Four years after introducing the original Apple TV, Apple introduced the second generation, taking a new direction with its smaller, more affordable device – one-third the cost of the original!

The new Apple TV eliminated the hard drive and support for component video. It was WiFi only (802.11n) and still limited to 720p output for video, although it can disaply photos at 1080i or 1080p. It can access the iTunes Store directly and stream rented content from the iTunes Store. It also supports AirPlay and can mirror the display of any Mac running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or later.

In addition to using 8 GB of flash memory instead of a hard drive, the new version also adopted Bluetooth for use with the Apple Wireless Keyboard.

During its first two weeks on the market, Apple sold 250,000 2G Apple TVs. Estimated sales over its life is 4.2 million units.

Specifications

• Announced 2010.09.01 at $99. Replaced by 3rd Generation Apple TV in March 2012.
• Model no.: A1378
• Identifier: AppleTV2,1
• Item no.: MC572

Hardware

• CPU: 1 GHz Apple A8
• GPU: PowerVR SGX535
• RAM: 256 MB
• Video output: HDMI
• Sound output: HDMI, optical TOSLINK
• Supported resolutions: 480p, 576p, 720p

Connectivity

• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Ethernet: 10/100
• USB: 1 micro-USB 2.0 port for service and diagnostics
• Infrared only for Apple Remote

Software

• Original OS: Apple TV 4.0 (based on iOS 4.1)
• Maximum OS: Apple TV 6.2.1 (based on iOS 7.1.2)
• Requires iTunes 10 or later.

Physical

• Dimensions: 0.9″ x 3.9″ x 3.9″ (23 x 99 x 99 mm)
• Weight: 0.6 lb. (0.27 kg)

Further Reading

• Apple TV, Wikipedia
• Apple TV (2nd Generation), apple-history.com

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