I know I'm playing right into the hands to Apple's marketing people, but I can't help it - I find good marketing entertaining. I've criticized Apple fans on this site before (I'm suspicious of anyone who 'loves' a computer company, but maybe that's just a defense mechanism) but I don't criticize Apple's own marketing though - they are good at it. They make me want to know what the next product will be (even though I've never owned an Apple product in my life).
The hype over their new iPod portable MP3 player was way beyond what any product could live up to. It's a cool toy, but people's expectations were just too much (ala Segway, which is really cool, regardless of how revolutionary it may or may not be). This time, it's Apple themselves that is blowing the hot air. In preparation for the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco on January 7th. Yesterday the Apple website said (in their proud and recognizable font): "This one is big. Even by our standards". Today, in response to a flurry of web-rumors about the launch the site read, "Beyond the rumor sites. Way beyond.".
I admit with some shame, that I am excited about this. Even though I don't buy them, I enjoy watching Apple's products evolve.
I posted this topic on MetaFilter this morning and the mac-crazies came crawling out of the woodwork. One particularly good post summarizes the most popular possibilities of what the announcement may be.
Comments
Dave Moses - January 3, 2002 1:44 PM
i kinda think the enthusiasm that you describe, which can be annoying, is a geek version of a favorite sports team. through thick or thin, you cheer for them and trash the competition. I think January is gonna have a lot of cool stuff. I don't know how "revolutionary" anything is gonna be. But techno-porn? you betcha.
Kirby - January 7, 2002 12:00 PM
Here's the new iMac:
http://www.spymac.com/
Steven Garrity - January 7, 2002 12:49 PM
Jobs is going to be <i>really</i> pissed about this (warning: assumption based on false sense of personality obtained at a distance through the media). They did such a good job of keeping it under wraps until today - yoink. Time Canada is going to have to call up their lawyers.
Kirby - January 7, 2002 3:34 PM
Yup, nobody had it right until that gaffe.
Do we like this contraption? Looks a lot like an Ikea lamp...
Charlie - January 7, 2002 3:56 PM
My take on the new iMac:
I like the design, but it isn't a work machine. I want a few of these spread around my house with controls for my lights, heat, and sound. I want to walk up to the nearest one and touch a "video" link and check the security cams to see who is at the door. I want to have one on the table next to my lazy boy that lets me access a video on demand system. I just can't picture this thing as a word processor. It can't possibly look right sitting on a plain old computer desk, can it?
Having never used one and only looked at the pictures for a few minutes my biggest complaint is how can you make such a great looking, compact design and not make that a touch screen? They don't put a keyboard and mouse in the picture because it looks better without them, didn't anyone at apple go, "Hey, wait a minute!"
I'd be surprised if they don't launch a touch screen version, I would think that the expensive shops in New York and LA etc. would love to have these as cash register terminals.