MacBook Air (photo credit: Apple.com}
Apple's announcement of its new ultrathin laptop couldn't have come at a better time. After lugging around a huge pack at CES last week and nearly breaking my back, my top wish coming out of the convention was for a truly portable laptop, and I have always used Macs.
I have been trying to be less consumeristic lately (going to CES didn't help that either!) but I have to say that the MacBook Air inspired an instantaneous, primal reflex of consumer lust: Me want that.
Apple's new ad showing the MacBook air emerging from a manila envelope is truly brilliant. Ten seconds into the video, I was totally sold on the concept.
I currently use a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which is quite nice so it's a bit hard to justify the concept of upgrading, but we'll see how much rationalization I can muster up over the next few months. I used to carry the lowest-end, smallest MacBook and my expensively-won conclusion is that smaller is better in almost every situation. I know that MacBook Pro is objectively superior to MacBook in many ways, but I have always wondered whether I am the only person who feels that the metal casing is so cold that it's detracts from my tactile experience. Probably something I'll have to learn to live with from here on out.
I will resist my Pavlovian urge to preorder a MacBook Air. I'll do my best to wait until the first wave crests and we see how the stand-in-line-all-night faithful respond. I have learned that there is no sense buying any device until you've tried out the keyboard in person. And I'd like to see if any quick modifications will be coming in the foreseeable future. I embrace the wireless nature of the MacBook Air but I do question my ability to live without an Ethernet port. As one CNET reader commented earlier, most offices may be wireless-enabled, but on the road, which is the whole point of an ultraportable, a surprising number of hotels still require an Ethernet hookup to get online.
After the iPhone, Apple had quite a challenge to come up with the next big thing. Looks like they've pushed the (manila) envelope again this time.
While the rest of the blogosphere is looking forward at the new iPods launched Wednesday, I want to take a look back and say goodbye to the now-outmoded version of the iPod Nano.
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Wow! I come back home after attending some 4th of July parties in Chapel Hill, and I find there are more flames on my recent blog posting than in any fireworks show I've seen. How did this happen? And what does it mean? And what am I going to do about it?
How did this happen?
The answer is pretty simple. I wrote a long and convoluted blog posting about identity theft, its epidemic proportions, and the challenges of raising children in such a hostile environment. I then explained how the unthinking act of supplying one's Social Security number (SSN) to any agency not directly connected with Social Security is a violation of the original design of the SSN, a violation of instructions printed on the card (until 1972), a violation of consumer protection and privacy laws passed as recently as 1974, a violation of expert testimony presented to Congress in 1992, 2000, and as recently as last month. Based on these facts, I argued that the reason identity theft is epidemic in this country is precisely because people have either ignored these facts or have been simply unaware of them. I then finished with a twist, noting that the iPhone activation procedure asks customers to do precisely what the security experts agree you should never do, which is to supply a Social Security number as personal identification information. And if you have been following the blog, you know that my wife Amy is going to be getting an iPhone, so I was using the blog to share with her (and all the other parents reading along) some friendly family advice informed from my 20+ years as a computer scientist.
Well, when she picked her jaw back up, she said "You buried the lead!" I turned my article upside down, putting the most important stuff up front; CNET then (re)published the blog in their big news section, and the fireworks began!
That is how it happened.
... Read moreApple has just released a twenty-minute guided video tour of the iPhone. I launched the video expecting a whizzy, emotionally-engaging presentation that would get me even more jazzed about the iPhone's release. Instead I found a straightforward, talking-head tutorial that had me wishing that John Hodgman or Justin Long would show up to provide a little comic relief.
I suppose I shouldn't slam Apple for choosing substance over style, but the button-by-button hand-holding stood out as an anomaly from all the other experiences I have had with Apple over the past 20 years.
I expect Apple communications to by stylish and engaging. This video was bland and tedious. I can't picture too many Apple fans who will sit still for 20 minutes of tutoring.
More importantly, isn't an Apple product supposed to explain itself right out of the box? The iPhone, of all products, had better be intuitive to use. I expect to be Mapquesting sushi restaurants and calling for reservations within two minutes of first power-up. For me, reading an Apple manual is a last resort and usually the sign of a major system failure.
While we're still in the early-adopter phase, I think Apple can hold off on the remedial lessons. Getting an iPhone is going to be like unwrapping a Christmas present, and I'd rather be surprised and delighted by the fabulousness of it all!
I've been drooling over the iPhone for months now. June 29th can't come fast enough for me. I have been an Apple user for almost 20 years now, going way back to my Macintosh 512 enhanced. In 2002, as soon as I saw an iPod I recognized it as a great tool for moms to "reclaim their mind space" by taking along their favorite music and podcasts with them on the go. The iPhone takes this a step further by combining a smart phone and mobile entertainment center in one device.
I am surprised we haven't seen more iPhone marketing directed at parents. Maybe Apple thinks they don't need to target us specifically, because they already have the world buzzing at a fever pitch, but I think that there are many features that make iPhone attractive to busy moms in particular. With iPhone there is no longer a need to bring a laptop on a trip just to show movies to the kids. No more juggling the cell phone and iPod in one purse. Depending on the robustness of the online interface in a real-life situation, I can imagine leaving my laptop at home for many trips to rely on the iPhone for surfing, email and blogging. I can already guess that the biggest challenge will be to share it with my daughter on occasion while making it clear that it is "mine."
I love the idea of being able to bring my photo album with me as well. I bet this feature alone might get tech-savvy grandparents on board.
The iPhone's fingertip move-and-zoom interface looks like something straight out of the thriller Minority Report. I predict that the large browser screen will be a huge success. My only concern is the smooth type pad without physical keys. As discussed in The New York Times, there is something familiar and comfortable about physical keys. Typing is a tactile experience. Time and experience will tell us whether we can willingly accept the trade-off, losing our keys to preserve the big screen.
I'll report back when I've had a chance to try the iPhone and compare the experience side-by-side with my current smart phone, the Blackberry Pearl.
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