Abandoned

I hate it when companies switch to the dark side.
Years ago, TiVo supported the Mac first with their networking capabilities, like streaming music and viewing photos. That was likely because the Mac OS included zero-config protocols, aka Rendezvous, which makes connectivity easy.
Today, TiVo has released their new killer app, “TiVo to Go,” which allows users to send recorded programs to their computer — sending data the other way and completing the circle from computer to television.
Except that it only works on Windows.
This pisses me off in many ways, but it is the trend these days: a kind of platform pragmatism. For example, judging from what I saw on last night’s “60 Minutes,” it looks like most Google employees prefer Mac… but their new desktop search app only runs on Windows. It used to be that the coolest stuff arrived for Mac first, then made it to the PC later. That trend has reversed with the realization that “insanely cool” is not good enough anymore; that what is important is getting a huge audience right away.
I also have a feeling that TiVo has forsaken the Mac because it is not laden with obnoxious rights management software like Windows — Microsoft has made it incredibly difficult to do what you want with your data, and the Hollywood establishment is desperate for the MS false sense of security. Anyone who takes a little time and intelligence can bypass DRM; Microsoft and Hollywood are determined to make the media experience a living hell for everyone else as punishment.
The incredible hubris of Hollywood — and the lawmakers in their pocket — have meant a real slowdown in new technologies. For example, why can’t I buy a standalone TiVo that records high definition, over the air broadcasts? ‘Cos they’re only selling heavily DRMed boxes that are integrated with DirecTV and have functions disabled. Nothing burns me more than when companies disable technologies to control the behavior of their customers, like Verizon’s crippled mobile phones and Apple’s deliberate disabling of DVD+R drives.
Anyway. If I want to move video from my TiVo to my Mac, all I have to do it connect it up and record it. Like in the good old days. Frankly, it’s probably faster than transferring all that data over the wireless network, anyway.