Jeremy Wright Doesn't Get It
Sometimes there are people in this world that just don't get it. Jeremy seems to be one of those folks here. Now this is ok, because the poor soul is just temporarily misguided, and just needs someone to find his hot button and push it a few times.
"Between Google's "big announcement" of Google Video + Google Pack, and Apple's non-announcement's this week at Macworld (yes, I watched the whole presentation), I'm incredibly surprised there hasn't been a mass exodus of PC, Google and Mac users to something more exciting. Like Libyan Midget Volleyball."
I can understand the disappointment of the keynote, after all, even we die-hard Mac fanatics were expecting something with a litle more OOOOMPH, like say.....a 50" Plasma iMac? Apple could very well still be working on this, or it could be total bunk. Only time will tell. One thing is for certain though, they WILL get there. Now back to the main point here...
I need to try and communicate a few things to Jeremy that maybe he just hasn't been made aware of. Apple didn't just make Unix or Linux cool, that was a side effect. Apple made unix FRIENDLY and USABLE by anyone. There is a HUGE difference.
Jeremy made some comments about how Apple just announced some Widgets and fixed some broken apps. What planet are you on Jeremy? Apple added new widgets, which was barely mentioned, and they made MAJOR upgrades to an already incredible suite of products, which happen to ship for FREE with every single Mac.
Jeremy also seems to think that Apple's industrial design will be wiped away in the next few years, and OS X will be made moot by Vista. Man, I gotta tell you...Jeremy is really smoking some good shit today. NOBODY in the industry has been able to successfully emulate Apple's industrial design. They are quite simply BAD IMITATIONS. There is a difference between imitating someone elses design, and actually INNOVATING by not only coming up with never before used designs, but designing the hardware and technology to go in those designs, while at the same time making it all look elegant and sexy. Apple has pioneered almost every single technology used in a PC today, from the floppy drive to wireless and firewire, Apple was the INNOVATOR.
One of the best statements by Jeremy was how Steve Jobs didn't show him any VISION. No vision huh? That's pretty interesting. It seems to me that the ONLY person / company showing any vision these days is Apple and Steve Jobs. Again, Apple was the first to demonstrate vision with the iPod and even HD. Apple's iMovie has had HD capabilities for over a year now.
The best quote of all has to be...
"I was disappointed. I know, a Windows guy disappointed at a Mac announcement. For shame. But, really, the only thing worth looking at that came out of the announcement was the new hardware. And it wasn’t even all that nice. Especially when you consider that you get the same hardware from any PC manufacturer for 800$ less."
Now I am really dumbfounded by this statement. Apparently Apple is NEVER going to win over certain folks. Now that we are not only on par, but FASTER than most PC's, they are still bitching about something. I'd LOVE to see an $800 laptop and what specs it brings for that money. And I bet it looks just dandy to boot. It would never look like a 50lb plastic boat anchor now would it? A quick peruse of Dell's website begs to differ. WHATEVER.
Jeremy, it's ok to be a happy Windows user. Everyone has a personal preference and taste. But PLEASE don't make silly comments and rant about what you have no idea about. I really honestly wish someone with knowledge of how YOU work and what YOUR needs are, would take the time to just see how a Mac could make your life better. Everyone is different, so it could be that you just haven't seen what you need to see to make that light-bulb go off in your head. Maybe a Mac truly isn't for you, and thats ok - they aren't for everyone. But I used to be sitting on that side of the fence at one time, until a Libyan Midget Six Pack hit me across the side of the head and knocked me to my ass. At that point, I screamed EUREKA, and saw the light. The rest is history. It can happen to you too... :-)
Read Jeremy's rant after the jump...
Between Google's "big announcement" of Google Video + Google Pack, and Apple's non-announcement's this week at Macworld (yes, I watched the whole presentation), I'm incredibly surprised there hasn't been a mass exodus of PC, Google and Mac users to something more exciting. Like Libyan Midget Volleyball.
I won't recap Google's yawn announcements, since everyone's already done that and, truth be told, I've already bashed Google enough this week (deservedly, but still).
Now it's Apple's turn. I try not to bash Apple. I really do. I mean, they do some fantastic things, and nobody was ever really able to make Unix or Linux cool. Apple did. They've done some great stuff with GarageBand, the iPod and iTunes. I hate iWork personally, and .Mac is just a cash cow, but overall they've done a lot in the last 5 years.
So it wasn't surprising that the whole world was expecting this MacWorld to be a big one. Huge innovation. Maybe a tablet? Maybe a Media Center clone? Maybe some other copying of Microsoft that Apple would then claim they invented in the first place? (Sorry, couldn't resist)
No. Today they announced… Widgets. Oh, and they fixed some broken apps. And they're supporting podcasting / blogging more (even though Jobs said Podcasting was stupid only a year ago).
Yeah, and they announced some Intel-based Macs. Which means that Mac fans now have 2 things they can brag about instead of 3:
1. OS X, which is a fantastic OS that I don't anticipate using this decade.
2. Apple's industrial design (which many PC companies are finally learning to emulate)
It stands to reason that really #2 will be wiped away in the next few years, and #1 will be made moot (for good (ie: great innovation) or bad (ie: total copying)) by Vista.
Personally I was hoping for some really big OS announcement, a really big hardware announcement and a unified media / living room / portable strategy. Something to get me excited about Apple over the next 5 years. I really was. I was practically begging for a reason to consider Mac seriously. It would have taken a lot, and I wouldn't have moved over anytime soon, but if I'd seen an actual VISION out of Jobs, I would have put Mac seriously in the running for my next system purchase in 2-3 years. Honestly.
I was disappointed. I know, a Windows guy disappointed at a Mac announcement. For shame. But, really, the only thing worth looking at that came out of the announcement was the new hardware. And it wasn't even all that nice. Especially when you consider that you get the same hardware from any PC manufacturer for 800$ less.
I know, the screen'll be better, it'll have an iSight (not to be confused with an iCamera, iSite or iBunk) built in, has scads of storage and is all around a great little machine. No doubt.
But, it's just not enough to make me get up off my chair and dance. Nevermind faint. And screw the idea of actually planning to buy one.
Sure, if you're a Mac user it's a great upgrade. But, nothing today would make me, a Windows user who was considering thinking about maybe shopping around for a new computer in 3 years that could possibly be a Mac… Well, it wasn't enough for me to do anything more than blink twice.
And bitch about it all, of course.
So yeah, CES + Macworld, while I'm sure they were loads of fun for folk who were there… Well, they just didn't get me excited from 2000 miles away. Sorry Google, sorry Microsoft, sorry Apple, sorry Sony. Nada. I didn't even break a sweat watching your keynotes.
Please try harder next year. Othewrise I'm totally going to Libyan Midget Six-pack you.
Comments
Seems you only read my piece from a critical perspective, instead of trying to "get" what I was saying.
I'm not going to defend it to you, since almost everything you're arguing about are things I've said.
Except the vision. Jobs pushed NO vision at his keynote. You may FEEL there is vision, but there isn't any evidence of it. The only thing there is evidence of is Apple REACTING.
Also, what amazing new products were released? I didn't see any. I saw gobs of bug fixes in Pages, iLife and a crappy implementation of iWeb, fixes to iDVD, etc.
Sorry, you may feel yesterday was exciting, but ask yourself what was REALLY announced? Nothing exciting. Nothing new. Nothing that changes any industry at all.
In short, none of the things that Apple are (deservedly) famous for.
Posted by: Jeremy Wright | January 11, 2006 8:17 AM
Jeremy,
I won't say that I am not biased towards the Mac, naturally I am. However, I wasn't trying to be critical of your piece, just wanted to maybe clarify some points you made.
I agree that as far as vision, this was not a "visionary" keynote. But you have to admit, Mac fan or not, that Steve Jobs is one of the very few people in the industry that does have a vision and knows where he wants to go with it. That was really all I was trying to say with that. But you are correct in that this keynote was not his most visionary moment.
As far as amazing new products, I would have to say that the Intel based iMac and MacBook ARE indeed pretty amazing. From the reports I am getting from my buddies at the show, the speed is quite impressive and certainly on par if not faster than any PC on the market. Although not new, yes - there were indeed many fixes to older apps, but many new features added that are certainly welcome. One of the most notable are the way podcasting and RSS has been integrated into the entire iLife Suite making it easy as pie for ANYONE to create this new content. I think that's pretty cool and something tells me that deep down inside, you do too.
Yesterday was good. Not the best Keynote I've ever seen, but plenty to be excited about and know that Apple is still charging ahead and going in the right direction. Not every Keynote can be an earth shattering event, but the Macworld Keynotes are usually an event in and of themselves. I didn't see that kind of buzz in the industry of Bill Gates' Keynote at CES. It was pretty blah from all accounts I've read and seen.
I'm sure that there will be many more "special events" this year to release new products. Something tells me that this year WILL be something wonderful and demonstrate those things that Apple is definitely famous for. Hopefully you will watch and keep your eye on Apple to see the progress. When you are ready to make that switch, the Mac community will welcome you with open arms buddy...
Posted by: Frank | January 11, 2006 11:11 AM