gametheoryman's Profile

iOS may be on most Apple devices, maybe eventually on the iMac too, but I think there is a role for some heavier machinery in the consumer space just waiting for Apple to bring a low-lying cloud into the home. Wanted soon: "iHome." It requires an updated scheduler of multiple cores within OS X, one that can support several users that can use the same machine simultaneously. Unix has had this capability for large machines for decades, so this is more of an evolutionary addition. Most future computer devices will be mobile. Services from the cloud will certainly come, but broadband will be a bottleneck for quite some time, especially with our mobile devices. For years, the cloud will operate slowly enough that most consumers will just have to wait, wait, and wait for results to come. Apple could help eliminate much of this waiting, at least in our homes. Consider what I call the "iHome," a muscle machine placed near the HDTV, which also feeds dumber devices, often mobile ones, for each family member. For software that it can run quickly, but the user's device cannot, the iHome removes the disadvantage of using the cloud by placing it nearby. Very easy functions for the user's device, which of course depends upon the device, are done on the device itself; very difficult functions are done in the cloud outside of the home; the many, many intermediate ones are done on the iHome. When interacting with the iHome, the user just senses that she has a powerful virtual machine all to herself. The iHome creates a new home Apple ecosystem for the entire family: a no-muss, no-fuss network for the home, whose hub is its own internal cloud. Now, for a 4-person family you have one, say, $4-5K machine + 1 MacBook + 2 iPads + 2 iPhones + 2 combos of wireless Monitor-Keyboard-Mouse, all of which operate independently and potentially simultaneously, and all of it is less expensive than 4 fully outfitted MacBooks + cellphones. Good for the family’s wallet. These home-wide economies of scale also bring family members into the Apple ecosystem that had otherwise resisted, say workers in a Windows-centric job. The same ecosystem could also be employed in small businesses or small departments. iPads or Monitor-Keyboard-Mouse combos are then available, too, to those that want them. Good for Apple’s wallet. The iHome also adds greater functionality for shared music, video, photo storage for the family; greater power for computer-intensive tasks; control over TV and pay-per-view for the household; syncing of devices and common data (e.g., calendars); and access to info in the cloud outside the home. Good for each user. To construct iHome, Apple can start with what it has already: 8-core (6-core, 12-core) MacPro, 1-4T storage / AppleTV / Airport Express / OS X Server. Then it adds: an updated scheduler that allows up to 8 (6, 12) simultaneous users, where each user has highest priority for one core and Xgrid allocates unused capacity in other cores. an application with Tivo functionality (Apple can do much better) an application merging iTunes and Pandora Wouldn’t every Apple family of 3 or more want one? Sounds profitable to me. What do you think?