You remember the original PR from the Motorola deal, where they wouldn't comment on an AAPL possibility. Apparently Apple went with voice over fingerprint.
Still, I'm a bit encouraged by the iMAC feature. Given where Apple is in the marketplace -- schools and home use, rather than businesses - it doesn't need the precision of fingerprints. Further, in a situation where Apple was concentrating on the lowest possible selling price, using the built-in mike was certainly cheaper than incorporating a $50 or greater scanner. However, Apple often sets the pace. When the next round of the competitors' computers come out, they just won't be as cool if they don't have a biometric angle. Further, with Novell and, almost surely, Microsoft ready to support biometrics in their upcoming operating systems, the Apple decision moves the market in our general direction. Businesses and government will not be able to settle for voice biometrics. |
