Screw you Apple - seriously just screw you
Macworlds come and go. Mostly they are disappointing because the hype has been too much - that did not used to be that way - there where some Macworld keynotes which had this one more thing moment that actually rocked the boat. Over the last years - you know the time when apple got mainstream - they got worse and worse - and this one I didnīt even bother to watch - luckily - it easily hands down the most disappointing sell out Macworld Apple has ever done. Even the fanboys are in agreement and that says something. You know when its bad when the most interesting thing is for software apple gives away for free together with their macs. The sad thing is that software and OS wise they donīt really have a competitor - so they are not needing innovation. Jugding from the Snow Leopard seeds the next OS will also be not as hot as one might want (so at least OpenCL seems promising). But what Apple is offering for their "big" hardware announcement hopefully creates a backlash that sends shivers down thin Steves spine.
No removable battery (yes its 8 hours under "apples perfect circumstances that nobody ever can replicate" meaning probably about 5 hour of real life performance). It supposed to last for "up to" 1000 cycles. Well all batteries I ever had from Apple "lasted" 1000 cycles - they became unusable after 400 cycles - thats under my "normal" use about 1.5 years.
Oh and you can now get an "antiglare" option for your screen - you know the ones that some LCD TVs try to get you with - for a whopping $50. Form follows function - that used to be Apple - its now "make it more glossy so more people find it lickable - forget about function" and then when there is a huge outcry "make it an add on that is worse then before and have the suckers pay for it on top".
Oh and the price... Oh forget about it. The market for the next year will be sub $500 lappies. This one approaches above $3000 lappy - you must be kidding Apple. I hope you loose some market share and you loose all your coolness factor because then you might become innovative again and make usable machines that people that who actually use them adore and not just put on their marble desks next to the gold plated pens for other people to look at.
Then again its Apple and I am sure they are brewing something cool and somehow its relieving that you can have a laptop for more then 3 years and not feel you have an old machine (as it will happen with my current MBP which is still pretty much on par with the current line after 1.5 years sans the "battery saving integrated graphic card" which I can happily live without as long as I have a matte screen - and that you can prey off my cold dead hands). There is still multitouch looming to take over or some other gesture control - and I am sure we will see something done with it by Apple sooner or later that is not just a glorified trackpad. Until then farewell Apple I hope you loose some money you have in the bank and get back to basic.
Comments
Someone missed his nap time.
Seriously, don't buy one if you don't like it.
Posted by: Jose Madre | 7.01.09 1:38
Translation: You didn't make something for ME, specifically, so therefore I hope bad things happen to you!
Wow. What a crybaby jerkface.
I'm a crybaby, too (I didn't get what I want), but to wish ill-will on someone? Too far.
Posted by: Tedious | 7.01.09 2:00
I am using Apple since 1995 exclusively - I consider myself a professional graphic artist. I am beta tester for OSX and I have deep down frustrations with the route the company is going - mainly favoring bling bling and cosnumerism over usability and advancement of technology. I do like the OS which is still far superior to other options out there (so I am considering Linux lately and have a test partition with Linux on) but the hardware is making steps backward (glossy screen) or on a standstill since at least 2 years.
If all just say "hail the apple" they will fall into a pit that I have been through with them (lets say it wasnīt enormously fun doing 3d animation on OS8&9 in 1997) for this company that happens faster then people think as its a story based company (meaning the story of the company is what drives the company - and that story is innovation and taking risky routes (floppy disk f.e.)).
I am just venting my view on my blog - unlikely to make any impact - but judging from reaction all over the web - especially from some people where I know they have been with Apple as long or longer then me - I am quite sure that I am not the only one thinking along those lines. And let me assure you that I am the most unhappy person if this company dies as I have invested a lot of knowledge space in my brain around their computers and software.
Oh and while we are at software. The professional software department at Apple seems to be all but sleeping - Final Cut & Shake for example - great products in themself - have not seen a major update since over two and three years while the consumer line has now blingy interfaces but is less usable then the versions that came out three four years ago while also being extremely sluggish (compared with these old versions) - iMovie is the best example.
And for Apple to jump on the "for rent" software bandwagon surely remembers me of the time when they started to follow trends - something that almost meant their demise - I do not want to rent software that I can only run on the internet - I really like to own stuff because then I can tinker with it bend it to my will etc. Its clearly out of greed and bussiness reasons they go down that route and I quite detest that.
Posted by: fALk
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7.01.09 12:15
Not exactly constructive criticism is it!
I saw plenty of innovation in the software "Apple give away". Are you a re shareholder or something? They give it away. On new Macs. It's not a free upgrade. But based on what I saw at the keynote I will be upgrading both iLife and iWork. Not because I'm some upgrade junkie but because they are cheap upgrades and offer me value and increased productivity. I really appreciate Apple pricing software at points I can afford rather than prices that send me to the Pirate Bay.
All DRM free purchases from iTunes is also a big deal IMO, how the hell did Apple broker that deal I wonder?!
It would have been great to see "one more thing" like "oh, and I've been running Snow Leopard the whole keynote on this Dell. It's available for supported third party hardware today" but frankly we have to remember that Apple is one of the few businesses making meaning which leads them to making money rather than being a company that prefers to make money with whatever generic me-too shit they are selling this week.
Apple are not perfect, but I do not know of a better and more exciting tech company trading today.
Posted by: MPR | 7.01.09 14:24
What if they gave you one of the new MBP's for free. I bet you would change your tune.
Are you talking for the masses, or just for yourself? Not very good journalism I have to say.
Posted by: Jay | 7.01.09 15:02
To MPR: Yes if you are a consumer type of person you can be very happy - sadly I have no bussiness with Apple on the consumer side. I donīt own a single song (no not even illegal ones) I have no iPhone no iPod "just" MBP 2007 (so no need for me to upgrade anyway just yet) and some 8 core monstermac. I have lots of software from apple legally and am officially betatesting Quicktime, OSX and ProApps for Apple under the Appleseed program. So I actually help OSX get better by spending long hours filing bug reports so people like you donīt have to wrestle with why a password doesnīt work or why your graphic card output just shit or why your computer panics - I have been doing that since 8 years.
My point is that Apple is getting sloppy and has a problem - the keynote was just a culmination of what I perceive as problems (as said 14 year experience with the company) that go deeper then what I wrote above and some I can not talk about (NDA). Its especially the professional side of things at Apple that has been neglected for quite a long time - or ripped off if not neglected in case of the anti glare option that used to be the standard on all Apple lappies until Apple decided that glossy sells better to the masses and pros donīt count.
Also people chill out and read the last sentence not just the headline then you might see that I still feel that Apple is about innovation and that they might turnaround again - for me Snow Leopard is the point of no return - if they mess it up the pros might leave the ship - not that the masses care but we pros earn money with these computers pretty directly and switching platform looses you a ton amount of time and money in return not even to mention the personal stress.
To Jay: abonding I am talking about myself - as you might have read the title of this blog says "personal blog by fALk" - falk its me and personal means personal opinion sometimes just out of my stomach and history has served my stomach very well ;) Like sticking with Apple through the late 90s because I believed its the only system worth investing my time in - as you seem to like Apple now I might have been pretty right back then no?
Posted by: fALk
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7.01.09 16:47