New Apple Products Have Me Left Speechless
I went to the Apple Store @ The palisades Mall yesterday for the first time. 2nd apple store I've been to but my first was back in september in boston (north shore).
I'll go one by one
iMac G4
in a word... wow. The imac is beautiful. It's better in person. the design is perfect and not a detail is left untouched or forgotten. the white color is just right.
the display is awesome. I was amazed by how good an LCD Apple is using. it beat any Apple LCD I have seen for brightness and viewing angle. The swivel arm is flawless as well. even as I was turning it to the extreme left and right the color remained consistant and didn't fade.
speed. the imac flies. I don't have slow poke machines (G4/400 desktop and G4/667 Powerbook) but when I used tthis iMac there was a difference... a big difference. OS X flew. it's just so damn cool to be able to see how everything is SUPPOSE to run. This machine is definitely the showcase OS X machine. iMovie 2 transistions rendered amazingly fast. the little red bar in the icon just flew across. it was so damn cool.
graphics- again, impressive. not muc gaming options installed by cro mag rally booted up instantly and ran incredibly smooth at 1024 x 768 @32 bit. and it looked beautiful. plays much better than on my G4/400 with radeon @ 640 x 480.
sound- speakers are better than I thought they would be but distort when you go above 70% which is dissapointing. I understand that the addition of the iSub almost eliminates that problem which leads me to ask why the iSub isn't included?
this iMac just has me dieing to get one. It is that good.
iPod
I saw the iPod in person for the first time a few weeks ago at J+R ComputerWorld but they had it under some 1 inch thick glass contraption which sucked. This time I got to hold it, use it, etc.
The iPod is just so damn cool. It's smaller than I had imagined even after reading other people say the same thing and it has a great feel to it. the interface is great and the responsiveness is top notch. firewire transfer works perfect. Only thing I wasn't quite sure of was the headphones but that's just because I couldn't figure out how to put em on.
Apple definitely has me wanting to unload 400 bucks on this thing after using it.
must resist and hold out for next rev
14 inch iBook
it's been getting some bad press, people saying it looks bad, etc. I thought the same... then i got to use one.
It's no where near as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, I think its quite nice. It's a great option for someone who wants a big screen but requires ruggidness. the Powerbook simply is not a road warrior laptop. the iBook is. I would not fear dropping the 14 inch or throwing it on my bed when I finish using it. but I certainly would with my Powerbook.
The screen is inline with the other apple portable LCDs. performance is good. the weight isn't bad and the design IMO looks good. there is a bit of unneccessary space but it adds to the ruggidness.
and it looks kind of cool next to a 12 inch iBook.. it's like an older brother or something
Overall, Apple is running nearly on all cylinders. It brings back memories of 1999 when I wanted nearly every product apple made because they were all so cool and just damn good. Apple just needs to get the PowerMacs in gear (note: no one was looking at powermacs).
apple's product lineup is pretty damn sweet
I'll go one by one
iMac G4
in a word... wow. The imac is beautiful. It's better in person. the design is perfect and not a detail is left untouched or forgotten. the white color is just right.
the display is awesome. I was amazed by how good an LCD Apple is using. it beat any Apple LCD I have seen for brightness and viewing angle. The swivel arm is flawless as well. even as I was turning it to the extreme left and right the color remained consistant and didn't fade.
speed. the imac flies. I don't have slow poke machines (G4/400 desktop and G4/667 Powerbook) but when I used tthis iMac there was a difference... a big difference. OS X flew. it's just so damn cool to be able to see how everything is SUPPOSE to run. This machine is definitely the showcase OS X machine. iMovie 2 transistions rendered amazingly fast. the little red bar in the icon just flew across. it was so damn cool.
graphics- again, impressive. not muc gaming options installed by cro mag rally booted up instantly and ran incredibly smooth at 1024 x 768 @32 bit. and it looked beautiful. plays much better than on my G4/400 with radeon @ 640 x 480.
sound- speakers are better than I thought they would be but distort when you go above 70% which is dissapointing. I understand that the addition of the iSub almost eliminates that problem which leads me to ask why the iSub isn't included?
this iMac just has me dieing to get one. It is that good.
iPod
I saw the iPod in person for the first time a few weeks ago at J+R ComputerWorld but they had it under some 1 inch thick glass contraption which sucked. This time I got to hold it, use it, etc.
The iPod is just so damn cool. It's smaller than I had imagined even after reading other people say the same thing and it has a great feel to it. the interface is great and the responsiveness is top notch. firewire transfer works perfect. Only thing I wasn't quite sure of was the headphones but that's just because I couldn't figure out how to put em on.
Apple definitely has me wanting to unload 400 bucks on this thing after using it.
must resist and hold out for next rev
14 inch iBook
it's been getting some bad press, people saying it looks bad, etc. I thought the same... then i got to use one.
It's no where near as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, I think its quite nice. It's a great option for someone who wants a big screen but requires ruggidness. the Powerbook simply is not a road warrior laptop. the iBook is. I would not fear dropping the 14 inch or throwing it on my bed when I finish using it. but I certainly would with my Powerbook.
The screen is inline with the other apple portable LCDs. performance is good. the weight isn't bad and the design IMO looks good. there is a bit of unneccessary space but it adds to the ruggidness.
and it looks kind of cool next to a 12 inch iBook.. it's like an older brother or something
Overall, Apple is running nearly on all cylinders. It brings back memories of 1999 when I wanted nearly every product apple made because they were all so cool and just damn good. Apple just needs to get the PowerMacs in gear (note: no one was looking at powermacs).
apple's product lineup is pretty damn sweet
Comments
The iPod is a little unresponsive when switching songs imho.
<strong>I agree with all of what you said except for a little thing. Apple is firing on all cylenders right now. I am so happy for them right now. PM will blow us away if it is equivilanlty good for the pros as the iMac is for the consumers.
The iPod is a little unresponsive when switching songs imho.
1.) Apple will be firing on all cylinders if a G5 is announced in the next 2 months. until then they aren't there yet
2.) funny you say the iPod unresponsive thing. the one at J+R and another one at the apple store had that little unresponsiveness switching songs but another one in the aple store played the songs close to instantly. maybe a new firmware?
<strong>
1.) Apple will be firing on all cylinders if a G5 is announced in the next 2 months. until then they aren't there yet
2.) funny you say the iPod unresponsive thing. the one at J+R and another one at the apple store had that little unresponsiveness switching songs but another one in the aple store played the songs close to instantly. maybe a new firmware?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Internally they are firing on all cylinders.
<strong>Since the iPod uses a disc drive it can take a few seconds to search for a song from time to time. No big deal. When playing a complete album it goes along without a hitch.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, the only time when the iPod "hesitates" is when I pick a new song. If I just let it play through all 1000 songs it wouldnt even blink.
Did you talk to any of the idiot salesmen that I always tell stories about?
<strong>applenut, you should've told me you were going. I would've went.
Did you talk to any of the idiot salesmen that I always tell stories about?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I was gong to give you a call (I think I have your cell phone number somewhere) but I wasn't sure when or even if I was going to go so I didn't want to set anything and then have to back out of it.
It won't be the last time.
I only talked to one salesmen. Middle aged heavyset guy with short hair. Can't remember what his name was.. oh well. seemed like a decent staff (I would be better
[quote] I only talked to one salesmen. Middle aged heavyset guy with short hair. <hr></blockquote>
I think Apple requires at least one guy fiting that description at every store
Not only was the iMac impressive (and enough to totally turn me around, as I was initially a bit skeptical), I got a chance to really spend some time on a dual 800 with 22-inch Cinema Display. (As you said, the Quicksilvers don't get quite as much attention nowadays -- though I wouldn't say "nobody" was looking at them.) Now, I also don't have ancient machines at home -- a G4 Cube 450 and a PowerBook G3 400 (OK, that might be a bit old), but the dual 800 blew me away. I was NOT expecting such a massive speed difference. (And it only had 256 MB of RAM -- I say "only," because my Cube has 1.1 GB.) I wanted to start downloading stuff and compiling it, just to giggle at the speed, but I thought better of it.
So I agree . . . after leaving the store that day, I was convinced that the Apple stores have the power to turn around the most ass-backward PC luser. They're THAT well done, and the products really ARE that good. Yes, the towers are due for an upgrade, but hey -- it really isn't THAT bad, you know.
<strong>
I was gong to give you a call (I think I have your cell phone number somewhere) but I wasn't sure when or even if I was going to go so I didn't want to set anything and then have to back out of it.
It won't be the last time.
I only talked to one salesmen. Middle aged heavyset guy with short hair. Can't remember what his name was.. oh well. seemed like a decent staff (I would be better
Alright, next time definately give me a call. IM me on AIM or send me a Private Message if you want my home # since I don't always have my cell on.
The salesman you spoke to is one of the better ones. I've had a few good talks with him in the past.
<strong>Man I really need to get to an Apple store! You guys are killing me.
Yeah, you really do need to get to one. They're amazing. After taking a lot of friends who are PC users who always said Macs suck , they all want Macs now.
<strong>
Yeah, you really do need to get to one. They're amazing.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'm a die hard Mac fan but somehow I didn't care for the Littleton Apple Store on my first visit. A little too sterile, I guess. It was cool to see a computer store with nothing but Macs and Mac software though.
<strong>
I'm a die hard Mac fan but somehow I didn't care for the Littleton Apple Store on my first visit. A little too sterile, I guess. It was cool to see a computer store with nothing but Macs and Mac software though.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I guess I love the Apple Store so much because there's nothing else but CompUSA and Circuit City and The Wiz near me that has Macs. The Wiz actually isn't too bad, but CompUSA and Circuit City are horrible.
I don't see how anyone when put in front of one and let free to use it for a few minutes would not want it. Apple needs to get these out to Circuit Cities, CompUSAs, anywhere. Have promos at apple stores to get people to come into the stores.
whatever it takes. people will switch
I definitely agree with you on the iMac and iPod kicking some serious @$$, and I think people are really catching on. The only thing is I'm not really in the market for either one, even though I'd like $1800 for the new iMac. But if Apple releases that G5, then they are OFFICIALLY on top in my book. They got the consumers covered, now its time for the pros.
<strong>I don't know. I'm kinda worried about them in CompUSA and Cirbuit City. I could just imagine people finding a way to break them.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'm concerned about that too, especially after what I saw at CompUSA. However, I'd love to use them for a Demo Day, even at the Circuit City I've worked at which has very little traffic.
I then spent some time with my mom with the g4 towers. We weren't really paying attention to the towers, but rather the 17" and the 22" displays. My mom, a graphic designer, who uses quark, envied those huge displays. The 22" is kind of pricey, but tempting for her. The 17" is more realistic, and it works at the same resolution as her 19" (1280x1024). Although still expensive, the prices hopefully should drop.
WOw.