Apple TV specs leaked

THE SPECIFICATIONS of the newly launched Apple TV set-top box have been leaked via the Apple gossip site Appleinsider.

The low-tech box will supposedly offer a 1GHz Pentium-M based Intel processor, code-named 'Crofton', which has been under-clocked to run on a 350MHz bus.

The chip is based on Intel's 'Dothan' core, which is pre-Core Duo, and includes 2MB of L2 cache. A fan is also included for cooling.

Coupling the Pentium M in decoding the streamed video is a Nvidia G72M graphics processor with 64MB DDR2 video memory and 256MB of 400MHz DDR2 main system memory, the latter of which is apparently soldered directly to the main system board. The graphics chipset is similar in performance to that of a laptop-based Nvidia Geforce Go 7400.

The device will include a 40GB hard-drive for local storage. This will also be a laptop-orientated 2.5" PATA drive.

WiFi is delivered through a 802.11n mini PCIe card and five wireless antennas spread throughout the device's chassis - two for data transmission and three for data reception. 10/100 Ethernet is also supplied as standard, but Bluetooth is not included.

You will need to be attached to the internet if you wish to playback iTunes protected content.

Although each Apple TV ships with a USB port, it is offered purely for services and diagnostics purposes, states Apple's website.

The device is now available for pre-orders and will begin shipping in February for $299.

The specifications do seem somewhat lower than expected, especially for the HD content from iTunes, but Apple are limiting this device to HD content of the 720p variety which it should just about handle.

As usual with Apple product, and maybe the industry as a whole, it might be better waiting for an Apple TV v2.0. $299 might not seem an awful lot, but you can get much better specified laptops for similar amounts of money, complete with screen.

In other Apple-related news, it seems upgrading your current Macs built-in WiFi to 802.11n will incur a charge.

If you purchase the new $179 Airport 802.11n you will receive a free software upgrade that will enable 802.11n on your compatible Mac. However, Core 2 Duo Mac owners who want to unlock 802.11n capabilities for use with third party wireless solutions will have to pay a $4.99 fee before downloading the 802.11n enabler patch.

Jeremy Horwitz at iLounge offers an explanation for the charge stating that the fee stems from a law called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which prohibits Apple from giving away an unadvertised new feature of an already sold product without enduring problematic accounting measures.

If this is the case, how come the fee is $4.99 instead of a paltry $0.99? We wonder if Microsoft could start charging for security updates... µ

See also
Nortel may sue Apple over iPhone
Apple goes all coy about its iPhone CPU
Apple in talks with Cisco over iPhone
Apple iPhone finally makes debut