What is your opinion on where apple is headed?

[SODA]

Their latest macworld was a disappointment in many people's eyes, what with nothing really huge announced and the only real new item being the MacBook Air the $3000 port-less wonder. They are announcing a 3G iPhone most likely soon, but other than that are they losing steam? Apple has always been overpriced, but the trade off is supposedly style and superior performance. What do you guys think?

[Spastic]

Apple is in no way superior in performance when compared in the computer market. Plug and play is what makes the PC superior to the Mac, and unless they adapt it there is almost nothing Apple can do to get a fair share of the computer market. The only people who use Macs are office workers who need something simple, and really don't care about performance. People who use computers for media only, and teens who want to be trendy.

Now when it comes to gadgets Apple reigns supreme, I myself own an iPod and have had no problems whatsoever with it. Zune I have heard mixed reviews about, and I really don't follow the MP3 industry well enough to know where it stands when compared to the Apple products.

I myself will never own a Mac, since there is really no point in having one, and unless they do something worthwhile Mac will never be a competitive name in the computer market. I guess the best way to sum up Macs are "overrated".

[fabz]

I don't think Apple is going to do anything prolific for a while. The iPod and the iPhone are both extremely great products but at it's core, Apple is a computer company. For them to do something they would almost have to redesign the computer. Maybe with that cool ass Sony Screen...

Spastic, my Mac is plug and play. I've never had one thing go wrong with it ever. I find printers, controllers, applications, whatever I need for my Mac. Does that piece of software or whatever I just bought run better on my Mac than my PC? For the most part, yes.

I got my Mac for music production and other memory eaters. My Mac handles ProTools far better than any PC I've ever owned and it doesn't crash. When I'm running like ProTools and recording and monitoring 12 other tracks it works flawlessly. That's why I got a Mac. It's not to play TF2. It wasn't really to surf the internet it was to make demos for myself and that is where the Mac out-performs the PC I had.

[Spastic]

I don't think you know what plug and play is fabz, I was not talking about USB devices or Printers/Scanners. I was referring to the process of being able to change your hardware (the guts of the computer) without having to send it in and pay out the ass to have new things installed, or "upgraded".

But at the end of the day, there is a reason Windows owns 91.8% of the computer market, while Apple owns 7.3%.

[MistyTehMoose]

I own a Mac and a PC.

I usually only use my PC for gaming and my Mac for everything else. (Mine is a brand new MacBook) I find that the Mac has a much better music program (iTunes is shit on a PC, but it works incredibly well with a Mac, obviously) and it is really good for all my uni work and graphic stuff. It all depends what you primarily use your computer for. Mac is always going to be popular among uni students, teachers, musicians and artists, unless they royally fuck up... but I don't think the Air is enough to do that.

[BurgerKueen]

I thought the Air was an unnecessary move honestly. If you can't make it that thin while keeping the usual specs, then don't make it. An iPod might be valued for it's thinness, but I've never seen anyone weak enough to carry a regular MacBook. And I don't want them to release any more iPods for like the next 2 years at least.

I don't have a problem with where they're heading though. They've done a lot of updates with iPods and Intel chips (over the last 2 years I guess), I don't see a problem with taking the time out until the next big thing. How often does the regular user change their computers anyway?

Half the people in my university owns a Mac and I don't see Apple going downhill in anyway honestly. I'm sure they have more plans for the future, they're a company seeking profit after all.

[opn4bzns]

I think they would have been much better off to release an eeepc competitor, rather than the Air. The eee is amazingly popular, and a nicely designed (and probably more expensive) competitor running OSX natively (a MacBook mini, maybe?) would blow it out of the water.

I think the Air is overpriced, and maybe a bit of a blunder, but it's not going to destroy Apple or anything. Macs are more popular than ever and iPods are juggernauts in the mp3 player market, so I wouldn't be worrying too much if I was Steve Jobs.

[SODA]

I think they would have been much better off to release an eeepc competitor, rather than the Air. The eee is amazingly popular, and a nicely designed (and probably more expensive) competitor running OSX natively (a MacBook mini, maybe?) would blow it out of the water.

I think the Air is overpriced, and maybe a bit of a blunder, but it's not going to destroy Apple or anything. Macs are more popular than ever and iPods are juggernauts in the mp3 player market, so I wouldn't be worrying too much if I was Steve Jobs.

Thats what I predicting the air was going to be, I think apple got the "ultra-portable" concept wrong. In my mind, the eee is ultra portable, the air is just a fucking thin notebook. It still has the same footprint as a macbook so it is just as cumbersome to carry. I think a good competitor to the eee will usher in some really cool devices.

[Jiggz]

First off, the Air is a load of shit. A few thousand dollars more expensive than the MacBook, but with a 1.8GHZ processor, 3 ports and NO CD/DVD drive! If I saw anybody with it I'd think, stupid fuck obviously cares more about what people think about him than how much he knows about computers.

But you're right SOAD, the developments coming out of Mac lately are in small incremental steps, not the usual leaps and bounds we're used to from them. That's not to say the changes being made aren't functional and necessary. Like for instance the new touch pad features. Simple changes, but suddenly browsing your laptop just got a little easier.

I'm waiting for the next big thing from Mac... The G6 perhaps?

[opn4bzns]

Thats what I predicting the air was going to be, I think apple got the "ultra-portable" concept wrong. In my mind, the eee is ultra portable, the air is just a fucking thin notebook. It still has the same footprint as a macbook so it is just as cumbersome to carry. I think a good competitor to the eee will usher in some really cool devices.

Yeah, making it so large was a pretty stupid design decision. I'm not really sure why anyone would pay au$1000 more for a laptop half an inch or so thinner than the MacBook. Unless you had some debilitating injury which prevented you from opening your thumb and fingers more than an inch, it's a bit useless.

[MistyTehMoose]

Yeah, making it so large was a pretty stupid design decision. I'm not really sure why anyone would pay au$1000 more for a laptop half an inch or so thinner than the MacBook. Unless you had some debilitating injury which prevented you from opening your thumb and fingers more than an inch, it's a bit useless.

Its like charging $800AU more for a black macbook. They are sexy but I couldn't justify that cost :(

[Jiggz]

Its like charging $800AU more for a black macbook. They are sexy but I couldn't justify that cost :(

It's got a slightly bigger harddrive. But yeah, you're paying extra becuase it's black.

[opn4bzns]

Its like charging $800AU more for a black macbook. They are sexy but I couldn't justify that cost :(

Yeah, although that is a strange decision on Apple's part. The black material (it's more matte) gets a lot more fingerprinty and generally dirty than the white ones do. You'd think it would be cheaper, but apparently not.

[MistyTehMoose]

Because Mac is mostly about appearances.

[Casalen]

I'm going to agree with the above. Apple used to make things functional, but now I see mostly a marketing scheme based on seeming trendy. I don't think one platform is better than the other, and people who argue on either side are idiots. People who argue on the Apple side tend to also be really concerned about being independent and creative by doing it in exactly the same way everyone else does- getting stuff that's marketing as being those things. Although in the professional video editing world Final Cut Pro is more of a standard than Premiere, and apples get used more in general, there's very little real difference outside of what the companies say they do. They've even started using the same processors, just a different look.

[Hunnter]

Not sure what is going on with them these days.

Macbook Air is possibly the most pointless notebook i have ever seen.
It is crippled in so many ways it is just a joke. A $3000 joke.

While the switch to Intel might get them more business in the coming years, i wonder if they still have any sanity left when Air came out as crippled as it is.

iPhone was a good idea though (even if in the UK, there is a slight "monopoly" with the contracts for now)
And i'm a person who doesn't really care for phones in general, but the other applications with it make it worth it.

I'm worried that Apple are leading down the road of solely making stuff for appearance, rather than functionality. (more so now than a few years back)

They best stop screwing around if they want to level the playing field with Microsoft, now that developers can't complain about the different processor architectures.

[theirishbottelcap]

appel will be crusht under the mighty monopilizny boot that is microsoft

none will live u dont make 50 cent by being nice and u dont make 50 billion by being legal

[Kashew]

Macs will never be as accepted because they have a very narrow software library. Most PC buyers will have a few games, use a PC on a daily basis, and have relatives experienced with PCs.

Why would someone go for a Mac when the PC surrounds them?

[BlackHood]

I see Apple actually doing very well in the future, they're branching away from "Nerd" computers, making products for the mass market. The Air is no good if you use all of your ports and want great functionality, but it'll become the "must have" item for all those journalists writing their articles in top bars.

Also, by moving out of the computer industry and into the Gadget sector they are being very smart. In a few short years the iPod has gone from a functional MP3 player to a nearly-PDA. By pushing technology further with ever generation of product they are moving towards the idea of a unified platform for everyday life.

Fairly soon there will be a single gadget that replaces mobile phones, PDAs, credit cards, note pads, GPS, and anything else you care to think of, simply because apple keep putting more into each Gen of a product, rather than just creating a new product each time.

[opn4bzns]

In a few short years the iPod has gone from a functional MP3 player to a nearly-PDA.

Only the Touch and iPhone are even close to being a PDA, and they need a lot of 3rd party software to get there.

[BlackHood]

But the fact is, they are there, on the market, and after a few months of being available, they're already nearly functional. In 5 years time, they will (at least they should) have most of the apps as standard. The simple fact that they now offer a software update with new apps for the iPod Touch shows that they are trying to cover every base.

Their determination to be the "most innovative" means that they are headed forwards, unlike Windows who are still trying to catch up with apple's GUI, and Linux/Unix who still need to get the intuitiveness right.

Apple have nailed the "user friendly" thing, so now they're doing the functionality. With more functions comes more power.

[opn4bzns]

I doubt third party apps will ever be standard on a Touch, but maybe I'll be wrong. I just can't see macs catching up to pc's as far as functionality is concerned, simply because pc's are used so much more widely that the vast majority of apps are designed for it.

[BlackHood]

Exactly, they're moving out of the PC market, into gadgets, and the more effort they put into gadgets that can do everything, the more they will play a massive part in our lives, thereby making Apple a bigger part of society. They'll never overtake Windows as an OS, but I'd put money on there being an apple-produced/licensed microchip in most new electronic products within a decade.

[Jiggz]

Macs will never be as accepted because they have a very narrow software library. Most PC buyers will have a few games, use a PC on a daily basis, and have relatives experienced with PCs.

Why would someone go for a Mac when the PC surrounds them?

Because Macs are geared for people in the creative industry, where they're most commonly used. Audio production uses Pro Tools, video editing uses Final Cut, motion graphics uses Shake, and so on. These products are all made by and for Mac.

For everyday users who aren't involved in these industries, a PC will more than suffice. Unless of course you have an extra bit of cash to splash around.

[LostInsanity]

The Apple Corporation has and always be on the leading edge of changing the electronic market. They are one of the few companys that offer solid state harddrives in their laptops. Since most people have hit a TB of a storage in their normal computer, these solid state harddrives are the "new in thing." The macbook air was developed solely to push other computer companys into redefining the computer/laptop.

They want to get rid of cd/dvd drives in laptops and even computers as the technology has truly become obsolete with usb keys costing next to nothing holding more space and having faster read/write speeds. My personal belief is that they have been planning this step forward for a very long time and they are finally making a move. I would not be suprised if we see some other radical changes in their other product lines as well.


Those are just my two cents.

[opn4bzns]

The Apple Corporation has and always be on the leading edge of changing the electronic market. They are one of the few companys that offer solid state harddrives in their laptops. Since most people have hit a TB of a storage in their normal computer, these solid state harddrives are the "new in thing." The macbook air was developed solely to push other computer companys into redefining the computer/laptop.

They want to get rid of cd/dvd drives in laptops and even computers as the technology has truly become obsolete with usb keys costing next to nothing holding more space and having faster read/write speeds. My personal belief is that they have been planning this step forward for a very long time and they are finally making a move. I would not be suprised if we see some other radical changes in their other product lines as well.


Those are just my two cents.
Solid (http://www.cnet.com.au/laptops/laptops/0,239035649,339287322,00.htm) state (http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/03/20_percent_of_ssd_notebooks_failing-2.html) drives are not looking so hot at the moment.
Getting rid of the CD drive in the Air wasn't revolutionary or amazing, it was a question of portability. They couldn't fit a drive in there and keep it thin so they didn't bother. Getting rid of optical media drives is a terrible idea anyway unless you want to have a very limited selection of movies available to your computer, be limited to only installing software that is either off Steam (not likely for a mac), pirated or free. OSX comes on a dvd. So does Windows. So does Photoshop. Given the current state of software, removing optical drives is just not realistic.

[LostInsanity]

Solid (http://www.cnet.com.au/laptops/laptops/0,239035649,339287322,00.htm) state (http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/03/20_percent_of_ssd_notebooks_failing-2.html) drives are not looking so hot at the moment.
Getting rid of the CD drive in the Air wasn't revolutionary or amazing, it was a question of portability. They couldn't fit a drive in there and keep it thin so they didn't bother. Getting rid of optical media drives is a terrible idea anyway unless you want to have a very limited selection of movies available to your computer, be limited to only installing software that is either off Steam (not likely for a mac), pirated or free. OSX comes on a dvd. So does Windows. So does Photoshop. Given the current state of software, removing optical drives is just not realistic.



While Solid State drives are not looking hot, they are still going to be one of the next big changes in computers once they can figure out how to put a sufficient amount of data on them.

[BlackHood]

The SS drives are far too small at the moment, not to mention the cost.

Also Dell and Sony offer SS drives, but they still only hold a few variations, and the majority of their machines ship without them.

Admittedly when they find a way to make the drives huge, then they'll take off, but for now "old school" drives are still kings. As a side note, programs will soon be shipping on 8GB Read-only flashdrives. Cheaper, and they can use utilities to control the number of machines they're on.

[opn4bzns]

While Solid State drives are not looking hot, they are still going to be one of the next big changes in computers once they can figure out how to put a sufficient amount of data on them.

Well, the lack of capacity is bad too, but I'm more concerned about the articles I linked to. 1 in 4 are failing. That's worse than the failure rate of 360s.

[Hunnter]

Well, the lack of capacity is bad too, but I'm more concerned about the articles I linked to. 1 in 4 are failing. That's worse than the failure rate of 360s.

I guess i am glad that i'm aiming for a DRAM-based SSD, rather than Flash.
Flash + SSD = stupid.
SSDs are mainly used for loads of writes very fast (like a database for a web server), Flash + loads of writes = doing it very wrong.
I wonder how Intels 160gig flash SSD will perform. (and the pricing as well)

Still, the price... even an 8gig internal SSD was $200+
While that is enough space for my requirements, still rather pricey.
But, the benefit it would give me more than makes up for the price in the end.

[Maraxusofk]

macs have NEVER been about pushing technological limits. design and style wise, yes. performance wise, no. Testament to this is the fact that macs have abandoned their old processors and chosen to use intel cpu's. pcs can run tri sli, quad cores wit unlocked multipliers, and ddr3 ram wit 1800mhz (on just the ram!). macs can do......................nothing close. their inclusion of nvidia parts just means they are trying to move into the windows market, but ppl who know computers are usually not impressed with the results. besides if u are an overclocker touching a mac is the last thign you want to do.

USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: Awful post. Capitalize, don't drop your dots, and don't use AOLisms.

[Chaplin]

macs have NEVER been about pushing technological limits. design and style wise, yes. performance wise, no. Testament to this is the fact that macs have abandoned their old processors and chosen to use intel cpu's. pcs can run tri sli, quad cores wit unlocked multipliers, and ddr3 ram wit 1800mhz (on just the ram!). macs can do......................nothing close. their inclusion of nvidia parts just means they are trying to move into the windows market, but ppl who know computers are usually not impressed with the results. besides if u are an overclocker touching a mac is the last thign you want to do.

I agree. Macs are(even though I own a Macbook) extremely expensive. You can build you own computer for around 1500 dollars and have an amazing computer. That has double the power a macbook does. I have not worked with Mac Pros so I can't talk about those. With Macs, what you pay for is looks and ease of use which sucks for Mac users who want to do serious things on their macs.
Apple is headed for the movie and tv industry. With movie rentals. their second Apple Tv out and computer screens that look more and more like TV screens. The new 3G iPhone is slated for release in June.