2003, the year that was...
I was curious what you guys considered THE hardware or software release of the year from Apple (yes, Apple only...start another thread for any Adobe, etc. fans).
I had a thread a while back where I listed all the stuff Apple has done this year (most agreed it was an amazing year...I recall applenut not being too impressed).
Anyway, in a year that has seen the G5, Panther, the iTMS, etc., what is the one thing you'd call your favorite. For any reason.
Feel free to explain. Only two rules: has to be from Apple and only one thing.
Me?
The iBook G4, hands down.
Just for its "holy crap...where did THAT come from?!?" aspect. We spent all this time talking about various desert-named chips, lamenting the fact that the iBook was the sole remaining G3-based product in Apple's lineup. The next G3 to be used was still months off and didn't contain Altivec. We all simply resigned ourselves to the fact that "the iBook will never get a G4...and if it does, it's at least a year away...".
Then I woke up a month or so ago and had to blink my eyes because I wasn't quite believing what I was seeing on Apple's front page!
It's a tight little machine, too. I know first-hand, as of last weekend (my best friend got one and I'm VERY impressed).
Okay, you guys are next...
I had a thread a while back where I listed all the stuff Apple has done this year (most agreed it was an amazing year...I recall applenut not being too impressed).
Anyway, in a year that has seen the G5, Panther, the iTMS, etc., what is the one thing you'd call your favorite. For any reason.
Feel free to explain. Only two rules: has to be from Apple and only one thing.
Me?
The iBook G4, hands down.
Just for its "holy crap...where did THAT come from?!?" aspect. We spent all this time talking about various desert-named chips, lamenting the fact that the iBook was the sole remaining G3-based product in Apple's lineup. The next G3 to be used was still months off and didn't contain Altivec. We all simply resigned ourselves to the fact that "the iBook will never get a G4...and if it does, it's at least a year away...".
Then I woke up a month or so ago and had to blink my eyes because I wasn't quite believing what I was seeing on Apple's front page!
It's a tight little machine, too. I know first-hand, as of last weekend (my best friend got one and I'm VERY impressed).
Okay, you guys are next...
Comments
When did Keynote come out? If it was this year, it's the software of the year. Otherwise, it's Panther.
Now we can see what software treats Apple has in store.
There was quite the frenzy here at A.I., when we saw specs of dual 2ghz G5 chips and a frontside bus speed that frankly had many wondering whether or not it was a hoax. I'm guessing there were quite a few who were too wet to sleep that night!
Originally posted by pscates
Anyway, in a year that has seen the G5, Panther, the iTMS, etc., what is the one thing you'd call your favorite. For any reason.
For me personally, the 12-inch PowerBook in January 2003 was a dream come true, and I never would have expected it. The Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook, which broke the Ghz barrier and added DVI-out, only sweetened the deal. As exciting as the G5 is (2Ghz DP is insane!), the 12-inch PowerBook reigned supreme in my 2003. I remember watching the MWSF 2003 keynote while sipping a beer. When Jobs announced the 17-inch PowerBook, I thought to myself, "holy $$$$, this is it!" and chugged my beer. Then Steve introduced the 12-inch PowerBook and I had to go back to the fridge.... I've been an Apple fan for a long time, but I have never been this excited about Apple's products.
2003 is also the year in which I brought a new Windows system into my house for the first time in 10 years. But the 12-inch PowerBook and Mac OS X 10.3 Panther made it abundantly clear that I will not trade my Mac for anything in the world (at least not any other computer
Escher
Originally posted by pscates
The iBook G4, hands down.
I would have to agree with you
In either case, why did you get the Powerbook instead of the iBook?
Seriously, I knew this would be my last computer purchase for a good long while (hey, I ain't no murbot), so I started thinking "hmmm...1024x768 AGAIN, or...something a little more?".
Just felt a bit more "futureproof" and luxurious than what I had before, or could've gotten with the iBook.
But the iBook G4 feels so solid and tight. And the iBooks definitely trump the PowerBooks when it comes to frequent travel and tossing them into a bag and so forth. I always feel like I have to gingerly baby this PowerBook, whereas the iBook is just begging to be manhandled.
But probably the biggest thing came down to screen size/resolution. I had 800x600 on my iMac DV for two years, then stepped up to the 1024x768 on my 15" G4 iMac. While nice and roomy if all I did was surf, e-mail and use iTunes, I was always wishing I had more working/palette room for Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.
Plus, I got this on the Night of the Panther and managed to save 10% ($259) off the purchase price, so it seemed to be the right thing to do.
Tomorrow will be the five week mark...no latch OR screen issues whatsoever: not one dead pixel anywhere and I've yet to see anything remotely resembling any sort of dreaded "white spot"!
But in any other scenario (or if recommending a laptop for a non-graphics friend or relative), the 14" iBook G4 gets the vote, no question.
Its slot-loading drive is SO smooth (and quiet) compared to this on my PowerBook! And as is usually the case, battery life and AirPort reception on my friend's iBook G4 seems to beat that of my PowerBook. But there's plenty on this PowerBook that she's jealous of, so it all balances out.
In other words, she ain't got them purty "light up" keys!
So I've got that going for me...
Originally posted by pscates
Seriously, I knew this would be my last computer purchase for a good long while (hey, I ain't no murbot)...
Hey pal, I'll have you know I am about to celebrate my 3 month anniversary with this little PowerBook of mine. I'm doing my best to stop my name from being used as a verb on these boards. "I'm going to murbot my iBook and get something else..."
But the iBook G4 feels so solid and tight. And the iBooks definitely trump the PowerBooks when it comes to frequent travel and tossing them into a bag and so forth. I always feel like I have to gingerly baby this PowerBook, whereas the iBook is just begging to be manhandled.
Bah. My PowerBook is basically attached to me, and I'd bet a hundred bucks no one could tell its outer case from a brand new one. If this was an iBook, it would be covered in small scratches... I don't even think about this case, but it was a daily freak out session when I had an iBook, inspecting it, cringing at the discovery of a new mark.
Maybe the PowerBook is more prone to physical damage, as the iBook case isn't going to dent like the aluminum might, but cosmetically I'll take it any day. Those little scratches bug the hell outta me.
"This year was the year of the iPod.
We got iTunes out for Windows, iPod sales have been insanely great, and our new ad campaign is really fresh and original."
Wow. I just sounded like Jobs.
Originally posted by pscates
Its slot-loading drive is SO smooth (and quiet) compared to this on my PowerBook!
I wonder: my slotloader on this new ibook does make a bit of a racket (at least, when loading). Should I be concerned?
I don't know.
And murbot, you should be proud you've become a verb! That doesn't happen to everyone!
Congrats on the 3 months...that's gotta be some sort of record.
Yeah, I was talking mainly physical damage. This PowerBook seems so likely to dent if I did something wrong. But the iBook seems so much tougher and able to take "life on the go" a bit better. My friend is a college student and she lugs it with her EVERYWHERE. And she can be a bit of a klutz, so she definitely appreciates the iBook!
Originally posted by pscates
I was curious what you guys considered THE hardware or software release of the year from Apple (yes, Apple only...start another thread for any Adobe, etc. fans).
I had a thread a while back where I listed all the stuff Apple has done this year (most agreed it was an amazing year...I recall applenut not being too impressed).
Anyway, in a year that has seen the G5, Panther, the iTMS, etc., what is the one thing you'd call your favorite. For any reason.
Feel free to explain. Only two rules: has to be from Apple and only one thing.
Me?
The iBook G4, hands down.
Just for its "holy crap...where did THAT come from?!?" aspect. We spent all this time talking about various desert-named chips, lamenting the fact that the iBook was the sole remaining G3-based product in Apple's lineup. The next G3 to be used was still months off and didn't contain Altivec. We all simply resigned ourselves to the fact that "the iBook will never get a G4...and if it does, it's at least a year away...".
Then I woke up a month or so ago and had to blink my eyes because I wasn't quite believing what I was seeing on Apple's front page!
It's a tight little machine, too. I know first-hand, as of last weekend (my best friend got one and I'm VERY impressed).
Okay, you guys are next...
Well, i would say the ITMS and the PBs and 10.3
Originally posted by pscates
I was curious what you guys considered THE hardware or software release of the year from Apple (yes, Apple only...start another thread for any Adobe, etc. fans).
If you had limited the question to hardware only, the G5 would have won hands-down in my book. Pretty much every blue sky spec wish was granted by Apple in one fell swoop with this incredible piece of hardware. The G5 managed to single-handedly put the aging G4 out to pasture as a high end chip, place Apple back into strong competition with PeeCees, define a next generation hardware architecture, and gain major props from just about every corner by enabling VT's incredibly powerful homebrew supercomputer. Not a bad year's work for a little chip.
But since your question included the "or software" qualifier, my vote will have to be iTunes 4/iTunes Music Store. As wonderful as the G5 is, it's still just another step on the Macintosh's evolutionary ladder, and a still fairly expensive step at that, available only to the select few. iTMS created an entirely new product niche (the legitimate, easy-to-use music downloading service) that is available to nearly all Mac and PC users.
The G5 would allow me to do things faster, but iTunes/iTMS allows me to do things I hadn't been able to do before (legitimately, at least). I can't afford a new G5 right now, but I can afford the 99¢ the new Clay Aiken song cost. And Rendezvous streaming is probably my most favorite feature of any software, period.
The G5 was a major undertaking in terms of computer engineering, but the iTMS is an experiment in social engineering. That Steve Jobs was able to talk all of the major labels into inexpensive prices and minimal usage restrictions is nothing short of extraordinary. That Apple managed to merge the easy-to-use yet powerful functionality of the iTMS into the already dead simple iTunes interface was astounding.
And then, they took it to $$$$$$$ users, thereby expanding the reach of the "Apple Experience." While I don't want Apple to release too many more of the crown jewels to Windows users, the fact that iTunes is available on Windows has really helped me show Windows users exactly how easy Macs are to use. My poor stepmother could never figure out how to use Windows Media Player or MusicMatch Jukebox to burn audio CDs, and she barely ever used them to listen to music because she found them too hard to use. After 10 minutes of instruction on iTunes, she's burning her own CDs and buying her own music, all with no instruction from me.
So, iTMS it is. For me, at least. I'm listening to purchased music as I write this, which is proof enough.
I will say a close 2nd is the 12-inch PowerBook. It is a viable notebook for the masses. It is sort of like a mini iMac revolution going on in notebooks sales. It is the driving force of Apple's notebook sales, no doubt.