1:56 AM
Tasawar Mughal
Rumours surrounding the launch of an Apple television in the second half of 2012 have been increasing lately but now a report suggests that prior to that, Apple will launch a new version of its all-in-one PC, the iMac, with built-in Apple TV functionality.
The report comes from Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair who believes this product will be a stepping stone for Apple before they launch their fully fledged television set in time for Christmas next year.
“We believe Apple’s redesign of the iMac in the first half of 2012 will likely usher in some TV capability into the iMac offering first, effectively taking the high end and larger screens of the iMac line and pushing it toward the TV market by integrating Apple TV and iCloud features into a slimmer all-in-one PC,” Blair said.
“Apple could effectively start with what they already have on the manufacturing line and slowly push their offering from 27 inches and scale up from there to 32 inches and then move on to the 42, 50 and 55 inch market.”
According to various industry analysts, Apple’s television set, reportedly named iTV, will come with LCD panels from Sharp and could be available in three sizes when it launches in time for Christmas 2012.
The new iMac would be able to do all the things the current Apple TV can do, such as streaming films and TV shows to your TV (as long as it’s Wi-Fi enabled of course) but would also give users access to iCloud content. Apple could also integrate Siri voice recognition software into the package and get networks on board to stream their content through the Apple TV networks, according to Blair.
While the idea of having Apple TV baked into your iMac is certainly a nice idea, we’re not sure it’s the answer to many people’s problems. The idea of a dedicated TV from Apple is a much more appealing prospect, but for now let us know in the comments if an iMac with built-in Apple TV would be of interest.
via: AllThingsD
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