Back from 2005 to 2009, Apple used to have a neat little software feature called ‘Front Row’. It essentially allowed you to utilize an Apple TV remote with your Mac, and take advantage of a unique software interface for watching content. It didn’t last very long, but I think now could be a pretty unique time to reintroduce it.
I’ve been a huge fan of the new M4 Mac mini. It’s nice and compact, and an incredible value desktop computer. You can read more of my thoughts on the M4 Mac mini here.
However, while owning it, I pretty regularly thought about the fact that I can’t do anything with it while it’s sitting idle on my desk. Then, the idea struck – what if Apple brought back Front Row, but in a much more capable form? What if we had full-on tvOS on the iMac, Mac mini, and other desktop Macs?
Back when Apple introduced Front Row around 20 years ago, it was toted alongside the iMac G5 and later the first Intel Mac mini. Back then, the devices required infrared sensors to work with the Apple TV remote. Nowadays, that wouldn’t be a requirement, as Siri Remotes pair with Bluetooth.
A modern version of Front Row would bring the tvOS experience to tons of people who might not own Apple TVs. It’d also keep iMacs useful even when their specs inevitably become outdated. Apple used to offer Target Display Mode so you could utilize your iMac display as an external monitor.
That feature was discontinued with the introduction of the 5K iMacs. While a modern Front Row wouldn’t be a direct replacement, it’d certainly be a better offering than nothing. Just imagine utilizing tvOS on your Mac mini or iMac at your desk when you’re not using your Mac for work. It’d be an incredibly convenient offering.
I think in the era of Apple Silicon and shared CPU architectures between all Apple devices, reintroducing Front Row could make more sense than ever. With how powerful Macs are nowadays, virtualizing tvOS is likely a trivial task.
Top comment by Dafty
Apple studio display has an A series chip built in. They should embed TVOS into that! I loved front row and was sad to see it go.
Apple could also bring this feature to MacBooks, allowing for a neat portable TV experience while traveling. I personally think this feature would be far more valuable on desktop Macs, but it never hurts to have additional options.
What do you think about the idea of bringing Front Row back to macOS? Let us know in the comments.
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- Anker MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2
- MOFT Magnetic Wallet Stand, fits up to 3 cards
- Logitech Brio 100 1080p Webcam for Mac
- AirTag 4-pack (on sale for 20% off!)
- SanDisk Extreme 2TB USB-C SSD, up to 1050MB/s
- Aulumu Vegan Leather Case for iPhone 16 Pro
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