The Transport Guy: The new Apple TV is the perfect device except for one thing

Steve Kovach September 09, 2015 at 05:01PM

I tested all the new products Apple announced Wednesday, but one stood out the most: the new Apple TV.

I only spent a few minutes with the device, but I can already tell this thing is a home run.

The interface is cleaner. The remote, which has touch and motion controls, is intuitive and easy to use. I imagine game developers are going to go wild with this thing and give Nintendo's Wii a run for its money. Siri search and controls will change the way we interact with our TVs and find new stuff to watch.

I'm impressed. Except for one thing.

I don't buy Apple CEO Tim Cook's argument that the future of TV is apps.

The biggest new feature of the Apple TV is its new App Store. Developers can now write apps for the Apple TV just like they can for the iPhone or iPad. But I'm not sure opening the Apple TV to every kind of app was the right move. 

I don't think the future of TV is apps. I think the future of TV is the right kind of apps. Today we saw apps that make sense for the Apple TV: Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and some really cool games.

But there were also apps like the one from shopping site Gilt, which feel like they don't fit on a big-screen TV in your living room. Is shopping on TV really a better experience than it is on your computer or phone? I don't think so.

Then there are the reports that companies like Airbnb and the live streaming video app Periscope have their own Apple TV apps in the works. Neither of those feel right on a TV either.

The TV isn't meant to be a computer. It's a passive entertainment device. You find something to watch, sit back, and relax. From what I saw Wednesday, Apple TV does that better than any other set-top box I've used, but you're better off ignoring the majority of the incoming TV apps that don't fit into that paradigm.

I think Apple has another hit coming with the new Apple TV. But I also think most people will be better off using it the old-fashioned way: just watching stuff.

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The new Apple TV is the perfect device except for one thing from Business Insider: Steve Kovach