One of the first things you'll see at Apple's downtown San Francisco store is a new pitch for the Mac, nudging aside a table reserved for iPhones.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET Networks)Apple has started rolling out a major redesign of its retail stores in order to focus on software and switchers.
IfoAppleStore, which tracks the Apple retail operation almost as closely as Cupertino does, first noticed the switch. It's already underway at the downtown San Francisco Apple store, with signs placed near the front of the store designed to entice new converts to the Mac with slogans like "It's easy to love a Mac" that highlight the differences between Windows PCs and Macs.
Apple's retail operation is a very important part of its marketing strategy, beyond its role as a distribution channel. Apple executives have pointed out several times over the last couple of months that far more people visit an Apple Store in a given week then attend Macworld, and have noted on many earnings conference calls that roughly half the Macs sold in its retail stores are to new Mac users. But Apple is easing back on the pace of its retail expansion this year given the economic conditions, increasing the need to get more results from existing stores.
Over the past several months, the flagship stores like the downtown San Francisco one have tended to showcase the iPhone on the tables on the left side of the store near the entrance, and the newest Macs on the other side. But Apple has moved the iPhone table on the left side back a level in favor of a display table that highlights the Mac/iPhone setup, and organized the Mac table on the right side by new features in iLife '09 and iWork '09, such as the Garage Band artists lessons and new version of Keynote.
Apple store customers and employees check out Apple's latest MacBooks, which are now being sold by highlighting the new features of iLife '09.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET Networks)It's an interesting gambit; after all, why do people buy computers? With the Mac, Apple has traditionally focused on both hardware and software, emphasizing the hardware design aesthetic along with the benefits of Mac OS X.
But in the end--so long as the hardware works as designed--the software interface is where you form an attachment with a computer. It's where you spend your time working and playing, and is often the greatest source of pleasure or pain.
Apple has chosen this marketing strategy from the earliest days of the iPhone, spending more time showing off the features and capability of its software and emphasizing time and time again that it believes software is what will distinguish future mobile computers, not hardware. Recent iPhone ads highlight the App Store, attempting to sell both consumers and businesspeople on the variety of things you can do with an iPhone. Software has always been a huge part of the pitch for the Mac as well, but Apple appears to be shifting things more in that direction with the new store layout.
Apple is likely setting up to counter a significant marketing push expected from Microsoft around the Windows 7 launch, which will probably arrive before the end of the year. Apple has said it will release an updated version of Mac OS X this year, but has also said it expects that release to focus on improvements that won't jump out at the average user, such as improved support for multicore processors and new ways to tap into graphics processors.
Given that the early returns on the Windows 7 beta have been positive, Apple might have decided to prepare for the marketing blitz that will accompany such a launch by trying out a subtly tweaked pitch in the marketing laboratory that is its retail empire. This strategy would also make sense if Mac OS X Snow Leopard and new iMacs are the next major launches on Apple's to-do list, as many expect.
After all, hardware sells itself with just a glance. It takes a little more work to convince people to try new things.
iLife '09 includes a new version of GarageBand that lets you take music lessons.
(Credit: Apple)
The latest version of Apple's iLife--shown off at Macworld earlier this month--will ship Tuesday.
The new software comes with updates to iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand that Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller detailed during Macworld. For example, you will now be able to sort photos by the faces of your subjects in iPhoto and take $4.99 lessons from famous musicians in GarageBand.
iLife '09 will be bundled with all Macs starting Tuesday and will cost $79 if you're planning to upgrade from an earlier version. If you bought a Mac after the new version was announced on January 6, you can upgrade for just $9.95. Mac OS X Leopard and either an Intel or 867MHz or faster G4 Mac are required to run the software, according to Apple.
At Macworld 2009, Apple's Phil Schiller revealed that the iTunes Store will now sell DRM-free tracks.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET News)For all of you who weren't able to follow our live coverage of Apple's keynote address at Macworld 2009 earlier Tuesday from San Francisco's Moscone Center, here's a quick recap of the highlights.
• DRM-free iTunes: As first reported last night by CNET News' Greg Sandoval, Apple announced plans to lift DRM technology from its entire catalog of 10 million iTunes songs by the end of April. Eight million songs are DRM-free as of today, and labels will be allowed to charge different prices for their songs, in a departure from the previous iTunes Store policies.
We're not exactly sure at the moment how the details will work with this announcement, but it sounds like a big win for iTunes customers. One downer is that you'll have to pay 30 cents to replace existing DRM-laden tracks with the new DRM-free versions, essentially upgrading those songs to iTunes Plus tracks. Check out this story from Greg for more details. The iTunes Store was slammed in the aftermath of the keynote, and service was spotty.
• New 17-inch MacBook Pro: Apple completed its notebook refresh with this new model, which brings the unibody design, trackpad button, and new displays to the company's largest laptop. It will cost $2,799, the same price as the current 17-inch MacBook Pro.
The most interesting part of this announcement, however, is the notebook's battery. Apple is using a new type of battery that it says will allow the notebook to get between seven and eight hours of battery life, depending on which graphics chip is running.
In order to get that technology into the notebook, however, Apple had to make the battery completely enclosed within the chassis: like the iPod and iPhone, you won't be able to replace it yourself. Apple representatives did not have details on how the battery replacement program will work, although it won't ship until later this month. Apple expects the battery to last five years.
Update at 2:08pm: Gizmodo reports the battery will cost $179 to replace, and it can be done at Apple stores or Apple resellers.
• iLife '09: There were some nice improvements with to the components of the iLife suite, such as geotagging support in iPhoto '09, improved editing capabilities in iMovie '09, and rock star instructors in GarageBand '09.
Are they compelling enough to upgrade? That probably depends on the individual. Travelers will like the geotagging, budding musicians will like the lesson plans. One sour note: it doesn't appear that anybody who bought the new MacBooks released from October onward will be able to upgrade to the new software without paying the full $79 fee.
• iWork '09: Does anybody actually use iWork? Easily the most underwhelming section of the keynote, the latest version of Apple's office software didn't appear to have anything compelling enough to cause a mass upgrade, other than perhaps Keynote Remote, which lets you use your iPhone or iPod Touch to control Keynote presentations.
But iWork.com will be interesting to watch evolve. It's in beta form for now, but if Apple works out the kinks, it could increase the usage of iWork especially if Apple finds a way to hook it into MobileMe.
• The Philnote: Phil Schiller acquitted himself well in the starring role, usually accustomed to playing the role of Steve Jobs' sidekick at these events. He wasn't Jobs, although to be fair I've been covering technology events for eight years and haven't run into an executive with anything even approaching Jobs' presentation skills. But he engaged the crowd, made the proper offerings to the demo gods the night before, and ensured that the show would go on.
• The rest: No Steve Jobs sighting. No new Mac Mini. No new iMacs or Power Macs Mac Pros. The line outside the keynote seemed smaller than in years past, although it also seemed that IDG did a better job moving the line along.
And Tony Bennett is the true ageless wonder.
The last San Francisco Macworld with Apple's participation saw Tony Bennett close out the show.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET News)Editor's note: This is a blog that was posted live from Tuesday's Apple event. For a complete article with more information about the products announced today, click here.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced two new iMacs at the start of an event held Tuesday at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
The 20-inch and 24-inch iMacs are the latest editions of Apple's all-in-one iMac design. They are made from aluminum and glass, and come with a new keyboard. Both the new keyboard and the iMac itself are thinner than the previous edition.
Three new iMacs will be available immediately--two 20-inch models and one 24-inch model. The base 20-inch version will cost $1,199, and a more powerful 20-inch model will cost $1,499. The 24-inch model will cost $1,799, $200 less than the current 24-inch iMac.
Side view of Apple's new iMac and its accompanying metallic keyboard.
(Credit: Apple)But there's more to come. Stay tuned; Jobs is just getting warmed up and he's starting to talk about applications.
Update at 10:35 a.m.: Apple's second announcement involved iLife, the company's suite of multimedia applications. Apple is skipping right over iLife '07 to release iLife '08, Jobs said, calling the latest version "the biggest jump in iLife since we introduced it."
Jobs first walked attendees through iPhoto, the picture management application. The primary enhancement to iPhoto '08 is a new feature that sorts by events--it automatically sorts photos by date and can preview the photos in an event without opening the folder. Events can be "merged" or "split" as needed.
The new iPhoto '08 is designed to work alongside some new .Mac services also unveiled Tuesday. The .Mac Web Gallery can take photos directly from iPhoto and publish them to a Web page. It also syncs up with the iPhone so iPhone users can share their galleries or individual photos.
The Web gallery also incorporates the skimming feature from iPhoto '08, letting users preview photos in a given event or album without having to open the entire gallery.
Update at 10:53 a.m.: Apple will be releasing a completely new version of the iMovie application with the new iLife suite. Jobs said the new software came out of an Apple engineer's realization that he couldn't make a short 5-minute movie in less than half an hour using either iMovie or Final Cut Pro, Apple's high-end video editing application.
The new iMovie allows you to drag and drop movie clips from your library of videos into a new movie template. You can pick how long each individual clip will run, set transitions between scenes and upload those videos to your iTunes, the new .Mac Video Gallery or YouTube right from the menu selections.
These nine ports--audio, USB, FireWire, Ethernet and video--are on the back of the iMac's monitor (on the lower right corner if you're facing the screen).
(Credit: Apple)Jobs created a very short movie in just a few minutes--of course, he probably practiced first--in a demonstration for attendees. The application can process high-definition video from multiple sources.
Update at 11:13 a.m.: Jobs unveiled new editions of iWeb, iDVD and GarageBand, the remainder of the iLife suite. The iWeb and iDVD applications received minor updates, but one interesting one involved allowing iWeb users to sign up for Google's AdSense program in the Web site creation process.
Jobs also demonstrated a new feature in GarageBand called Magic GarageBand, which essentially lets you create a backing band for your own performance. There are several different themes, such as rock, blues, jazz and latin.
But Jobs then plunged into the new version of iWork, Apple's productivity suite. Keynote, the presentation application, comes with several new themes and better support for manipulating photos to serve as background for a slide. Pages, the word processing application, also received updated templates.
But the big part of the new iWork suite is a spreadsheet application called Numbers. Numbers is designed to work with Keynote and Pages, allowing people to drop in pictures, graphs and photos alongside spreadsheet tables. You can also import and export with Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet.
iWork '08 costs $79 and is available today.
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