I Love Thee, Apple
Apple has an awesome way of giving the public more than what it expected. For example, when it was announced that iTunes for Windows would be launched today, most people simply thought, “Awesome, iTunes for Windows!”
But, Apple took us by suprise by not only launching a version of iTunes for Windows, but an updated iTunes version overall, iTunes 4.1, including the “second generation Music Store.” New features include the ability to share music between Macs and PCs, sync voice notes and On-The-Go playlists from your iPod, burn large playlists onto multiple CDs or DVDs, and drag and drop links from the iTunes Music Store into emails, instant messages or web pages. Also, audiobooks are now available in the Music Store, a new Power Search feature using more options is available, you can set up allowance accounts so children can access music legally, without giving them a credit card, and finally, you have the ability to send gift certificates to friends and family via email. Wow. Did I mention that I love Apple?
To further stress their “go beyond what’s expected” attitude, Apple completely recreated the iPod webpages into beautiful, understandable layouts, released new accessories for the iPod, including a voice recorder attachment and an external media reader, posted a brand new iPod TV ad, featuring “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet, and have left us, the public, wanting more by publishing a small advertisement that reads “100 million FREE songs Coming Feb 1,” seemingly sponsored by Pepsi.
Apple, you are a blessing!
Windows Users Get “Mac Experience”
In Tuesday’s entry, I noted that “if Apple gets iTunes for Windows out soon enough, they could outdo Napster and become the number one music downloading program across both the Mac and the Windows platform.” Well, with news that Apple will launch iTunes for Windows on October 16, it looks like Apple will one up Napster by launching first. Not to mention the fact that iTunes for Windows is guaranteed to be compatible with the iPod, unlike Napster or other 3rd-party music downloading programs.
I’m no psychic, but all things point to Apple being victorious. (Not to say that Napster can’t have a user base. I’m just noting that Apple will most likely be the more successful of the two.)
Apple, You’re Killing Me!
First you boost the storage capacities of your iPods and keep them at the same price, just weeks after I purchased one for myself, and now you release new G4 PowerBooks and drop the price! My 17-inch PowerBook cost me $3000, with the educational discount, and now the base price of the improved PowerBook is only $2999. In the words of Cher, “if I could turn back time” I definitely would have waited the extra month and bought one now.
Oh well. I guess it’s all part of the vicious pricing cycle of technology. If you buy something early, you pay full price but have the satisfaction of using it before it’s too dated. If you buy something after prices drop, you save money, but a new version is usually just around the corner. In both cases, it’s a win-lose situation.
On a more optimistic note, Apple has released a wireless mouse and keyboard, both of which use Bluetooth wireless technology. Unfortunately, I already have Kensington’s PocketMouse Pro Wireless, which uses a USB reciever instead of Bluetooth, but perhaps I’ll upgrade next month to celebrate my birthday. Aren’t I nice?
Apple Ups the Ante
A month after purchasing my $399 15GB iPod from an Apple Store near my house, Apple has upped the storage capacities of the 15GB and 35GB iPods to 20GB and 40GB, respectively. If only I had waited a month longer! Ach…
I can’t wait to see where the iPod is in the next few years.
And My Jaw Dropped
Breaking news spreads like a forest fire. Especially when that news involves two of the greatest web designers and one of the greatest computer companies of all time. I’m talking about none other than Jeffrey Zeldman, Douglas Bowman, and Apple Computers.
“Zeldman and Bowman are the perfect duo”
I won’t even pretend like you haven’t already heard the jaw-dropping news that Zeldman and Bowman have plans to team up for a redesign, or at least a move towards web standards, for the very famous Apple website. I don’t know why the news came as such a surprise. Apple, whose Safari web browser has become extremely well known for its standard-compliancy, has the perfect site to be redesigned using web standards, and Zeldman and Bowman are the perfect duo to do so.
Keep in mind that “this does not imply a visual redesign is in the works.” For now, it only means that Zeldman and Bowman will be there to provide guidance while Apple takes their website in a new direction.
With such an influential and well-known corporation “taking the plunge,” this is sure to be a giant step in the exciting movement towards designing with valid XHTML, valid CSS, and web standards.
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Enough Anticipation
About a week ago, I announced that something special had just been shipped to my house. It arrived at 9 AM on Thursday morning. I was still sleeping, when a family member came in my room yelling “it’s here!” I woke right up, opened up the clever and sophisticated packaging, and set up my brand new Apple 17″ PowerBook G4 on my desk, just a few feet away from my now miniscule looking PC display. Of course, I immediately began playing around with it, importing all of my CDs, browsing through the Apple Music Store, and planning out the next few months using iCal.
If you read the previous entry, you already know what happened next. As I sat in front of my few-hours-old toy, the lights slowly began to fade until the only living things left in my room were my PowerBook and I. About an hour and a half later, the batter of my PowerBook died. Yuck. You can imagine why the twenty-some hour blackout really made me lose it.
Fast forward a few days, and here I am typing this very entry on my new piece of luxury technology. I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to work between it and my PC, which is currently in a coma (again, see previous entry). But, until it wakes up, I’ll be reporting from the new toy. Ciao!
Apple Ads Still the Best
I you haven’t already seen Apple’s new TV ad for the new Power Mac G5, which would surprise me because it has been played constantly, then you have to check it out. They always manage to make a simple concept go a long way and have a powerful impact on the viewer. Just goes to show that Apple’s advertising department is still on top.