GeTTING A HANDLE ON digital convergence
By George Swords

It used to be only the technologically astute who controlled multiple electronic devices from one remote, and only the rich or road warrior executives who carried digital gear with capabilities that matched (or bettered) the stationary counterparts. Now such technology is far more accessible, and this would seem to be all to the good. So why are some companies up in arms over this portable revolution? It boils down to one word: copyright.

Today, many people have more electronics than they can shake a stick at. Desktop computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, digital music players, digital cameras (still or video), video game players … the list goes on and on. Not all of these are separate devices, though. For example, it’s easy to find a cell phone equipped with a digital camera and Internet surfing capability; some even have built-in PDA functionality, or the ability to play digital music.

“Digital convergence” is a buzz phrase that has been around for years. Now, however, we are seeing this convergence trickle down to users who may not be your typical technologically savvy early adopters. A recent USA Today article included a number of examples, starting with a man who hooks up his Apple laptop to his TV and speakers, and uses it to watch movies and play CDs –- with his cell phone functioning as a remote, thanks to some special purpose software. With this kind of versatility, who needs a CD or DVD player?

Granted, many people are not participating in this particular technological revolution. For example, my own year-old cell phone can’t take pictures (though it does offer access to the Internet). But it is getting easier to combine computing, communication, and entertainment. This technological convergence is terrifying to some companies, such as those who make their livelihood from movies and music. Still, it inspires the imagination of others –- companies and individuals with a vision of information and entertainment delivered where and in whatever form a consumer desires.

The very nature of digital files is what has encouraged this convergence, as well as the fear from movie and music companies. Unlike analog files, digital files can be copied over and over again without any degradation in quality. They are also often quick to copy (especially over a high-speed Internet connection) and can be easy to transfer between digital devices. Anyone who remembers Napster and Kazaa understands both why digital files are so popular with users, and why movie and music companies complain that digital technology all but invites widespread piracy and copyright infringement.

Another advantage of digital technology is its perceived permanence. One woman described in USA Today purchased a digital audio recorder in order to capture her elderly Jewish father’s memories of World War II. She is using the digital device, she said, because she wants the memories to last.

Digital files are also more versatile than analog files. A digital file can be downloaded to a variety of devices, including a PC, a PDA, a digital music player, and so forth. Digital files can also be sent over the Internet in a variety of ways, including via email. They can be edited with PC software.

This kind of technology lets people do more than simply add to their music and movie collections. They can even do more than take their digital collections with them wherever they go. Digital technology lets users become their own publishers and media moguls, even more than the advent of the Internet. A mere glance at the phenomenon known as podcasting (“radio programs” often produced by dedicated, enthusiastic amateurs for downloading from the Internet onto digital music players) gives some hint as to the future of digital entertainment.

Movie and music companies barely perceive the threat from podcasters and others who are making their own “niche programming.” Currently, they are more concerned with piracy, and have been working to find ways to “lock” digital files to prevent their indiscriminate copying. But movie, music, and even cable companies face an even bigger threat –- and once again, it comes from the Internet.

Enter the iMac

What if you could command an entire world of music, photos, movies and DVDs — all from your sofa? Now you can share the good life with friends and family on a 17- or 20-inch new iMac G5 featuring Front Row software and Apple Remote. Slimmer than ever, the gravity-defying enclosure also houses built-in iSight, SuperDrive, wireless and the easy-to-use software that brings it all together. 

You’ve got the best seat in the house. The full-screen Front Row media experience — with its intuitive menus, large text and brilliant graphics — lets you browse the music, photos and videos on your iMac as easily as you browse music on your iPod. And the new Apple Remote lets you do your browsing from anywhere in the room. So gather your friends and dazzle them with a slideshow of your vacation pics, a home movie or a DVD. The iMac G5 was born to entertain. 

iMac G5 will change the way you look at computers. Literally. Enjoy — and share — your music, movies and photos from any seat in the house on a gorgeous, liquid crystal display. Intuitive Apple software and hardware make impossible science fiction dreams an effortless reality. 

Dazzle your friends with an elegant full-screen media display. Front Row transforms an evening of home movies or TV shows into a blockbuster Hollywood premiere. Or preview actual Hollywood blockbusters from the Apple.com trailer website. Press ‘menu’ on the new Apple Remote to let Front Row take center stage with large text, intuitive menus and brilliant graphics. No setup required. 

The new Apple Remote makes it easy to navigate through all the digital goodies you’ve collected and created. Apple designers simplified the average remote from 60 buttons you’ll never use to just the six buttons you need. So you can navigate quickly through the Front Row interface, enjoying your digital media exactly as you wish. Pause. Skip. Crank up the volume. Whatever your pleasure, wherever you sit. 

With iTunes, you’re never more than a click away from the world’s most popular source of music, audiobooks and podcasts. Now the digital revolution strikes again — you can also purchase your favorite music videos and selected TV shows. Download those episodes of Lost or Desperate Housewives that you missed. Or sync your videos with the new iPod and watch them anywhere. 

There’s an iSight camera built into every new iMac, so you can start a video chat (or join one) at a moment’s notice. There’s nothing to buy, nothing to attach, no cords to fumble with, no software to install or configure. Simply start up iChat AV, click your buddy’s video icon and you’re ready to chat with sight and sound — with up to three friends at once. Proper attire suggested. 

Behind its breathtaking 17- or 20-inch widescreen display, iMac G5 displays some monstrous power — with a 1.9GHz or 2.1GHz G5 processor, a sizzling new PCI-Express ATI Radeon X600 Pro or XT graphics processor with 128MB of dedicated video memory and a new high-bandwidth system architecture. These technologies, coupled with Mac OS X Tiger (the world’s most advanced operating system), simply make iMac G5 a joy to drive. Whether you’re exercising your creativity, surfing the web, playing compute-intensive games or just staying in touch with friends. 

iMac G5 has the power — and the brains — to be the center of your digital universe. It comes with iLife ’05: a suite of easy-to-use applications that make the spectacular part of your everyday life. Enhance, organize and share your photos via iPhoto. Make an epic starring your kid in iMovie. Turn your photo and movie creations into professional DVDs with iDVD. Create original music in GarageBand, even if you can’t carry a tune. 

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