Is Apple a computer company?
The subject line of this post raises an interesting question, I think. In all the articles I read yesterday about the iPhone and the Apple TV, no journalist remarked on the fact that at the MacWorld Expo, for the first time in human memory, Apple Computer did not make a single product announcement involving actual Mac computers.
Don’t get me wrong, the gadgets Apple unveiled are exciting. The Apple TV is especially intriguing for me, a person who has come to adore DVR boxes as the Second Coming of the iPod.
Furthermore, if I didn’t already have a cell plan with verizon…and if the iPhone weren’t so damned expensive…I’d probably buy one. It’s basically a handheld computer, not a phone or a juiced-up iPod, or even a Blackberry. It’s all those things and more. It’s a beautiful, small computer.
What I found interesting–not disappointing, but interesting–was that there was nothing new unveiled involving Macintosh computers. No new laptops. No new iMacs. Not even the same old Macs, but with improved specs.
One thing that was unveiled, perhaps significantly, is a name change for the company. The Washington Post put it like this:
There was even a surprise name change for the company. Effective immediately, Apple Computer Inc. is dropping the “Computer” from its name and will simply go by Apple Inc., a sign that the Mac computer line is no longer the flagship product of a company that is increasingly a trendsetter in music, video and wireless networking.
I’m not sure how to feel about this. I love the gadgets; I miss seeing some advances in the computers. The Mac computer is why I buy Apple products in the first place.
I had hoped that at the very least, Apple would upgrade the Macbook or the Mac Mini’s video card, making them capable of playing World of Warcraft. Or failing that, maybe Apple would release a new widescreen iPod (I guess they did, sorta, if one regards the iPhone as a widescreen iPod). I could see myself buying a widescreen iPod in the next few months. Between Brendan and I, we actually watch quite a bit of film on my iPod.
I downloaded Cars for him, and I also have another Disney film, Chicken Little, on there, as well as many other short cartoons. For myself, I have been watching Lost on my iPod, rather than on TV. I watch it at night, lying in bed, and sometimes on my lunch break at work.
So did Apple release a widescreen iPod, or upgraded Macintosh computers?
No. Nada. Rien de rien. No soup for you.
Strange, don’t you think? This ain’t your daddy’s Apple Computer, Hon.
[Note: the best article I've found on the iPhone is this one from Time. Apple's New Calling: The iPhone. It's a bit frothy with adulation, but it makes me want one of these devices. I want one very badly. I've just gotta think...when is my contract with Verizon up?
I think if the next generation of the device is cheaper, has more storage, and if I can use it on Verizon's network, I'll probably have to buy one. That's a lot of "if's", so I don't think my wife has to start balancing the checkbook anytime soon. Still, it's a sweet item, a sweet, misnamed item. This device really is a small computer that happens to allow you to make phone calls.
Also, I disagree with the author's assertion that the iPhone is NOT a luxury item. At $499 for a 4 gig model, and $599 for an 8 gig mdoel, yes that is a luxury item for most people, including myself. The 8 gig model is more expensive than a Mac Mini desktop computer.]
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I think you’re starting out with the wrong question. ( Don’t I always?
)
I mean, it’s a perspective issue. Computers are driving all these devices, but that’s not what I mean. It’s not that Apple isn’t making computers, in fact they’re continuing to make the best computers in the world. But they’ve taken computing to such a level that we don’t have to be as aware of it’s presence anymore.
Computers are obiquious, but Apple’s taking it a step further and making them invisible (whereas most others are still making them obnoxious).
This is really a big step in the maturity of the technological world. You’re not controlled by needing to sit in front of a computer to enjoy the benefits of computers. Now computers are meeting our needs and requirements, instead of the other way around.
How do you like them apples?
Comment by Step — Wednesday, 10 January 2007 @ 11:48 pm
I, errr, should have spent a little more time editing that last post. Sorry ’bout the poor readability.
Comment by Step — Wednesday, 10 January 2007 @ 11:51 pm
As far as the phone goes … I’d wait a couple of generations with it. I love technology … this latest streamline of music, video and phone is certainly the next logical step. But wouldn’t you rather wait until it’s a little older, with the bugs and price worked out?
What the iPhone does is perform a multitude of functions and none of them as well as the original device, I daresay. It’s limited in memory. I think the true innovation will be the day, a few years down the road, when all these things are integrated seamlessly and we no longer need home computers, home telephones, music players or dvd/other media players. It won’t be your mini, travel alternative that’s not quite as good, without quite as much memory or crampy navigation systems.
It’ll be your everything, and we’ll all be lost without it. And there’ll have to be a way to make it accessible to more people, though I certainly think that it’s not quite a luxury market this second.
People will afford this gadget if they want to.
I’d prefer to wait a while. Till I have a wrist-top holographic net browser that lets me plug into cyberspace and make my phone calls through my avatar.
Comment by Mel B. — Thursday, 11 January 2007 @ 1:16 am
I agree on the waiting a few generations, as it will undoubtedly come down in price and go up in features. In fact Apple has already stated as much. Still, for a large group of people that need smart-phone functionality, I am mostly willing to believe that this will be the best option in the market when it comes out. I’ll wait a generation or so, but I doubt I can hold out for 2 or 3.
Limited in memory - perhaps. I expect new models sometime in 2007 or the beginning of 2008 will address that. Still, I don’t really think that is as much of a limitation as you seem to.
Total convergence and the wonder device - well, this is a necessary step in the right direction, and a brilliant step too. What functions doesn’t this perform as well as the original? As far as I can tell this performs most of the functions better than everything on the market. My own main concern is the tactile - I picked my current phone solely because I could feel the buttons properly, unlike on a RAZR, so that I knew where I was without looking on the keypad. Until I get hands-on with the iPhone, though, I won’t know how much of a drawback the required looking presents for me.
I think the touchscreen’s really the only possible solution in my mind, because the only thing worse than not feeling the buttons is the TERRIBLE interface on every phone I’ve tried. The only one that comes close to good for me is the TREO (the P, I like the Palm handwriting system over anything else out there).
I don’t know, I really do think this is a pretty big break-through in innovation. Not because it’s not obvious, which is why many will soon poo-pooh this device. But because it is obvious - it’s the way everyone should have been doing phones and voicemails. Soon we’ll all laugh at the ancient torture methods phone companies used to force on us. Granted, again a lot of this stuff is out there in various ways. But Apple just made it major news, and they’ve as much as guaranteed that they have more surprises in store for us on both the iPhone and the rest of the Mac front.
I do like your holographic wristwatch idea. Sign me up.
Comment by Step — Thursday, 11 January 2007 @ 2:07 am
I am definitely with you on waiting a generation (or two). I can’t buy one now anyway because my current cell phone plan won’t work with the iPhone. Mel, it seems like a lot of your criticisms are what I am hearing from co-workers as well. Not enough memory, hobbled applications…
The memory issue is legitimate, I think, but will almost certainly be addressed sooner rather than later. Frankly, I do find it surprising that the company that fits a 60 gig harddrive into a tiny iPod didn’t do the same for the iPhone. But I suppose cost was a factor, also. It already costs as much as the high end Mac Mini.
As far as cramped or hobbled applications are concerned, supposedly the iPhone doesn’t sacrifice anything. Instead of handicapping the applications by making them smaller, Apple has put complete applications on the device. The phone or computer or whatever you want to call it runs Mac OS X–the same operating system that Apple runs on their computers. That’s significant, considering Microsoft had to design a Windows Lite for their handhelds.
I think it’s really pretty revolutionary. Revolutionary in an obvious “Of course!” sort of way, but revolutionary nonetheless. The insidious thing is, a lot of people who buy the phone but don’t own a Mac are going to be using Mac OS X and not realize it…or care. Heh heh.
Comment by Matthew — Thursday, 11 January 2007 @ 7:28 am
Hmph. I suppose next you’ll argue that because I’m permanently attached to my iPod, that Apple Inc. will soon be releasing its supersecret signal to release the gas which will complete my assimilation. As soon as I inhale the sweet tang of Apple, I will no longer be able use or crave my HP… I will immediately make the conversion to all things Apple … though you’ve lamented the getting away from computers…
What Apple truly desires is world domination. And I still don’t think they have a chance against Microsoft. Yet.
Comment by Mel B. — Sunday, 14 January 2007 @ 7:50 pm