surrealestate
Nov 14, 01:30 AM
Anyone complaining about Apple's app approval process has clearly not developed for other mobile devices for the US Carriers. Even with its faults, the App Store is a walk in the park compared to Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
1) All US carriers are very restrictive about what new apps and games they will carry. Even big companies like WB and Disney have had major apps and games turned down. The carrier decks have limited space.
2) The signing/DRM and uploading process for all carriers can be very arcane, with unclear procedures, long delays for hearing back about the status of content, etc.
3) US Carriers require an extensive amount of testing on all builds that they are going to sell. Most of the phones on Verizon, for example, require going through the BREW development process, which entails getting the game build for each handset tested by NSTL, at a cost of $700-1000 per build. Verizon does further testing after that, and neither BREW or Verizon offer a full test bed for network features.
4) European carriers don't do their own testing -- they simply don't guarantee that games and apps will work. As a result, there is a large amount of piracy for apps in the European market, and because devices often aren't tied to a specific carrier/carrier storefront, it's often easier to find the games you want on the pirate sites than it is to buy them.
5)US mobile carriers have very strict content guidelines for most mobile content, including ringtones and graphics. Each carrier has a different content management partner and infrastructure with different procedures.
6)If you plan to submit your game to a US mobile carrier, each carrier will have a list of phones you are required to support, usually about 40 of their better sellers. While this generally includes modern top-of-the-line phones, it also will include some really horrible 4 year old handsets with no features. This has been a big reason for the lack of innovation on the carriers -- it's hard to launch a great new location-aware app if you are required to run it on phones without a GPS, and you can't easily launch a 3D game, since only about 6 or 7 phones will run it, and the other required phones won't.
7)Apple's process puts the onus on the developer to properly test their app, with a minimum of testing on Apple's side. A full test from Apple would cost money, probably hundreds of dollars, and would pretty much eliminate the ability to offer 99 cent apps or free apps. The penalty you pay for insufficient testing is that it may take 3 weeks to get your bug fixes live on the store. Inconvenient, but poetic justice.
8) The Danger Sidekick app store was a real nightmare. Danger prides itself on the fact that nobody submitting an app can get it approved in less than 3 passes. Most of the reasons they turn down apps have to do with how underpowered and buggy the Danger hardware is. Furthermore, in order to sell anything on that store, you have to cut a deal with Danger as well as the carrier offering the device.
So, all said, the reason mobile developers are so excited about iPhone is that for all its faults, the App Store is a breath of fresh air compared to most carrier marketplaces. It's substantially less restrictive than phone carriers or any of the console manufacturers, the cost to get in is minimal, and the process is quite a bit more transparent.
While the process is not perfect, much of the problems people are having are probably attributable to the sheer volume of submissions every week. They are processing thousands of apps during every 40-hour week with a finite staff; the figure I've heard is that the average app gets 6 minutes of review time, which certainly would account for the few flubs they've made.
Considering the hoops Facebook has probably had to jump through for every other phone they support, Hewett just sounds like a whiner. And a web-based Facebook mobile client is even more of a hassle, take it from someone who had to ensure that a major entertainment company's mobile site worked properly on over 500 handsets. If facebook wants to be everywhere, they will pay a price, and the price on the App Store is pretty reasonable.
1) All US carriers are very restrictive about what new apps and games they will carry. Even big companies like WB and Disney have had major apps and games turned down. The carrier decks have limited space.
2) The signing/DRM and uploading process for all carriers can be very arcane, with unclear procedures, long delays for hearing back about the status of content, etc.
3) US Carriers require an extensive amount of testing on all builds that they are going to sell. Most of the phones on Verizon, for example, require going through the BREW development process, which entails getting the game build for each handset tested by NSTL, at a cost of $700-1000 per build. Verizon does further testing after that, and neither BREW or Verizon offer a full test bed for network features.
4) European carriers don't do their own testing -- they simply don't guarantee that games and apps will work. As a result, there is a large amount of piracy for apps in the European market, and because devices often aren't tied to a specific carrier/carrier storefront, it's often easier to find the games you want on the pirate sites than it is to buy them.
5)US mobile carriers have very strict content guidelines for most mobile content, including ringtones and graphics. Each carrier has a different content management partner and infrastructure with different procedures.
6)If you plan to submit your game to a US mobile carrier, each carrier will have a list of phones you are required to support, usually about 40 of their better sellers. While this generally includes modern top-of-the-line phones, it also will include some really horrible 4 year old handsets with no features. This has been a big reason for the lack of innovation on the carriers -- it's hard to launch a great new location-aware app if you are required to run it on phones without a GPS, and you can't easily launch a 3D game, since only about 6 or 7 phones will run it, and the other required phones won't.
7)Apple's process puts the onus on the developer to properly test their app, with a minimum of testing on Apple's side. A full test from Apple would cost money, probably hundreds of dollars, and would pretty much eliminate the ability to offer 99 cent apps or free apps. The penalty you pay for insufficient testing is that it may take 3 weeks to get your bug fixes live on the store. Inconvenient, but poetic justice.
8) The Danger Sidekick app store was a real nightmare. Danger prides itself on the fact that nobody submitting an app can get it approved in less than 3 passes. Most of the reasons they turn down apps have to do with how underpowered and buggy the Danger hardware is. Furthermore, in order to sell anything on that store, you have to cut a deal with Danger as well as the carrier offering the device.
So, all said, the reason mobile developers are so excited about iPhone is that for all its faults, the App Store is a breath of fresh air compared to most carrier marketplaces. It's substantially less restrictive than phone carriers or any of the console manufacturers, the cost to get in is minimal, and the process is quite a bit more transparent.
While the process is not perfect, much of the problems people are having are probably attributable to the sheer volume of submissions every week. They are processing thousands of apps during every 40-hour week with a finite staff; the figure I've heard is that the average app gets 6 minutes of review time, which certainly would account for the few flubs they've made.
Considering the hoops Facebook has probably had to jump through for every other phone they support, Hewett just sounds like a whiner. And a web-based Facebook mobile client is even more of a hassle, take it from someone who had to ensure that a major entertainment company's mobile site worked properly on over 500 handsets. If facebook wants to be everywhere, they will pay a price, and the price on the App Store is pretty reasonable.
longofest
Aug 2, 05:39 PM
The drivers are part of the OS.
Apple did not write all of the OS much of it comes from BSD UNIX and some more of it comes from CMU's Mach. Many (most?) of the hundreds of applications that ship with Mac OSX are Open Source that Apple did not write.
We shouldn't care much about if Apple employees wrote the code or if they hired the job out of it the downloaded an Open Source application off the Internet. If the software has a problem it needs to be fixed.
The danger of only quoting part of a post is that you will miss the fact that the poster said pretty much the exact same thing. I was pointing out that it wasn't Apple's code, but I pointed out that they still needed to fix it.
Apple did not write all of the OS much of it comes from BSD UNIX and some more of it comes from CMU's Mach. Many (most?) of the hundreds of applications that ship with Mac OSX are Open Source that Apple did not write.
We shouldn't care much about if Apple employees wrote the code or if they hired the job out of it the downloaded an Open Source application off the Internet. If the software has a problem it needs to be fixed.
The danger of only quoting part of a post is that you will miss the fact that the poster said pretty much the exact same thing. I was pointing out that it wasn't Apple's code, but I pointed out that they still needed to fix it.
ericinboston
Apr 12, 02:08 PM
Usually such a document could consist of one single sentence: "Somebody else does it for less money."
All I'm proposing is that the government get the DETAILS. Why is it $X over there buy $Y here? Every....single....detail: wages, benefits, unions, taxes, land fees, government kickbacks/breaks/incentives, transportation from there to here, cheap import tax, etc. This document HAS to exist at the company because the CEO and everyone below him/her is going to read the doc regarding all the costs/savings...and how it compares to the USA. So please make it public. No shame. No crime. The the public know about the pros/cons of working in the US so we, as a people, can adjust our laws/policies to best ensure we have a successful economy.
When these documents pile up, the US gov't can say "hmmmm...a lot of companies choose to build in ____ because their tax rate is 5% while ours is 35%"...and then the US can START to become a bit more competitive.
Right now companies just do as they please (which is the basis of Capitalism) but I think ALL companies would love to TRY to keep manufacturing in the USA IF it's feesible...it's great PR (especially these days and the next 30+ years). Trust me, there are plenty of folks in the US (or robots) that would manufacture things. It's probably not a highly skilled job (define highly skilled) for every single manufacturing process...plenty of 15-25 year olds out there ready to earn a buck while paying for school and/or their ultimate profession.
All I'm proposing is that the government get the DETAILS. Why is it $X over there buy $Y here? Every....single....detail: wages, benefits, unions, taxes, land fees, government kickbacks/breaks/incentives, transportation from there to here, cheap import tax, etc. This document HAS to exist at the company because the CEO and everyone below him/her is going to read the doc regarding all the costs/savings...and how it compares to the USA. So please make it public. No shame. No crime. The the public know about the pros/cons of working in the US so we, as a people, can adjust our laws/policies to best ensure we have a successful economy.
When these documents pile up, the US gov't can say "hmmmm...a lot of companies choose to build in ____ because their tax rate is 5% while ours is 35%"...and then the US can START to become a bit more competitive.
Right now companies just do as they please (which is the basis of Capitalism) but I think ALL companies would love to TRY to keep manufacturing in the USA IF it's feesible...it's great PR (especially these days and the next 30+ years). Trust me, there are plenty of folks in the US (or robots) that would manufacture things. It's probably not a highly skilled job (define highly skilled) for every single manufacturing process...plenty of 15-25 year olds out there ready to earn a buck while paying for school and/or their ultimate profession.
iMacmatician
Mar 12, 06:45 AM
Prepared to be disappointed.Isn't it for the iPad pre-orders?
maclaptop
Apr 16, 10:18 PM
I think Mac sales are directly tied to the Halo affect of the iOS devices. The more they sell there, the more people open up to Mac as an alternative. With Lion having more iOS like interfaces, it will make it even more natural for new customers.
I agree the Halo effect is a huge influence. Someone who's never owned an Apple computer buys an iPhone, finds out how well it integrates with a MBP, and a computer is sold. It's as simple as that.
I agree the Halo effect is a huge influence. Someone who's never owned an Apple computer buys an iPhone, finds out how well it integrates with a MBP, and a computer is sold. It's as simple as that.
AxisOfBeagles
Mar 8, 07:41 PM
This is just pretty.
Cool shot! I loved that place when I visited 5 years ago, and your photo instantly took me back to the sunrises there...
thank you both. Curiously enough, that particular photo is not my most favorite. It seems a bit too busy to me and is definitely burned out in some of that background. But a number of people have responded positively to it - which merely goes to show that I don't have a clue.
My own favorite is the first i posted a couple days back ... which I continue to tweak and improve in post
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5509358757_3a1b3eebe0_z.jpg
Cool shot! I loved that place when I visited 5 years ago, and your photo instantly took me back to the sunrises there...
thank you both. Curiously enough, that particular photo is not my most favorite. It seems a bit too busy to me and is definitely burned out in some of that background. But a number of people have responded positively to it - which merely goes to show that I don't have a clue.
My own favorite is the first i posted a couple days back ... which I continue to tweak and improve in post
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5509358757_3a1b3eebe0_z.jpg
jessica.
Oct 26, 06:59 AM
I really hope you're being funny. You're a much more active member than I, but it's "fliquo.". Someone even has a sig stating something like, "the screensaver is fliquo, the answer is always fliquo."
:D
Come on. You know jessica. knows. Why reply? In addition, you spelled it wrong. It's: Fliqlo.
JESSICA never jokes!:rolleyes::rolleyes:
You both know in a weird way you kinda love me. :D
That joke doesn't seem to get old.
Nope, never. :D
But really, can't wait to get my ass in gear and get a few finishing touches done on my new office and take pics.
:D
Come on. You know jessica. knows. Why reply? In addition, you spelled it wrong. It's: Fliqlo.
JESSICA never jokes!:rolleyes::rolleyes:
You both know in a weird way you kinda love me. :D
That joke doesn't seem to get old.
Nope, never. :D
But really, can't wait to get my ass in gear and get a few finishing touches done on my new office and take pics.
Corbin052198
Mar 13, 11:34 AM
Honestly? I think the ENTIRE desktop line (iMac, Mac Mini, etc.) would probably get this before a laptop would get it. :(
And P.S. - Apple, your laptop line is already to expensive. :eek: Don't release a consumer product that only rich companies can buy. :(
And P.S. - Apple, your laptop line is already to expensive. :eek: Don't release a consumer product that only rich companies can buy. :(
netdog
Nov 7, 02:50 AM
Apple will never make a laptop that is that size because it would mean that they would have to take out the optical drive and make the computer ultimately worthless without a docking station. Apple will never make a computer that isn't fully capable from the start.
Oh come on. How often do we actually have to access our optical drives? While you may do so often, many of us almost never do and would be happy to attach an external drive every now and then or even access the disc we need over the network.
The 2 lb Sonys and Panasonics are fully capable. For many of us, that is exactly what we want, and your assertion that such a machine is not 'fully capable' may be true for you and others, but for many of us, your assertion that this is 'true' is rubbish.
Oh come on. How often do we actually have to access our optical drives? While you may do so often, many of us almost never do and would be happy to attach an external drive every now and then or even access the disc we need over the network.
The 2 lb Sonys and Panasonics are fully capable. For many of us, that is exactly what we want, and your assertion that such a machine is not 'fully capable' may be true for you and others, but for many of us, your assertion that this is 'true' is rubbish.
ssteve
Aug 24, 12:57 PM
Is it 1.1, 1.3 or 1.8 million laptop batteries?
I am glad to see someone else is a little confused and it wasn't just me. I have seen the 1.1 and 1.8, but not the 1.3 million batteries. I just want to know which number it really is.
I am glad to see someone else is a little confused and it wasn't just me. I have seen the 1.1 and 1.8, but not the 1.3 million batteries. I just want to know which number it really is.
quagmire
Mar 10, 10:41 PM
Uh... why? You would put your country in our economic tailspin of disaster to have a bigger military for the off-chance Russia invades? :D
He has more to worry about the US invading Canada for the oil than Russia invading. :D
He has more to worry about the US invading Canada for the oil than Russia invading. :D
whooleytoo
Oct 15, 07:40 PM
In this era of WTDs (wax-tramsitted diseases), there will be no sharing of my earbuds!
Perhaps future headphones will have 3 buds: left, right and public? :p
Or (and here's a radical idea) why not put a small speaker on the player itself?
Perhaps future headphones will have 3 buds: left, right and public? :p
Or (and here's a radical idea) why not put a small speaker on the player itself?
ericinboston
Apr 12, 11:50 AM
How about, "we want to invest in the US!"
Sheeeez!
There should be a law that states anytime a US company chooses to manufacture something outside the US, the company must post a clearly-articulated-less-than-25-page document stating AND COMPARING why the US is unable to manufacture said product.
Sheeeez!
There should be a law that states anytime a US company chooses to manufacture something outside the US, the company must post a clearly-articulated-less-than-25-page document stating AND COMPARING why the US is unable to manufacture said product.
eva01
Aug 24, 06:43 PM
Will this recall ever expire?
The reason im asking is that my 3k550 A1079 12" PB battery only has been through 18 battery loadcycles and still has 100% capacity according to cocounut battery...
Im wondering If I should get it replaced right now or wait untill my current battery starts running out of juice? What would you guys do?
edit: My pb warps every once in a while, could a new battery fix the problem?
and risk having the battery catch on fire or actually do something worse? that would be stupid
The reason im asking is that my 3k550 A1079 12" PB battery only has been through 18 battery loadcycles and still has 100% capacity according to cocounut battery...
Im wondering If I should get it replaced right now or wait untill my current battery starts running out of juice? What would you guys do?
edit: My pb warps every once in a while, could a new battery fix the problem?
and risk having the battery catch on fire or actually do something worse? that would be stupid
slb
Oct 26, 06:03 PM
So, it looks like Apple is trying to fix the problem by keeping the MacBook cooler, thus preventing the heat sink from expanding enough to come into contact with the cable. A simple, elegant solution, except it will likely cause increased fan use and decreased battery life, but these are minor inconveniences compared to random shutdown.
I don't think this is what is happening, because Apple has increased fan frequency before, and it didn't prevent the issue. The KB page claims that this update "resolves the issue," which is pretty definitive wording, so I suspect the firmware's sensor monitoring behavior has changed in some way that ignores the short-circuit. I'd love to have more information from those technically-minded enough to find out.
I don't think this is what is happening, because Apple has increased fan frequency before, and it didn't prevent the issue. The KB page claims that this update "resolves the issue," which is pretty definitive wording, so I suspect the firmware's sensor monitoring behavior has changed in some way that ignores the short-circuit. I'd love to have more information from those technically-minded enough to find out.
SeattleMoose
Mar 12, 02:44 PM
;)
aiqw9182
May 4, 10:06 PM
If they did go this route it would have to use glasses free 3D. I'm sure they would also have the ability to turn it off just like the Nintendo 3DS so I don't see why there would be a cause for alarm.
scottness
Mar 12, 05:04 AM
I'm holding my breath.
JackRoch
Apr 4, 05:45 AM
And they're going implement this to good effect on a phone camera?
No. See my earlier reply to fertilised-egg, post #185.
I was querying the statement:
"You are limited by the focal length, which is dictated by the thickness of the device. There is no magic way around this."
I was under the impression that using a negative or positive element behind a lens was the 'magic way around' accommodating less-than-ideal focal lengths/registration distances.
So... if you weren't in fact limited by either the the focal length or thickness of the device wouldn't it be possible to employ a larger sensor and thus pacify all the people earlier in this thread would felt 8mp on the current sized sensor was a retrograde step?
No. See my earlier reply to fertilised-egg, post #185.
I was querying the statement:
"You are limited by the focal length, which is dictated by the thickness of the device. There is no magic way around this."
I was under the impression that using a negative or positive element behind a lens was the 'magic way around' accommodating less-than-ideal focal lengths/registration distances.
So... if you weren't in fact limited by either the the focal length or thickness of the device wouldn't it be possible to employ a larger sensor and thus pacify all the people earlier in this thread would felt 8mp on the current sized sensor was a retrograde step?
Retrograffica
Jan 11, 01:03 PM
It's acyually a typo - it's supposed to say something in the hair and Steve is going to pull a *insert preferred gadget* micro nano out from behind his ear.
In seriousness, a wireless Apple MediaCenter would be cool, put that in your front room with all your media on it then have your imac in your office, MacBook in the den, (and one in each kids room and your bedroom if Apple have their wicked way) everything would be 100% accessible all the time and if the MediaCenter was also the broadband router it would all be available remotely as well.
They could even make it look like the G4 Cube but in Aluminium and glass...mmmm
In seriousness, a wireless Apple MediaCenter would be cool, put that in your front room with all your media on it then have your imac in your office, MacBook in the den, (and one in each kids room and your bedroom if Apple have their wicked way) everything would be 100% accessible all the time and if the MediaCenter was also the broadband router it would all be available remotely as well.
They could even make it look like the G4 Cube but in Aluminium and glass...mmmm
kallisti
Mar 7, 03:19 PM
http://chrismccormack.zenfolio.com/img/s1/v20/p581671672-5.jpg
Love the colors, how they are restricted to bands in the image. Love the different patterns present in each of the bands.
This caught my fancy today for some reason. No clear subject, just lines going in many chaotic directions. Got me thinking about fractals of all things.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5506974533_406328f075_b.jpg
Love the colors, how they are restricted to bands in the image. Love the different patterns present in each of the bands.
This caught my fancy today for some reason. No clear subject, just lines going in many chaotic directions. Got me thinking about fractals of all things.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5506974533_406328f075_b.jpg
macrumormonger
Mar 1, 06:21 PM
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5463980773_6560b12aec_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailymatador/5463980773/)
Camera Canon EOS REBEL T2i
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 35 mm
ISO Speed 100
Camera Canon EOS REBEL T2i
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 35 mm
ISO Speed 100
mozmac
Jul 23, 02:17 AM
I would seriously be all over this product. I am still using a 2G iPod that I bought before they even ran on Windows. I've had no reason to switch because it still plays music just fine. However, if I could carry all my music AND all my books in my pocket, I would be sold.
There are many moments throughout the day where you find yourself with 5-10 minutes of downtime. Usually I pull out my BlackBerry and try to find something on the internet to read. I've always wished there was a way I could get some books on there in a format that would be easy to read. Please, Apple, make my dream come true.
There are many moments throughout the day where you find yourself with 5-10 minutes of downtime. Usually I pull out my BlackBerry and try to find something on the internet to read. I've always wished there was a way I could get some books on there in a format that would be easy to read. Please, Apple, make my dream come true.
dontmatter
Sep 13, 02:38 AM
As much as I love them, all of Apple's designs are getting old. The Macbook (nee iBook) has looked the same (minus a few paint jobs) for over 5 years; the current iMac design harkens back to the eMac (yes, I know, its flatter, what an innovation...wheee), which in turn was highly derivative of the original iMac. The MacBook Pro is just an AluPB, which in turn was merely a revision of the original Titanium G4. Now, the "new" iPod nano is nothing more than a iPod mini that went on a diet, and the full iPod, although much sleeker than its predecessors, is still essentially the same design as the iPod that came out in 2001. And the story goes on: the Mac Pro, a warmed over PowerMac G5; the Airport/Airport extreme, essentially unchanged since its release; the Airport Express, a power adapter with flashing lights; the iSight, unchanged since its release; the Mighty Mouse, same design as the Apple Pro Mouse, etc. Essentially, the only new designs in the last three years have been: the Mac mini, the iPod shuffle, and the Cinema Displays, none of which could be considered to be attention-getters. Even the new, unreleased "iTV" is copying the Mac mini design. Not too impressive for a company which claims high design as a main benefit. Where is the new cube? the iMac (& G4)? the tiBook? There is nothing fresh or innovative about their current lineup, nothing exciting or innovative.Instead, its all inoffensively sterile, to my eyes; walking into an Apple store has become similar to walking into IKEA, nothing unexpected, just clean lines. It's like they've become artistically constipated. Or is this just what we get for Apple's new push on "competitive prices"?
In my opinion, its time for some fresh blood, someone with a new vision. And yes, I'm looking squarely at you, Steve and Jonathan. I want to be <i>excited</i> again, and not just by the "guts" of the computer. I, for one, miss the Macworlds of 5 years ago...
Agreed, sadly. My first reaction to the new mini is... I mean nano is... the mini is not old enough to be retro yet! Slipping in an intermediary (the origional nano, which itself was a throwback to the origional ipod) in the line of the shrinking mini does not make it revolutionary, but in fact, makes it not even keep pace with being evolutionary! While I know that many will argue that the reason is that today's designs are perfect, and also that, particularly with laptops, color and texture and corners are the only things you can play with, that's not enough. Apple has, previously, been amazing, shocking us and making us fall in love in one move. But it's been a good long while before we've been shocked at all, and it's hard to stay in love this long.
Remember the recent redesign that has swept across BMW's lineup? The awful trunk on the 5 series, the controversy, the debate? And how tired Mercedes looked in comparison, how bland? But it wasn't a sure thing, the new beamers were risky, right? I, for one, thought that the previous generation was about as close to visually perfect as any car since a dusenberg, and hated the redesign. But.... it's grown on me, and I'm thuroughly fond of the new theme, and the old looks tired to me (in another 15 years it'll look great, no doubt).
That's what apple needs. But now they're like mercedes- beautiful, for sure, but also boring. Same with the OS! They have the capability to pull off risky designs, for sure. They would definately be a BMW rather than a GM if the decided to actually design something. But no, they can't even come up with a '07 toyota camry's worth of design.
So I'm hoping that they've been doing this strategically, to manage their risks a bit while things like the intel switch, introduction of the nano (with, remember, less memory for more money), have been providing as much risk as they can take. The important thing is, now that they're transitioned, and now that they don't have to work to sell ipods, they've got to take those risks, and do that work, or else somebody else will. If your not moving forward, your falling behind.
In my opinion, its time for some fresh blood, someone with a new vision. And yes, I'm looking squarely at you, Steve and Jonathan. I want to be <i>excited</i> again, and not just by the "guts" of the computer. I, for one, miss the Macworlds of 5 years ago...
Agreed, sadly. My first reaction to the new mini is... I mean nano is... the mini is not old enough to be retro yet! Slipping in an intermediary (the origional nano, which itself was a throwback to the origional ipod) in the line of the shrinking mini does not make it revolutionary, but in fact, makes it not even keep pace with being evolutionary! While I know that many will argue that the reason is that today's designs are perfect, and also that, particularly with laptops, color and texture and corners are the only things you can play with, that's not enough. Apple has, previously, been amazing, shocking us and making us fall in love in one move. But it's been a good long while before we've been shocked at all, and it's hard to stay in love this long.
Remember the recent redesign that has swept across BMW's lineup? The awful trunk on the 5 series, the controversy, the debate? And how tired Mercedes looked in comparison, how bland? But it wasn't a sure thing, the new beamers were risky, right? I, for one, thought that the previous generation was about as close to visually perfect as any car since a dusenberg, and hated the redesign. But.... it's grown on me, and I'm thuroughly fond of the new theme, and the old looks tired to me (in another 15 years it'll look great, no doubt).
That's what apple needs. But now they're like mercedes- beautiful, for sure, but also boring. Same with the OS! They have the capability to pull off risky designs, for sure. They would definately be a BMW rather than a GM if the decided to actually design something. But no, they can't even come up with a '07 toyota camry's worth of design.
So I'm hoping that they've been doing this strategically, to manage their risks a bit while things like the intel switch, introduction of the nano (with, remember, less memory for more money), have been providing as much risk as they can take. The important thing is, now that they're transitioned, and now that they don't have to work to sell ipods, they've got to take those risks, and do that work, or else somebody else will. If your not moving forward, your falling behind.
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