Apple announcement of several new iPod accessories and an Intel based Mac Mini, billed as the introduction of fun new product, seem to have been met with a lot disappointment. Rumors of things like a touch screen iPod or Tivo-style DVR and Apple's own recent track record with the iPod Nano and iPod with Video last fall help set some pretty high expectations.

I found it a little light, but not disappointing. Jason at 37 Signals offers a great historical perspective on the very high expectations Apple fans put on the company.

In his Defense of Apple's announcments, the Unofficial Apple Weblog's Scott McNulty takes on those who feel let down, but in one area he goes a little far in that defense.

"I am quite puzzled by people who say, 'Well the new Mac mini isn't that much different.' It has an Intel chip in it, for goodness sake."

Keep in mind the multimedia features of Front Row first turned up on a PowerPC mac and this announcement was billed as the introduction of "fun new products" and a new processor architecture isn't so much "fun" as it's a, well, a processor architecture. Scott himself seems to change his mind and make exactly that point in the next paragraph.

"... the manufacturer of the chip shouldn't matter to the everyday user. A Mac is a Mac whether it is running on a G5, a Core Duo, or a Dorito."

On the matter of Apple creating a Tivo-like DVR application, my friend Roger had a good point about that: why would apple make it easier for you to record the broadcast for free instead of buy the show from iTunes. And leaving Tivo aside, cable and satellite companies are all offering their own DVRs these days and would not like to see those added subscription fees stolen away by Apple.

The fact those DVRs come at just a couple extra dollars a month (only $5.95/mo. from mine) when bundled with service is hurting Tivo, and that fact is certainly not lost on Apple. Apple senior VP Phil Schiller says that's not the plan.

"We're not trying to replace the TiVo," he says. "This is about taking the media from your computer and accessing it via the TV."

Still, if it's about brining everything together through Front Row, it would be nice include my DVR through their as well (seriously, the interface on the Comcast DVR sucks compared to a Tivo) and I also happened to notice my DVR has a pair of Firewire ports on the back.

Perhaps Apple will work with cable providers to let Front Row serve as a front end for their DVRs, the cable company can still charge their fee, Apple still sells a mac and I would never have to use the Comcast DVR's interface again (I so miss my Tivo).