One Shiny New Apple
Ok, maybe its me but it seems like a very exciting time to be an Apple fanatic. There seems to be a convergence of events with the potential to propel Apple into a much stronger position.
Apple has recently purchased many high end video/audio software companies. They have developed a fantastic set of iApps that are included free with all macs. They updated the iMac into a great consumer machine. The PM upgrade is imminent (read between Aug '02 - Aug '03). If any current rumors even have a hint of truth the PM is going to have a major overhaul "soon".
Also, Apple has developed the best OS in the industry in Jaguar. They have the most sought after music device in years with the iPod. The current crop of notebooks are among the best available (please refrain from speed/price comparisons for the time being).
In short Apple is innovating again. They are being aggresive and proactive. It seems to me there is a renewed spirit at Apple. Simultaneously, MS has been beset by legal battles. The MS .Net strategy is failing. In fact, Apple software innovation has made good on the promise of .Net and has done it better, sooner. MS software is plagued more than ever by user license issues, security issues and cost issues.
I also think the Mhz problem is solving itself. There seems to be a shift away from Mhz and toward "bandwidth". If you have used a Wintel machine recently (my condolences) you already know how fast they are. Apps open almost instantly. Window resizing is smooth and quick. The most commonly used programs don't need much more Mhz. Is MS Office (AppleWorks 7) going to run so much better at 3+Mhz than it does at 2.4? It's all virtually instant now. I think the focus is shifting to bus speeds, gpu's and the like to take advantage of digital video, audio and web streaming.
These are all areas where Apple seems to be moving. As I mentioned before, Apple has begun to move into the high end a/v software realm even more. They recently released QT6 and have pioneered firewire connectivity. They likely will be first with integrated bluetooth and so on and so on....
Now, I'm not saying Apple is ready to topple MS or conquer the computer industry or even double market share. There are still a lot of "if's" and it won't happen overnight. But it does seem like an exciting time to be an Apple fanatic.
Apple has recently purchased many high end video/audio software companies. They have developed a fantastic set of iApps that are included free with all macs. They updated the iMac into a great consumer machine. The PM upgrade is imminent (read between Aug '02 - Aug '03). If any current rumors even have a hint of truth the PM is going to have a major overhaul "soon".
Also, Apple has developed the best OS in the industry in Jaguar. They have the most sought after music device in years with the iPod. The current crop of notebooks are among the best available (please refrain from speed/price comparisons for the time being).
In short Apple is innovating again. They are being aggresive and proactive. It seems to me there is a renewed spirit at Apple. Simultaneously, MS has been beset by legal battles. The MS .Net strategy is failing. In fact, Apple software innovation has made good on the promise of .Net and has done it better, sooner. MS software is plagued more than ever by user license issues, security issues and cost issues.
I also think the Mhz problem is solving itself. There seems to be a shift away from Mhz and toward "bandwidth". If you have used a Wintel machine recently (my condolences) you already know how fast they are. Apps open almost instantly. Window resizing is smooth and quick. The most commonly used programs don't need much more Mhz. Is MS Office (AppleWorks 7) going to run so much better at 3+Mhz than it does at 2.4? It's all virtually instant now. I think the focus is shifting to bus speeds, gpu's and the like to take advantage of digital video, audio and web streaming.
These are all areas where Apple seems to be moving. As I mentioned before, Apple has begun to move into the high end a/v software realm even more. They recently released QT6 and have pioneered firewire connectivity. They likely will be first with integrated bluetooth and so on and so on....
Now, I'm not saying Apple is ready to topple MS or conquer the computer industry or even double market share. There are still a lot of "if's" and it won't happen overnight. But it does seem like an exciting time to be an Apple fanatic.
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