Hands-on with the new Apple Remote
Posted Nov 6th 2009 4:00PM by Joachim Bean
Like many of the others at TUAW who really wanted to see this remote, I got my new Apple Remote a few days ago, and here are some of my impressions.
Size:
It's noticeably bigger than the old Apple Remote. It feels nice in your hand, and it also won't be as easy to lose. It's also very thin, and has a tapered design just like the iPod nano has.
Design:
It sure looks a lot like the unibody MacBook Pro, and some other Apple product recently released. The buttons are black and made of plastic, while the rest is made of aluminum.
Details:
It does have one extra button than the old one. It's the Play/Pause button, however, there's still a button in the center, like the old remote, that still does the same thing as the play/pause button below it.
It's just a remote, but it just might make a great little gift for the holidays.
What do you think of this remote? Let us know in the comments below!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Johnny said 4:16PM on 11-06-2009
I like it better than the last one simply because of the aluminum and the fact that it is easier to hold. Otherwise, it has the same buttons and does the same thing. Not too much to be excited about except cosmetics.
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Greg Alexander said 4:18PM on 11-06-2009
I presume the wheel is not an actual click wheel, like a Nano?
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Darren said 5:44PM on 11-06-2009
Yup.
michaelr said 4:28PM on 11-06-2009
How do the buttons feel when you click them? It seems like the old remote felt a bit plasticky (no duh needed), whereas most remotes feel a bit more rubbery when you click their buttons.
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solarpos said 4:28PM on 11-06-2009
If no Apple remotes existed our lives would be no different. It's a *yawn* product IMO.
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ElevatorHappyFun said 4:37PM on 11-06-2009
Those of us with Apple TV's or people running a Mac Mini Theater, having a remote is great.
Everybody else's remote is gathering dust I assume.
Joshua Ochs said 4:52PM on 11-06-2009
Exactly - that minority of us with home theater setups love them, and no one else cares - which is probably why they're not included by default anymore.
Jeff said 5:35PM on 11-06-2009
I regularly use my Apple Remote to control iTunes or Front Row. It's handy if you're doing things around the house.
yokken said 5:59PM on 11-06-2009
Yeah, seriously, what? A post about the Apple Remote? "It's a remote. It clicks... and stuff."
Cy Starkman said 8:20PM on 11-06-2009
Yup, mine (old plastic one) is still in the plastic sleeve, unused
paxswill said 9:18PM on 11-06-2009
I use mine semi-regularly, both for when I have my MBP hooked up to a large screen, and also when I'm giving presentations in class. Support for the remote in PowerPoint is one of the better things to have happen in Office 08.
Josh said 9:26PM on 11-06-2009
I lost mine about 6 months after getting it with my MacBook. Lately, I've just been using my Logitech Harmony remote to control my Mac. It makes life easy when studying, being able to change music (classical music while studying makes for a great atmosphere) from across the room without using my mouse and looking at the screen is great.
Greg said 9:48PM on 11-06-2009
I love my apple remote. And the new button will be useful for other apps that use a remote, like plex.
pardthemonster said 4:32PM on 11-06-2009
Has Kent got his opened yet?
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Joseph said 6:58PM on 11-06-2009
came here to read that. otherwise i was going to ask for a 7 minute unboxing video.
Rob said 4:33PM on 11-06-2009
To bad it does not have a STANDBY button. Putting an AppleTV to standby (or OFF) is a REAL pain since you have to navigate through a menus.
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Chris said 6:05PM on 11-06-2009
Hold down the play/pause button
blazineric said 4:41PM on 11-06-2009
I think you can hold down the play pause for 5 seconds and it will put the ATV into standby
jimmy said 4:48PM on 11-06-2009
just hold down the play/pause button for 3 secs. Nighty-night AppleTV...
Joshua Ochs said 4:53PM on 11-06-2009
Works on the Mac as well - every so often my Mini doesn't sync properly with my TV, and a quick sleep/wake cycle fixes it. Nice that I can do it all from the remote. :)