We're excited to let everyone know that on the heels of the wonderfully received debut of "Welcome to Macintosh" at Macworld, we will be presenting the film Monday night at 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT right after TDL Live. Rob Baca, and Josh Rizzo will chat with viewers throughout the film, and answer your questions.
If you're into such things, the full press release is below. Go forth and spread the word. Oh, and don't forget our channel is completely embeddable, so your site can have show the movie Monday night too!
Exclusive online screening of “Welcome to Macintosh” documentary on tDL
PHILADELPHIA - On the heels of its Macworld 2009 presentation in San Francisco, the new Apple centric documentary, "Welcome to Macintosh" will have a special one-time online screening, Monday, January 12th. At 9:30 PM ET on TheDigitalLifestyle.tv
Filmmakers Rob Baca and Josh Rizzo will participate in a live chat during
the screening where viewers can ask questions about it the movie, the people and the creation process.
"We are thrilled to bring this special screening to the Mac community," said
Ryan Ritchey, founder of TheDigitalLifestyle.tv. The film's Macworld
presentation drew and international crowd and included discussions with Apple legends Steve Wozniak, Guy Kawasaki, Ron Wayne, and others.
TheDigitalLifestyle.tv is an online video network dedicated to Apple news,
rumors, and has the largest collection of Apple-related videos in the world.
“With acceptance in five international film festivals, "Welcome to
Macintosh" is reaching its goal of bringing the story of Apple and the
Macintosh to the new generation of iPhone and iPod users around the world,” said Rob Baca, Co-director of the film.
The widescreen DVD is NTSC Region Free and includes over three hours of
extended interviews, a "making of" featurette, theatrical trailers, behind
the scenes photo journal, Mac symbiosis montage, interactive menus and
subtitles in English and Spanish. It is available today on FilmBaby, Amazon
and the films website welcometomacintosh.com.
"The DVD goes far beyond the movie, exploring in-depth the stories and
experiences that made the Macintosh what it is today" said Josh Rizzo,
co-director of the film. "There are so many great stories to hear, we are
very excited to have the opportunity to share them."
"When we set out to create an online video network dedicated to Apple and
its fans, this is just the kind of programming we wanted to find," says
Ritchey.
Robert Baca a & Joshua Rizzo are 2002 graduates of Ithaca College's Roy H.
Park School of Communications. Robert resides with his family in Columbus
Ohio where works as a producer of industrial and commercial videos. Joshua
currently resides in Los Angeles and works as a post production systems
engineer for TV and film. Welcome to Macintosh is the first feature-length
film they have directed.
Showing posts with label Macworld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Macworld. Show all posts
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Phil "The Thrill" Schiller T-Shirts Available
Whether you loved or hated this year's Macworld Keynote, hey, let's not blame Phil. Let's show Phil we know he's just the messenger... And what better way to do that (and support TDL at the same time, than with your very own Phil "The Thrill" t-shirt!
The Day After The Meh
We finally got a chance to digest Tuesday's announcements, and here are a few quick thoughts/observations.
1) Overall the announcements were solid enough, but lacked anything to truly get the faithful excited. We think none of it deserved center stage. Perhaps it's best this is the (unofficial) last Macworld. Let's save future press events for the really big stuff.
2) Variable iTunes prices was inevitable. We don't have a problem with it, but wonder how the mainstream audience will view a price increase on some tracks. No DRM is great, but there are some reports that suggest the 69 cent tracks may still include it. Anyone know if this is true or not?
3) We expect all future portables to include the non-user-replaceable-super-battery of the new 17 inch Macbook Pro. This will continue to be a hot button topic with some users. We don't mind as long as the battery lives up to the hype. We're still skeptical on the 8 hour battery life. We bet it's something closer to 5 hours is the real world.
4)The annual updates to iLife and iWork are groovy. Facial recognition could be a god send if it truly works well. Facebook and Flicker integration is finally here. Another nail in the dot Mac....err Mobile Me coffin. We're still unsure why anyone will pay for iWork online when Google apps are free.
Overall we give this last and final Macworld a C- letter grade. Phil did a nice job. He just didn't have much to work with.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Last-Minute Pre-Macworld TDL Live
Our last-minute look at all the pre-Macworld news. And, one more time, join us for live video starting at 11:30 AM ET Tuesday!
Final Predictions from The Digital Lifestyle Staff
Well, there's not much time left before we know what shiny new things Apple will unveil at this year's MWSF Keynote. This is probably also a good time to remind you we will live video coverage during the keynote, starting at 11:30 AM ET.
Now then, here's a look at what Adam, Jamie, and myself think will happen tomorrow:
Ryan:
New iMac:
I say it's a done deal, but not anything exciting. Speedbumps and larger drives. The one surprise would be touchscreen functionality.
Netbook:
If Apple Doesn't have something tomorrow to compete with the low-price netbook craze (yes, I'm calling it a craze), it could bode very poorly for the stock over the next year or so. People will buy $499 machines that do 90% of the stuff they want. The MacBook Air is the perfect product, but it's about $1,200 too expensive.
Home media server:
Let's hope not. How about getting AppleTV right first.
iPhone Nano:
I said we would see this a year ago, and I stick by it. I don't know what it does, or what you take away from it to keep the "regular" iPhone relevant, but I think we get one tomorrow.
Mac mini:
Let's hope so. This computer could be put into use in many, many clever ways with just a few tweaks.
Wildcard/one more thing:
Steve will make an appearance, but perhaps only via iChat, or some other way that shows off a cool new feature. Perhaps a new twist on Remote desktop. See, Steve can do all his work from home!
Jamie:
New imac:
Looks like new iMacs are a done deal, but I don't think we'll see anything other than a speed bump. No case design or new features. I don't expect Phil to even mention them.
Netbook:
This seems like too big of an announcement not to have Steve there, but I am gonna say we get a Netbook or what I'm calling the "New Mac Mini." Oh and expect it to be over priced at $799.
Home media server:
Not a chance. This is a niche market.
iPhone Nano:
The beans have been all put spilled by the case manufacturers. This thing is real, but don't expect to see it Tuesday. This is too big a deal for the now dying Mac World. I'd guess we'll see an iPhone event in the coming months.
Wildcards/one more thing:
Looks like a revamp to the 17 inch MBP is on the way. This would fit in nicely with a netbook appearance. Remember when the 17 inch and 12 inch Powerbooks made their debut? Could we see a return of the Mini Me / Yao Ming commercial?
Adam
New iMac:
It's not time for a new imac. The latest imac was released early 2008 making it just about a year old. I think we get a new iMac first half of 2009 but not during Macworld.
Netbook:
Did someone say Macbook Air? They're playing in the high end of this market. Granted it's no 10" display and doesn't have the attractive price point, but since when has apple concerned itself with the low end?? The last I recall is the eMac and that went the way of all things. I say no netbook at Macworld.
Home media server:
They already have that little hobby called the Apple TV. If anything we might get a refresh of this product but we absolutely won't be getting a media server. It was this time last year the AppleTV got a shot of seroids . . . look for Macworld to do the same both boosting storage capacity as well as the AppleTV software.
iPhone Nano:
I don't think so.
Wildcards/one more thing:
Did someone say MacMini? It hasn't seen an update since Mid 2007 and is LONG overdue. I think we get a new MacMini to support the mini display connection on the new displays. I think new MacMini is a feature of the keynote not a "one more thing". It's going to get a speed bump and lets lose the integrated graphics . . . no one wants integrated, we all want MORE. With the speed bump lets support 2x the memory. 2GB simply isn't a LOT and the new MacBooks support 4GB so lets get with the program folks. Don't forget cosmetic changes. After all they need something else to manufacture with the super cool, show stopping water jet a block of al-u-min-e-um process they've come up with.
So there you have it, our final predictions. Be sure to join us for video, and live chat. Oh and don't forget twitter: tdllive
Now then, here's a look at what Adam, Jamie, and myself think will happen tomorrow:
Ryan:
New iMac:
I say it's a done deal, but not anything exciting. Speedbumps and larger drives. The one surprise would be touchscreen functionality.
Netbook:
If Apple Doesn't have something tomorrow to compete with the low-price netbook craze (yes, I'm calling it a craze), it could bode very poorly for the stock over the next year or so. People will buy $499 machines that do 90% of the stuff they want. The MacBook Air is the perfect product, but it's about $1,200 too expensive.
Home media server:
Let's hope not. How about getting AppleTV right first.
iPhone Nano:
I said we would see this a year ago, and I stick by it. I don't know what it does, or what you take away from it to keep the "regular" iPhone relevant, but I think we get one tomorrow.
Mac mini:
Let's hope so. This computer could be put into use in many, many clever ways with just a few tweaks.
Wildcard/one more thing:
Steve will make an appearance, but perhaps only via iChat, or some other way that shows off a cool new feature. Perhaps a new twist on Remote desktop. See, Steve can do all his work from home!
Jamie:
New imac:
Looks like new iMacs are a done deal, but I don't think we'll see anything other than a speed bump. No case design or new features. I don't expect Phil to even mention them.
Netbook:
This seems like too big of an announcement not to have Steve there, but I am gonna say we get a Netbook or what I'm calling the "New Mac Mini." Oh and expect it to be over priced at $799.
Home media server:
Not a chance. This is a niche market.
iPhone Nano:
The beans have been all put spilled by the case manufacturers. This thing is real, but don't expect to see it Tuesday. This is too big a deal for the now dying Mac World. I'd guess we'll see an iPhone event in the coming months.
Wildcards/one more thing:
Looks like a revamp to the 17 inch MBP is on the way. This would fit in nicely with a netbook appearance. Remember when the 17 inch and 12 inch Powerbooks made their debut? Could we see a return of the Mini Me / Yao Ming commercial?
Adam
New iMac:
It's not time for a new imac. The latest imac was released early 2008 making it just about a year old. I think we get a new iMac first half of 2009 but not during Macworld.
Netbook:
Did someone say Macbook Air? They're playing in the high end of this market. Granted it's no 10" display and doesn't have the attractive price point, but since when has apple concerned itself with the low end?? The last I recall is the eMac and that went the way of all things. I say no netbook at Macworld.
Home media server:
They already have that little hobby called the Apple TV. If anything we might get a refresh of this product but we absolutely won't be getting a media server. It was this time last year the AppleTV got a shot of seroids . . . look for Macworld to do the same both boosting storage capacity as well as the AppleTV software.
iPhone Nano:
I don't think so.
Wildcards/one more thing:
Did someone say MacMini? It hasn't seen an update since Mid 2007 and is LONG overdue. I think we get a new MacMini to support the mini display connection on the new displays. I think new MacMini is a feature of the keynote not a "one more thing". It's going to get a speed bump and lets lose the integrated graphics . . . no one wants integrated, we all want MORE. With the speed bump lets support 2x the memory. 2GB simply isn't a LOT and the new MacBooks support 4GB so lets get with the program folks. Don't forget cosmetic changes. After all they need something else to manufacture with the super cool, show stopping water jet a block of al-u-min-e-um process they've come up with.
So there you have it, our final predictions. Be sure to join us for video, and live chat. Oh and don't forget twitter: tdllive
Jobs Puts The Pundits To Rest. For Awhile, At Least
In a surprisingly candid moment, Steve Jobs today shared details of his health issues on the eve of Apple's last appearance at Macworld. Jobs says in his letter on the Apple website that a hormone imbalance is responsible for his noticeable weight loss over the last year.
I'm torn as to whether it should have ever come to this. Were we (and I mean the Mac community) wrong in being concerned not only about Jobs personally, but about the fate of the company? Was Jobs wrong in not being adamant enough that he was not on his deathbed? Reading the last line of his post, "So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this," I can't help but feel a little guilty that this person, a human being, had to be so public in disclosing personal health information. Hopefully, both the rumor mill and wall street can let this rest for awhile now.
I'm torn as to whether it should have ever come to this. Were we (and I mean the Mac community) wrong in being concerned not only about Jobs personally, but about the fate of the company? Was Jobs wrong in not being adamant enough that he was not on his deathbed? Reading the last line of his post, "So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this," I can't help but feel a little guilty that this person, a human being, had to be so public in disclosing personal health information. Hopefully, both the rumor mill and wall street can let this rest for awhile now.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Our Pre-Macworld Root Access Special
Okay, so maybe Macworld fever isn't quite as high as it's been in previous years. Still, this IS the event of the year for the Mac faithful. And also, it's a good time for a reminder that we'll have live video coverage of the Macworld 2009 keynote beginning at 11:30AM ET on Tuesday, January 6th.
At any rate, our in-house genius recently stopped by for a special pre-Macworld edition of Root Access. In part one, we tackle the controversy surrounding Apple's decision to leave Macworld. Part Two is a look at what's fair, and what isn't when it comes to Steve Jobs' health. And in part three, we get down to the nuts and bolts of looking at this year's rumors before the big event.
Part One.
Part Two
Part Three
At any rate, our in-house genius recently stopped by for a special pre-Macworld edition of Root Access. In part one, we tackle the controversy surrounding Apple's decision to leave Macworld. Part Two is a look at what's fair, and what isn't when it comes to Steve Jobs' health. And in part three, we get down to the nuts and bolts of looking at this year's rumors before the big event.
Part One.
Part Two
Part Three
Monday, December 29, 2008
TDL Live This Week: 12/29
It's the final look at Apple news and rumors in 2008. iPhones at Wal Mart, Apple Media servers? iPhone Nanos? We cover it all this week. Show notes/credits are below. Enjoy!
Apple Rejects iPhone Application That Lets Users Jiggle Breasts
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,471564,00.html
Apple's online App Store has decided it'd rather not be stacked with an iPhone application that lets users jiggle a pair of breasts.
The "iBoobs" application was rejected because Apple deemed it "objectionable content," the U.K.'s Register tech blog reported.
"If you believe that you can make the necessary changes so that iBoobs does not violate the iPhone SDK Agreement we encourage you to do so," Apple reportedly told the creator, Mystic Game Development of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The iBoobs application is a computer animation of a large pair of breasts in a bikini top. Shaking the iPhone makes them wobble from side to side, or up and down, depending on the movement.
--------------
Amazon Touts Best Holiday Sales Ever; Acer, Apple Win
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/12/26/amazon-touts-best-holiday-sales-ever-acer-apple-win/
Amazon.com (AMZN) this morning announced the holiday season was its best ever, with 72.9 items going out the door per second on the peak day, December 15, for a haul that day of 6.3 million items. The company lists in its press release a number of humorous stats regarding holiday purchases — enough coffee sold to give every citizen of Seattle a cup a day for two months — and lists best sellers, which include, in electronics, the Samsung (SSNLF.PK) 52-inch hi-def TV, the Apple (AAPL) iPod touch 8-gigabyte, and the Acer (2353.TW) Aspire One 8.9-inch Netbook.
--------------
$99 iPhone Arrives, But Not at Walmart
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/99-iphone-arriv.html
----------------
Apple’s App Store sees big iPod Touch downloads this Christmas
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/29/apples-app-store-sees-big-ipod-touch-downloads-this-christmas/
by Doug Aamoth on December 29, 2008
Looks like the iPod Touch had a good Christmas, as App Store downloads on December 25th increased three-fold or more for most titles.
The boost in sales "appears to be from a large influx of iPod Touch users," according to MacRumors.com, who noted that it would have been much easier to give an iPod Touch as a Christmas gift versus an iPhone, which would have to be activated and whatnot.
--------------
Google, Microsoft, Apple sued over preview icons
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10129022-92.html
A Michigan-based networking company on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Google, Microsoft, and Apple, alleging that all three tech giants violated a patent it owns on the use of document-preview icons--or thumbnails--in operating systems.
In the suit (PDF), Cygnus Systems targets Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Vista and Internet Explorer 8, and Apple's iPhone, Safari, and Mac OS X as patent infringers. Apple uses the patent-protected technology in its Finder and Cover Flow Mac OS X features, the lawsuit claims.
Cygnus describes the technology covered by the patent as "methods and systems for accessing one or more computer files via a graphical icon, wherein the graphical icon includes an image of a selected portion or portions of one or more computer files."
-----------------
Wal-Mart Has Started Selling the iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_11313954
Wal-Mart on Friday confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in technology: It will begin selling Apple's iPhone on Sunday.
But the retail giant officially knocked down one other rumor that had been making the rounds: It won't be selling a special 4-gigabyte version of the iconic phone for $99.
Instead, the retail giant will offer the same two standard iPhone models that are already sold at Apple, AT&T and Best Buy stores. Wal-Mart customers will be able to buy the phones at a discount, but not much of one.
The retailer's stores will sell the 8-gigabyte model for $197 and the 16-gigabyte for $297. Both of those prices are $2 less than they can be found at other outlets.
---------------
The Dream iPhone Pro
http://gizmodo.com/5119445/the-dream-iphone-pro
--The photo is the story--
That's good, but we thought it could be a bit better. We fixed the keyboard to make it more rational and compact, losing some unneeded keys. With the space, we added what it's really needed to make the iPhone a true Nintendo DS competitor: A direction pad and two buttons. For the D-Pad, we didn't want to reinvent the wheel and just copied Nintendo's tried-and-proved design.
----------------
Apple wants to swipe your iPhone
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/29/swipe_patent/
Apple has applied for a patent to replace some tap-based gestures on the multi-touch displays of a variety of computing devices, phones, and media players with "swipe gestures" - that is, making a device's display responsive to a finger being drawn across it rather than simply tapping it.
Swipe gestures, of course, currently exist on the iPhone and iPod touch for rudimentary tasks such as moving from one home screen to another or pinching images, but this new patent would extend that capability to enhancing what's now keyboard-based input.
------------------
Rumors abound, Apple working on media server?
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/29/rumors-abound-apple-working-on-media-server/
According to 9to5, the new product will include a Dynamic DNS system to tie in with MobileMe; this will provide username.me.com domains for easier access across the Internet. In addition, the device will include AFP filesharing and Time Machine backup stores. The device will not run off of Mac OS X Server, as you might suspect; rather, it would run the same system and processor that the Time Capsule does.
-------------------
Apple Rejects iPhone Application That Lets Users Jiggle Breasts
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,471564,00.html
Apple's online App Store has decided it'd rather not be stacked with an iPhone application that lets users jiggle a pair of breasts.
The "iBoobs" application was rejected because Apple deemed it "objectionable content," the U.K.'s Register tech blog reported.
"If you believe that you can make the necessary changes so that iBoobs does not violate the iPhone SDK Agreement we encourage you to do so," Apple reportedly told the creator, Mystic Game Development of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The iBoobs application is a computer animation of a large pair of breasts in a bikini top. Shaking the iPhone makes them wobble from side to side, or up and down, depending on the movement.
--------------
Amazon Touts Best Holiday Sales Ever; Acer, Apple Win
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/12/26/amazon-touts-best-holiday-sales-ever-acer-apple-win/
Amazon.com (AMZN) this morning announced the holiday season was its best ever, with 72.9 items going out the door per second on the peak day, December 15, for a haul that day of 6.3 million items. The company lists in its press release a number of humorous stats regarding holiday purchases — enough coffee sold to give every citizen of Seattle a cup a day for two months — and lists best sellers, which include, in electronics, the Samsung (SSNLF.PK) 52-inch hi-def TV, the Apple (AAPL) iPod touch 8-gigabyte, and the Acer (2353.TW) Aspire One 8.9-inch Netbook.
--------------
$99 iPhone Arrives, But Not at Walmart
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/99-iphone-arriv.html
----------------
Apple’s App Store sees big iPod Touch downloads this Christmas
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/29/apples-app-store-sees-big-ipod-touch-downloads-this-christmas/
by Doug Aamoth on December 29, 2008
Looks like the iPod Touch had a good Christmas, as App Store downloads on December 25th increased three-fold or more for most titles.
The boost in sales "appears to be from a large influx of iPod Touch users," according to MacRumors.com, who noted that it would have been much easier to give an iPod Touch as a Christmas gift versus an iPhone, which would have to be activated and whatnot.
--------------
Google, Microsoft, Apple sued over preview icons
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10129022-92.html
A Michigan-based networking company on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Google, Microsoft, and Apple, alleging that all three tech giants violated a patent it owns on the use of document-preview icons--or thumbnails--in operating systems.
In the suit (PDF), Cygnus Systems targets Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Vista and Internet Explorer 8, and Apple's iPhone, Safari, and Mac OS X as patent infringers. Apple uses the patent-protected technology in its Finder and Cover Flow Mac OS X features, the lawsuit claims.
Cygnus describes the technology covered by the patent as "methods and systems for accessing one or more computer files via a graphical icon, wherein the graphical icon includes an image of a selected portion or portions of one or more computer files."
-----------------
Wal-Mart Has Started Selling the iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_11313954
Wal-Mart on Friday confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in technology: It will begin selling Apple's iPhone on Sunday.
But the retail giant officially knocked down one other rumor that had been making the rounds: It won't be selling a special 4-gigabyte version of the iconic phone for $99.
Instead, the retail giant will offer the same two standard iPhone models that are already sold at Apple, AT&T and Best Buy stores. Wal-Mart customers will be able to buy the phones at a discount, but not much of one.
The retailer's stores will sell the 8-gigabyte model for $197 and the 16-gigabyte for $297. Both of those prices are $2 less than they can be found at other outlets.
---------------
The Dream iPhone Pro
http://gizmodo.com/5119445/the-dream-iphone-pro
--The photo is the story--
That's good, but we thought it could be a bit better. We fixed the keyboard to make it more rational and compact, losing some unneeded keys. With the space, we added what it's really needed to make the iPhone a true Nintendo DS competitor: A direction pad and two buttons. For the D-Pad, we didn't want to reinvent the wheel and just copied Nintendo's tried-and-proved design.
----------------
Apple wants to swipe your iPhone
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/29/swipe_patent/
Apple has applied for a patent to replace some tap-based gestures on the multi-touch displays of a variety of computing devices, phones, and media players with "swipe gestures" - that is, making a device's display responsive to a finger being drawn across it rather than simply tapping it.
Swipe gestures, of course, currently exist on the iPhone and iPod touch for rudimentary tasks such as moving from one home screen to another or pinching images, but this new patent would extend that capability to enhancing what's now keyboard-based input.
------------------
Rumors abound, Apple working on media server?
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/29/rumors-abound-apple-working-on-media-server/
According to 9to5, the new product will include a Dynamic DNS system to tie in with MobileMe; this will provide username.me.com domains for easier access across the Internet. In addition, the device will include AFP filesharing and Time Machine backup stores. The device will not run off of Mac OS X Server, as you might suspect; rather, it would run the same system and processor that the Time Capsule does.
-------------------
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Four Potential Positives of a Jobs-less Apple
First a few disclaimers. 1. We do not wish any ill will to Steve Jobs. 2. We have no reason to think his departure is imminent. 3. We're not calling for him to leave Apple, not in the least.
However, when Jobs is no longer with the company, be it next week, month, or decade, there are some potentially positives that could come along with the change:
1. Lower Cost Market Entry
It's been said time and time again, that the average price paid for a PC is falling. Other than the foray with the Mac Mini (let's hope for an update there, soon) Apple has all but ignored this market. Years ago Jobs made the point that luxury automakers are doing just fine with a sliver of the auto industry. His point at the time was to show that Apple wasn't in peril if it didn't have 15 percent of the market. While true, times have changed. No one is sitting around wondering whether Apple will survive these days. Instead the question becomes where can Apple find more growth. Like it or not, the low-end of the market is the answer. Plus there's a practical reason: Apple has created a largely successful ecosystem of iPod/iPhone/Mac. While many wannabe iPods have come and gone, if another company is successful at dominating the growing low-end market, they could potentially launch a legitimate competitor to the whole Apple environment. Without Jobs, Apple would have even more pressure from outside, and from what we hear, more support internally for aggressively pursuing this market.
2. Partnerships
One of the great premises of web 2.0 is the community sharing, and community experience. Companies also realize they can be leaner and more competitive when they work together. Sure, Apple could bury Netflix if they wanted to, but why re-invent the wheel? Partner with them instead. Apple is always set to "go it alone." If Apple does lose it dominance in music, for example, i would expect it to come at the hands of some sort of partnership among many companies, rather than a single competitor. Fortunately for Apple, so far these companies have shown themselves as inept at working together. (See "Plays For Sure")
3. Employee Blogs / Openness
The end of Apple's participation in Macworld will leave a giant void for the Mac faithful, who want to be in on what's going on. One way to satisfy that curiosity, and control the flow of information at the same time would be employee blogs. I think most Mac fans would find it fascinating to read a post from Johnny Ive for example, talking about the trial and error of creating the aluminum unibody. Let's see some videos of testing. Let's see some prototypes. We're talking about revealing this info after the fact, in a manner that would keep the faithful tuned in, and wouldn't reveal anything to put the company at a disadvantage. No one's asking for a three-year product roadmap, just some glimpse into the process of creating the products.
4. iPhone as a (more) open platform
I've seen the future. In five years we may be living in a world in which all phones with the exception of the iPhone run some variant of Android. These are the two mobile platforms of the future. Android will presumably be comprised of many of the concepts described in the other suggestions: several handset manufacturers agreeing/partnering on a single OS, an OS created in an open-source manner, and meticulously chronicled in blogs across the web. Over at Apple, we'll have updates pushed out when Apple says they're ready, and app developers in the dark, with their hands tied in what their apps can do. The iPhone has an impressive processor, and one can assume it will only get better. Consumers will wonder why can this $79 phone have touch capabilities, AND flash, AND copy and paste, and yet the (then) $149 iPhone doesn't?
So there you have it. The best news is, none of these changes would require Jobs to be gone from the company. He could decide at any minute to implement these changes. Given Apple's history though, don't hold your breath.
What do you think? Are there other potential positives of a Jobs-less Apple? Are we off our rockers this time?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Apple Drops a Bomb: No Jobs at MacWorld. Apple Leaving Next Year
Apple just dropped a bomb. Steve Jobs will not be giving the Macworld keynote, AND this will be the last year for Apple to attend the event.
More detailed thoughts once we pick our collective jaws off the floor...
More detailed thoughts once we pick our collective jaws off the floor...
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