD Drive is not an option on the Mac Pro yet; this probably has something to do with component availablity. I've only found one BD drive that will work in a Mac, and it is not even made by one of the big drive manufacturers. I expect we will see this build to order option arrive sometime around the Macworld Keynote.
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Ron Martinez said 6:19PM on 9-24-2006
#4 is right. Cringley didn't say Apple was withholding Blu-ray to lay the groundwork for ITMS HD movie sales. You might infer that, but he didn't say it. The quid pro quo theory makes more business - and common - sense.
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totoro said 6:36PM on 9-24-2006
"because they don't want risk leaving their customers high and dry once the dust settles"
Hmmm..those of us stuck with Apple's first use of DVD-RAM drives might disagree with this.
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Al Willis said 7:05PM on 9-24-2006
Apple isn't waiting for the standards to get worked out--they are firmly in the Blue-ray camp. Just before the Mac Pro was announced at WWDC, there was a rumor that stated that the Mac Pro wouldn't get Blue-ray until Macworld in January.
Whatever Blue-ray drives that would have been available in the summer won't be as good or as cost-effective for Apple as the ones they'll be able to ship in January. It's just as simple as that.
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Al Willis said 7:07PM on 9-24-2006
Here's the story about Apple joining the Blue-ray board of directors:
http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/03/10/bluray/index.php
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