Isn’t it ironic that after several years sloughing through, just as the Mac
and Mac OS are finally making timid but noticeable inroads in
market shares, one of the most acclaimed MacWorld keynotes in years is a
presentation that doesn’t mention either even once in two hours?
To be honest, I’m surprised that the Apple fans are not more angry about
that. I can certainly understand the excitement that the iPhone is
generating, even though some dark spots are beginning to emerge now that the
Jobs distortion field is wearing off, and it is indisputable that Apple has once
again proven that their sense of innovation is very much alive. But if I
were a long-time Apple fan, I would probably worry that the focus in Cupertino
is slowly switching to everything that is not Mac-related: iPod, iPhone,
iTV and probably more consumer electronic devices to be created in the next few
years. The switch from Apple Computer Inc. to simply "Apple Inc" has to
taste bitter to Mac OS lovers. Maybe next year’s conference should be
renamed AppleWorld?
Interestingly, even the most fanatical and devout fans were taken by
surprise, including the notoriously loudmouth and bigot John Gruber, who made
twelve
predictions for Mac World, two of which being iTV and iPhone (which we
already knew about) and the other ten about the Mac. All of them wrong.
No matter how good Mac OS is, it’s still a bit behind Windows, and just as
the gap is finally closing, not only is Windows about to receive a major upgrade
that is going to set it back as the undisputed number one user interface /
operating system , but it looks like as if it is approaching the final mile, Apple
is suddenly feeling a pain in its lungs as it is slowly realizing that you don’t
win a race by making bursts of accelerations only when the public is watching, but by maintaining a steady and sustained pace throughout the entire event.
To me, this year’s MacWorld’s was both about Apple showing everyone that it
is now a force to be reckoned with in the consumer electronics space and at the
same time, raising the white flag in the computer and OS field and finally
conceding that Mac OS will always be an also-ran. But it’s okay because
its users are so fanatical about the Cupertino company that they will probably
keep buying and upgrading whenever they are told to, and I have no doubt on
their ability to maintain their condescending and superior attitude toward
everyone else no matter what.
And besides, despite its last minute slip, Mac OS still beat Linux, so
there’s at least that.
#1 by Romain GUY on January 9, 2007 - 10:57 am
There were live demos of the phone and the iPhone will ship in June. They need FCC approval.
#2 by Mark Griffith on January 9, 2007 - 12:05 pm
Hasn’t Cingular had a phone that plays itunes for a while? How is this innovative? The touch screen?
#3 by Gaurav Chawla on January 9, 2007 - 12:42 pm
Touchscreen + wifi + bluetooth + maps + iTunes + iMap (sic) yahoo mail
Moreover the touchscreen will be much functional and it will be able to parse and extract numbers from mail. The screen is similar to what was expected from a video iPod a year ago.
#4 by Emmanuel Pirsch on January 9, 2007 - 1:38 pm
Hey Cedric, since you’re working on mobile stuff for Google and that Google and Apple worked together on part of this thing.
Maybe you can answer some of the question I have on my blog (http://epirsch.blogspot.com/2007/01/iphone-apple-finally-announced-much.html).
And if there is no Java support on the iPhone… Do you think it will really matter not to have it? (from a developer’s perspective)
#5 by Dion Almaer on January 9, 2007 - 1:50 pm
Ced,
I can’t wait to see Google Mail for Mobile running beautifully on this device 🙂
(I wonder what Java support they will have)
Cheers,
Dion
#6 by Dion Almaer on January 9, 2007 - 2:15 pm
Ced,
I can’t wait to see Google Mail for Mobile running beautifully on this device 🙂
(I wonder what Java support they will have)
Cheers,
Dion
#7 by Sumit on January 9, 2007 - 11:11 pm
Have to say, a lot of it looks like the way interacting with a mobile device should have been. Whether or not this sells big, kudos for rethinking so much.
#8 by eletherf on January 13, 2007 - 10:06 am
It’s interesting that you call Gruber a bigot and then make unsupported statements.
How is osx a bit behind Windows?
I find statements like this stunning when Vista is basically a complete rip off of osx. I don’t know what’s underneath vista’s UI, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same incomprehensible mess that’s in xp. I wonder if Leopard is going to make Vista look like the Zune of operating systems.
Why should Fans be angry with Apple?
Wasn’t it Steve that said if you want to make great software you have to make great hardware. It looks like Apple is trying to do just that make more great hardware for great software to run on. To Apple osx is a good framework from which to build on. Mac fans know this and they got a lot this year – great new machines – new ipods – new everything. I’m pretty sure that 2007 will have plenty to keep them happy. I think you are not seeing the forest for the trees here.
Your whiteflag is exhibiting something weird, is it not you that is surrendering? Surrendering your sycofantic attitude towards Microsoft. You are realizing that the bully in the school yard isn’t worth following around anymore. He keeps telling you that he’s innovative, but you never beleived it, he tells you he’s awsome, but you see that he’s really a rube. Yes surrender your faith in this bully because there are better things out there. Apple in the last six years has shown that good quality and good consumer oriented devices are possible. They are not the only company that is doing this. Tivo, some parts of sony, creative, and so on. I can’t wait for the day when Microsoft has to really compete in the OS market, because if their other products are any indication, they’ll be an also ran there too.