With HomeView, Apple Shows How Powerful Its Ecosystem Can Be

Do you remember “Everything is a Remix,” the series of work by Kirby Ferguson? His main premise is that almost all the creative work we see in the world derives inspiration from what came before it. I think Apple’s just-announced HomeView may be the latest entry in the list of things that prove Ferguson’s point. To put it in another set of terms: the HomeView is “new but somehow familiar,” to borrow a Jony Ive phrase. I think it applies to just about every aspect of this product. The product itself was rumored for ages, and puts Apple into the space previously occupied mostly by products from Google (Nest?) and Amazon, albeit at a higher price point. Hardware Right off the bat, we have to address something — a bunch of people have compared it to the iMac G4: I mean, come on. Sure, the HomeView’s 7-inch square display doesn’t move in all the ways the iMac’s display did, but I’ll take a hit of that sweet nostalgia. If the next version includes a larger display with more flexibility, I…