• It was a low-key unveiling, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise; the HomeView is an accessory in the grand scheme of things.
• About performance: A18 is the same processor as in the MacBook Neo. Fast content switching is a must in a multi-user setup. Based on the older Apple TV 4K, which has an older processor, this is promising. The switching sequence shown in Apple’s promotional material seems to corroborate this.
• Dependencies on the presence of a modern iPhone signed into Apple Intelligence for some features are surprising.
• The design is cute yet classy, but the arm behind the screen is shorter than I thought it would be. The design doesn’t remind me of the G4 iMac. At 7 inches, the screen is a tad bigger than rumors predicted. This leaves room (pun intended here) for a larger screen version with an articulated arm.
• I’m ok with the lack of an App Store dedicated to the HomeView. I expect Apple to add some app functionality in the future.
• The $429 price tag for the wall-mounted version, identical to the tabletop version, is an Apple tactic to discourage users from buying a cheaper version and adding external wireless speakers.
• The power adaptor design presents a not-too-deep block with the USB plug on top. This design lets you place furniture close to the wall.
• I’ll order mine so that I get it when I come back from Thailand in mid-November.
• The new Apple TV 4K is the same price. I would have preferred a cheaper 64GB version; I don’t need 128GB, and I don’t play games on the Apple TV. Built-in microphones are a godsend; no remote needed for voice commands. Yeah.
• One more thing: what’s missing from today’s announcements? The return of a secure, Apple-branded home networking device à la AirPort.

I’m already trying to figure out where I will install it in my house.

Even with additional industry DRAM cleanroom space plans, with robust demand trends including new upside requests from customers, we do not have line of sight to when supply and demand will return to balance.

That’s not great news for all of us.

“The hub is about as thick as an iPhone, and its display is surrounded by a quarter-inch, black bezel reminiscent of older iPads. It has rounded corners and no sharp edges. The device lacks a battery, so it has to be plugged in at all times, and there are no volume or power buttons. The product comes in Apple’s standard gray aluminum finish and includes a USB-C port for power. The screen sits above a metal, round base with multiple rings of perforated speaker holes and connects to it through a polished metal arm. Users can manually tilt the display forward or backward. And the base has a rubberized bottom to help it stay on a table. The standard version looks reminiscent of the famous iMac G4 from 2002 that has a large display that sits on a half-dome-shaped base.”

The Intelligent Home Hub might be a good name that fits the Intelligent Personal Hub moniker John Ternus used recently when referring to the iPhone.

• OpenAI seems to be trying to be more like Apple; it’s obvious in their slides during their keynote.
• I think OpenAI shows courage by doing live demos of things that are clearly not ready for prime time. Since people would like Apple to return to live events, I’m not sure I want to see those kinds of failures, as they might overshadow the message.
• I saw a different Sam Altam during the keynote, who appeared more enthusiastic than usual, but it felt a bit off.
• Many of the new features are available only to Pro plans, which I’m not willing to subscribe to because they are too expensive.
• They make progress on their desktop app, but it still feels bloated, just like Anthropic’s desktop client. None of them are native apps, yet they brag about AI coding capabilities and still depend on Electron. Go figure.
• You might find Dots a cute name for agents, but the last thing I want from AI is to be cute. I would argue that I want an invisible AI.
• I still don’t see a use case for agents like Dots or Muse (Meta). I don’t trust that technology to take over my digital life, even for the simplest task. I don’t feel good about asking an AI bot to check off an item on my to-do list. And I certainly don’t want an AI bot to do shopping for me. BTW, who’s responsible for buying errors: the bot, the AI company or the one paying for it?

I haven’t felt this anti-AI attitude as strongly as I do this week. I wonder why.