iNerd alert. Three word summary: Big bad accessories. Steve Jobs brought a whole bag of goodies to Macworld 2007, including John Mayer (not for sale, yet). While I think that the iPhone is super sweet (touch screen and all), at $600+ and packaged with Cingular (AKA Rogers CAN), it’s not really gonna fly with me. How will I ever find my way to lulu in my SUV without GPS? Ditto for the new and improved iPods. Anything that is cooler than my prehistoric pink Mini brings tears to my eyes. What made up for this: Steve burning the Zune. 2% market share. Impressive.
Here are the things that I am hot for:
1. Get n’sync with Apple Tv ($349 CAN) 40 GB HD, HDMI, ethernet, audio, analog, wireless 802.11… all good things. Get hooked up. One better in an ideal world: Syncing with all the Front Row, not just iTunes.
2. Go Go Airport Extreme Base station! ($179 CAN) 802.11n. Faster = Better. Shared HD, Loves it.
Awesome.
But Steve, where is Leopard? and iLife ’07? and iWork ’07? Oh Steve, it hurts me to run Microsoft Office on my sleek lil’ mac laptop. Surely you do not want me to have to use Excel day after day. Get this damnable stylized green “x” out of my dock. Forever. You can shove the “universal” Microsoft Office 2008 where the sun don’t shine.
We need a “lock-down” on priorities Steve. Maybe someone is getting a little greedy over market shares at Apple Inc.
Kelli
January 10, 2007 at 5:46 AMYou are a Mac Nerd too. Lisa I think we are going to make great friends!
Lisahttp://lisabettany.blogspot.com
January 10, 2007 at 6:09 AMMaybe we can make a Mac out of Lego. iLego licious.
Heatherness
January 10, 2007 at 6:39 AMHey! Wait a sec! I HAVE A MAC TOO!!!
Though I think lego is for losers.
Just kidding. Lego rules my life. Or, so says the Lego Starwars Walker pointing its gun at me from the corner of our tv.
Ok, that’s James’. Lego is more his thing.
But I have a Mac. Can I still be your friend?
Lisa?
Kelli?
Hey….guys???
Chris
January 10, 2007 at 7:03 AMI think Heather would wonder if I was alive if I didn’t comment on a Mac post…
1) iPhone – Cingular in the US, Rogers in Canada. Which owns Fido. Which means you could potentially have access to one sooner than you think! Although, the data download costs for all the wireless stuff could probably feed a family of six in Vancouver for a year… The technology in it is wicked cool, and if anyone can think of a good way to convince my boss to let me trade my crackberry for one, I’m all ears.
2) iTV, er, AppleTV. It actually accesses all the features Front Row has, in a slightly different interface, but same basic principles. Should be familiar for any front row users, and easy to pick up for all our techno-impared friends. The HD potential is a nice touch, though I’m a little skeptical… nothing downloaded off iTunes is anywhere near HD, or even TV quality. Should be interesting to see how it plays on a regular TV, let alone a big plasma. Photos in HD would be nice, too… but not many people capture all their images in RAW format, which is HD equivalent. Hmmm…. time will tell!
3) Faster Airport Extreme? Yes please. No update to Airport Express for streaming music etc.? WTF????
4) iWork – Interesting tidbit, some of the keynote transitions used in the presentation this AM aren’t in the current version of the software… so Steve-O was running a new version. Which means an update exists, it’s just a matter of time…
5) I hate Microsoft and everything it has ever copied. But it didn’t copy Apple with word processing. And, after use of both programs (tried to make iWork my main home software for six months) I think Word is WAY out ahead. Apple has some nice integration tricks with pics and stuff, but for raw processing power and limitless tool options, I’m going to give the game to Microsoft on this one… Looking forward to Office 2008! I won’t prejudge Apple’s spreadsheet app, but I’m skeptical of their ability to go up against Excel…
That’s my $0.02…. such a geek!
Lisahttp://lisabettany.blogspot.com
January 10, 2007 at 7:19 AMHow do you know so much Chris? Tricksy, aren’t you? You must be an even bigger iNerd than I. If that is even possible. Who is your source? Twit, cnet, think secret, mac addict? I need to know. You are the only link to the truth. The only link.
Tell the truth now:
Apple tv works with ALL front row apps? As is iDVD? As in MactheRipper TS files? (Not that I would EVER do that).
On RAW. Do you use Aperture? Fan or not so much?
Heather — you may join the Circle of Mac iNerd Friends who may or may not be ruled by a strong urge to make things out of lego. The lego part not being compulsory.
Feel the love.
Chris you may join too (only after you reveal your source)
Lisahttp://lisabettany.blogspot.com
January 10, 2007 at 8:05 AMOh! Cingular = Rogers. Embarrassing. Must edit post and think of another scathing comment about iPhone.
Tom @ GiveMeaning.comhttp://www.givemeaning.com
January 10, 2007 at 8:24 AMI actually think the iPhone is going to be lame. Not unlike the Newton. Google Apple Newton if you need a refresher.
Anything that has a touch-screen as its primary interface has a HIGH probability of sucking, at least when used by a fat-fingered fellow like me.
As much as I’d like to join the rest of the flock at drooling over the trough, I was unfortunately there during the days that Newton powered down for good.
Now that the holidays are over, we should definately do drinks the four of us. What’s your guys’ next week like?
Chris
January 10, 2007 at 5:11 PMI think Tom makes a great point. (Which we should expect given his background!) While I think the touch screen has the potential to be useful in the phone, iPod, and photo functions, I think that using a keyboard, especially a handheld-sized one, without a tactile feel would be a major challenge. Email is the thing I use my handheld for most is email, and I think myself and other frequent users do it by feel as much as anything.
Ummm… don’t think I can really point you to one source in particular… I’ve been paying more attention than I should to all things Apple for as long as I can remember – guess it’s just kinda a long-term accumulation of geekiness. I don’t have any experience with Mac the Ripper files, but I’m pretty sure anything saved or exported to a QT-readable file will be recognized by the aTV.
Heatherness
January 10, 2007 at 9:33 PMWAAAAAAANG!