Apple Ware

MacBook Air made its debut with lots of hype. There was even a near arrest (okay – so the guy at the airport was only detained because security had NO IDEA what the contraption was). But even I – who am in no way a computer genius – guessed that the hype would be about all there was.

The starting price for the MacBook Air is way more than most people would ever consider spending on a notebook computer. To make it even more undesirable, the ones who WOULD spend that kind of money are going to be disappointed by the lack of features available.

This got me to thinking – is it really possible to put all the power into less space? There has to be a point when things just can’t get any smaller and still is able to retain their speed, memory and options. The MacBook Air may look cool and it may even be good for come tasks, but it just doesn’t have the power that its larger and heavier cousins offer.

The MacBook Air may be a great addition to some businesses, but for my own personal use I need more. If I’m going to pay more money, then I need something that will do more than fit into a smaller package.

Apple computers have always been my favorite. I first learned my computer basics on an Apple. Even though I was impressed and actually fell in love, I have never owned my own Apple computer. If things stay the way they are today then I probably never will own one.

Apple computers are considered by many to be the “high end” machines of the computer world. The thing that gets me is the high prices. I want to be able to get as much power as I can with as little investment, because we all know that in three or four years the technology will be obsolete anyway.

There has to be a way for the technology industry to offer high end value at reasonable costs. With the economy showing signs of a continued downward trend, if they don’t offer better prices and great deals then they won’t be able to make the sales.

It is important for Apple to learn from its competition (competition only in the sense that there are other computers in the market place). Lower prices don’t have to mean compromise in integrity. It could just mean higher profits due to increases sales.

It is time for Apple to create a computer that is perfect for the average Joes out there with less disposable income and more computer needs!

One of the greatest things about Apple products is that they are unique in design and function. The first Apple desk top that I worked on was in college and I instantly fell in love with the software. Imagine my shock a few years later when the IBM compatible computer at work was running a similar program. It seems that everyone wants to copy Apple.

This could be a good thing. Some times being the best means letting people copy what you are doing but continuing to produce the best of the best - if that makes sense. I always flash back to the Beta vs. VCR match up where the best machine lost because it was so hard to find videos (or even a choice in machines). In some ways, I think that Apple is running into a similar situation.

It is, by far, the best machine out there. It is also the minority. Unless you are in design, then you are probably running an IBM compatible machine (only now I guess they are considered Microsoft compatible). Apple has been working hard to push its products over into the mainstream use, but until there are a variety of machines that are Apple compatible it will probably not be able to make it.

It can’t be a shock to the techies out there. The fact that Apple is updating the iPhone AND at the same time crippling those phones that have been unlocked is just par for the course when it comes to the companies verses the users. Even though it was expected that Apple would respond, it still doesn’t make sense to me.

Apple gets most of its money when I buy my iPhone. It probably does get a piece of the action when I activate my phone with AT&T, but it can’t come near the initial investment. By choosing to find ways to block my ability to use MY iPhone in the way I want to use it, Apple runs the risk of losing whatever future business I would have taken its direction.

It is important for the companies in the tech industry to protect their products - at least to some extent. Apple has gone to the wrong extreme by trying to force owners to comply to its way of thinking. If the techies figured out how to unlock the iPhone in the first place, it is only a matter of time before they overcome the update snag. In the mean time, Apple looks like a bad guy in an industry where appearance is half the battle.

The Apple iPhone is designed to make life easier for the traveling office worker. It’s possible to do more on this device than any others in the past. Unfortunately, there are also more (and better) games available for the iPhone. It’s applications like these that make the technology less productive than they should be.

Personally, I couldn’t imagine paying several hundred dollars on what would essentially be a game boy if you filled it with all the new games. For that kind of money, I want something that I can actually use and not just to keep myself distracted. I’m sure that consumers demanded the games, but what is the purpose.

If you are going to spend a fortune on technology then at least make sure that technology is able to earn back some of its keep. Sitting around playing Tetris will not bring the money flowing in – and if someone does manage to find a way to make this happen then I want a piece of the action.

Keep the games away from the office supplies and you will be amazed at how much more you can accomplish. Spend your time (and memory) on something more valuable. Just say no to clogging the iPhone with child’s play.

Dial up is getting me down. Because of my location (beautiful and great for the kids but not so hot for high-speed internet) my only choice is dial up or satellite. The household budget had dictated the choice for the most part. I did investigate satellite, but wasn’t impressed with the comments I found wandering the internet. My hope now lies in the government auction of the 700 MHz spectrum.

According to what I’ve read, the signals from these sites will be stronger and faster than anything available on the market right now. Rumor has it that Apple is eyeing the auction. Hope is that it will use the site to improve the industry and not just hijack it in order to protect the status quo.

Apple hasn’t yet committed to the auction, not because of a lack of money but because of the competition that is sure to come from the phone companies. There is also concern that entering into this market would pull valuable resource from the main purpose for the company - innovation.

As I wait for each and every page to slowly download, I dream of the day that access to the internet will be easy and painless. It will be interesting to see what January 2008 brings to the table.

Apple is working hard to make working an easier task for everyone. With the introduction of the iPhone and other services, it is making it possible for the office to be where ever you are with just the touch of a button.

There are good points and bad points to being able to work all the time. It makes it harder to leave tasks at the office. This really blends work and home into something that can only take away from family.

At the same time, being able to work on the go can make a job more flexible and therefore open to more individuals. Instead of having to commute to the office everyday, employees could work from their own homes (or while they are at the doctor’s office or getting the oil change). Mobile work options can actually make what would have been wasted time more productive.

Having a connection to the office, anywhere or anytime, could make it more convenient to go to the children’s ball games or recitals. Instead of pushing the employee away from family, it could offer opportunities to spend more time with them.

Apple has the right idea. It wants to give us the tools to get everything done on our own time. The flexibility will take discipline, but it will be a great benefit to all when it becomes the standard and not the exception.

The rumors say that a new Apple iPod is on the horizon. From what I’ve been hearing and have read, it will offer consumers some of the many features of the iPhone with out having the added expenses of AT&T service.

The really good news is that the new iPod should be on the market LONG before the holiday shopping season gets underway. This means that the prices could come down some before the holiday crunch. The iPhone prices dropped dramatically just a few, short weeks after being introduced - prompting cries of unfair from consumers and an issue of a “rebate” from Steve Jobs.

The iPod is great for storing lots of musical information in a small space. The new iPods - with all the additional iPhone like features - should prove to be an enticing stocking stuffer for some consumers.

One of the best new features will likely be the new touch panel and high resolution screen. The screens will most likely smaller than the iPhone, but much larger than the past iPods. It is likely that storage will go up, but that WiFi connections will be held back for the more expensive iPhone.

Many people have been hard at work to unlock the iPhones that they own so that they were not forced to use AT&T services. Although most consumers were thrilled with the iPhone itself, many were less than excited about the provider that was thrust upon them.

Contests sprouted up and the tech-savvy began to work out the problem. Experts predicted that unlocking the iPhone would hurt AT&T. No body thought that it might hurt Apple. While AT&T will most definitely take a hit because of the inability to force new customers into a two year agreement, it seems that Apple will also find itself at a loss.

Apple had an agreement with AT&T that would give it a percentage of the income received from cell phone service subscriptions. It does not have that same agreement with other providers.

The initial financial hit that Apple will probably receive from the unlocking of the iPhone will be wiped clean by the number of new buyers. There were many customers who chose not to by the phone simply because they didn’t want to be forced to switch to AT&T. With the new found freedom, more buyers will be on their way to an iPhone store near them.

Apple products tend to be some of the best on the market - and the price you pay for them will prove it. The company also seems to have touched a nerve with the younger generations. Like many companies before them, Apple now runs the risk of not holding up its standards to those that consumers have come to expect.

Customer service is often one of the first places that companies falter. Apple offer the convenience of product stores, but if you don’t live near one a quick visit to the company website will often give you the answers that you need. But for complex needs, Apple has outsourced their customer service - one of the first sure fire steps to disaster (IMHO).

Some of the electronic devices that Apple currently offers are just not as durable as you might want. The iPods are not for the overly active (therefore would not make a great Christmas gift for active, preteen boys) because a hard jarring can cause the device to no longer work properly.

As for innovation, Apple is still King. It seems to have a finger on the pulse of consumers’ desires and it meeting them beyond expectations. Less just hope that the King continues to understand that without the peasants its kingdom will fall.