I don’t get Apple.
They make great products, have a great iTunes store, and make sure their products work with iTunes. Sounds pretty good, even if you are terrified of something called ‘vendor lock-in’. (which I am not)
Okay, so now we have something called: “Apple TV”. It breaks every rule of intelligent commerce and marketing in the Apple book. It’s useless. So, okay… you get to listen to your iTunes tracks, and watch your iPhoto pictures, and even youtube on your HD tv, through the Apple TV.
BUT!
it’s most important feature is shamelessly missing: video rental/purchase.
At least, when you live in The Netherlands, like I do.
When iTunes 8 was launched, it heralded iTunes’ wonderful feature to rent and purchase HD movies. But once again, this feature, with enormous amounts of my fellow Apple Mac / iPhone / iTunes users (and potential, if not current, Apple TV buyers/users) waiting for it, is lacking in this country. EVERYONE I’ve spoken who uses iTunes (quite a lot I might add) have stated this is THE feature they are literally dying for.
Apple, where art thou Apple?
Update: since this post apple has released the Apple TV2 and it’s full-HD successor, and the video store in The Netherlands.