TV-enabled iMac could launch before Apple’s Siri HDTV, analyst says

Apple may launch an iMac with integrated “TV capability” before it launches its own full-blown HDTV, Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair said Wednesday. Blair said Apple’s new iMacs, which could launch during the first half of 2012, will integrate several features that are currently found in the Apple TV set top box and create a “slimmer all-in-one PC with TV capabilities.” Blair doesn’t make any mention of the Siri voice engine, which Apple is expected to use in its HDTV to completely remove any need for a remote control. “Apple could effectively start with what they already have on the manufacturing line and slowly push their offering from 27 inches and scale up from there to 32 inches and then move on to the 32, 50 and 55 inch market,” Blair explained. While such an idea might be attractive, a number of companies already offer coaxial cable accessories that allow users to watch TV on their Mac computers. Siri voice integration and Apple’s knack for developing killer user experiences are the ingredients that are likely required to make such a product truly ground-breaking.

Read