10 Things We Love About Apple
[author:zyk06 Public time:May 8, 2007] |
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Most computers look like they were designed by manufacturers of low-end office furniture, but Macs are so beautiful that they'd probably be fixtures in movies and on TV even if product placement didn't exist.
And Apple is so basically innovative an organization that--to swipe a phrase from our own Full Disclosure columnist Stephen Manes--it essentially serves as the R&D arm of the entire technology industry.
1. Sublime Designs
Apple's designs rarely feel cheap or half-baked. There are the obvious feats such as the slim, beautiful iPod Nano and the flat-panel iMac. Microsoft's Zune just doesn't compare to the Apple's iPods, and the Apple TV just might finally get us interested in the badly named digital media adapter market. And even if the upcoming iPhone doesn't become to mobile communications what the Mac was to computers, it's unquestionably off the chart in terms of pure style.
But equally impressive are the subtle innovations in Apple products that make them both more elegant and more useful: the tiny iMac remote, which clings to the side of the computer's screen. The MagSafe magnetic power adapter, which attaches to laptops lightly enough that it disconnects cleanly if you trip over it. Software and drivers, whether developed by Apple or third parties, maintain a consistent look and feel.
2. The Mac OS Rules
True, we're a little miffed that we have to wait until October to get our hands on Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard); blame the iPhone. But if Leopard is anything like Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), it'll make Windows users jealous. Its Time Machine instant backup might be what finally gets people to back up their files. Its Spaces window management could work better than the already excellent Expose technology and the form-over-function Windows Flip 3D. Apple's Spotlight Desktop Search will search network volumes, and the nifty Dashboard widget engine will get new features. Apple being Apple, it's also entirely possible that it has some more surprises up its sleeve that it won't tell us until the moment before it springs Leopard on the world.
In the meantime, OS X 10.4 "Tiger," more than two years old now, is nearing the end of its life. Yet in most ways that matter, it's still a more pleasing, pleasingly consistent environment to work in than its newer (and arguably glitzier) competitor from Redmond. Aging Apple, in other words, is entirely capable of beating brand-new Microsoft.
3. Real Reliability
What good is a cool computer or music player if it doesn't keep going and going? Apple makes some of the most reliable products on the market--from its MacBook to its iPod digital audio players. In our most recent survey of reliability and service, the company scored higher than all other notebook manufacturers except for Lenovo, in part thanks to a better-than-average score for "satisfaction with reliability" and for overall reliability. Its digital audio players topped our list, earning the only better-than-average score for "satisfaction with reliability" (though its mark for overall reliability was only average).
Of course, Apple's track record isn't perfect, as owners of defective MacBooks will tell you. But the fact that you can get a reliable product that looks nice too makes its overall record pretty impressive.
4. Jobs Stands Up to the Media Moguls
Amidst the record industry's panic over illegal music downloads, Apple unveiled the 99-cent single-song download, an easy-to-use software music store for buying them, and a catalog that included indie and unsigned artists when most competitors stuck to the catalogs of the big labels. The iTunes Store later raised the profile of television show and movie downloads, and Jobs even called for the end of music digital rights management (DRM). Soon after, EMI said it would introduce DRM-free (albeit higher-priced) versions of its songs. (It remains to be seen if this ends up being a good move for the financially struggling big-four music company.)
We're still not happy about most songs in the iTunes library requiring you to use an iPod for portable-device playback, but we admire Apple's deal-making finesse. It shook up the entire industry, which, left to itself, would have you buying six crappy filler tracks for every three you actually wanted. Who knows where music might be if Steve Jobs had decided to spend his time making cartoons at Pixar rather than reinventing the consumer electronics industry?
5. Macs Run Windows
While most people still consider the Windows and Mac operating systems either/or options, a growing number are choosing to run both on one machine--an Intel-based Mac.
It all happened so fast. In January 2006, Apple shipped the first Intel-based Mac (the iMac). In March 2006, hackers Narf and Blanka hacked it to run Windows. Less than a month later, Apple released the public beta of Boot Camp, which dual-boots Mac and Windows operating systems. And now, there are at least three other ways to run Windows (even Vista) on your Mac, including the slick and easy-to-use Parallels Desktop for Mac, which makes the integration of OS X and Windows nearly seamless.
Unless Apple decides to let other computer manufacturers make OS X-ready computers, it'll be the only company that makes machines that can be a Mac and a PC. We don't see Steve Jobs letting the rest of the industry make Macs; then again, we never thought he'd be willingly involved with Windows-capable systems, either.
6. The Fake Steve Jobs
If there were no real Steve Jobs, there'd be no fake one either, and that would be a shame. The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs is a satirical blog written by an anonymous, often dead-on voice channeling the real Steve Jobs. It's both a hilarious read and an influential commentary on tech issues such as Tim O'Reilly's proposed Blogger's Code of Conduct. (And yes, we know that Fake Steve's targets have included . . . well, us.)
Warning: Reading the blog will quickly prove why the Fake Steve Jobs (also known as FSJ) is on the wrong side of that blogger code of conduct. He--whoever he may really be--frequently strays across the line of political correctness.
7. The Apple Store Experience
Is it really that surprising that Apple's attractive retail stores succeeded where Gateway's bovine-themed shops didn't? A visit to one of Apple's 170 worldwide locations, especially the 24-hour Fifth Avenue New York City store sitting beneath a giant glass cube, is an experience. A young, hip, and technically knowledgeable staff is friendly without being hard-sell. They won't boot you out for using the Macs and free Wi-Fi. There might be a wait for service, but you can sign up to get your tech support questions answered by a tech at the Genius Bar. While you're waiting, check out the digital lifestyle shows on GarageBand, iMovie, or other Mac applications. Apple has managed to turn a computer into a day at a digital park. And it's all free--unless, of course, you impulse-buy a Mac.
The rest of the PC retail industry, by contrast, is typified by CompUSA, the dreary, entertainment-free chain that recently announced plans to shutter more than half of its locations. In other words, an average Windows box isn't just less fun to use than a Mac; it's also less fun to buy.
8. 50 Bucks Saved in Security Software
For Windows types, Patch Tuesday, ActiveX exploits, and zero-day threats are all ugly facts of life. For Mac users, however, they're white noise. Some security companies may try to tell you differently--and proof-of-concept viruses written just to prove you can infect a Mac exist. And it's true that Apple must regularly release fixes for vulnerabilities that hackers could use to cause trouble.
But the fact remains, if you're on a Mac, you're safe from real-world viruses, worms, Trojans, and most other baddies. The notable exception, of course, is if you're running Windows via Boot Camp or Parallels.
Chalk it up to superior security practices or limited market sharea??or, most likely, a little of botha??but even with Mac security a much-discussed topic on the Net, most malware writers seem to be focusing their attention elsewhere, at least for now.
9. Ads You Won't Change Channels On
Starting with the Orwellian dystopia of IBM PC users depicted in the very first Mac ad, some Apple advertising has been more than a tad sanctimonious. But the current "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" spots are a breath of fresh air time. Both campaigns spawned innumerable online parodies, because they're simple, clever, and funny, even if we do insist that we're more like the hip Mac character played by Justin Long (aka Warren P. Cheswick from "Ed") than to John Hodgman, the actor and writer cast as PC.
We're not so sure about some of the claims in the ads--hey, Apple, a Windows PC can do a lot more than crunch numbers--but we do know that the commercials are more entertaining than some of the programs they interrupt. What's your favorite? Click the Comment link below and let us know.
10. Cottage Industry of Cool
One of us, and we're not saying who, had a clear, curvy stand and a power-pink cover for a 12-inch PowerBook, a green sequined case and a retro-styled speaker set for an iPod, a lighted USB hub, and a USB multimedia controller. They're all from a cottage industry in Apple accessories, including companies like Griffin Technology and FastMac (with its new slot-loading Blu-ray Disc drive for iMacs)--an industry that sprang up around Macs and iPods, and makes both extremely attractive and well-designed peripherals. They're a part of what make the Mac experience.
Got a computer or MP3 player manufactured by just about anyone else? Good luck finding more than a teeny-tiny fraction of the accessories you'll find for even the most mundane Apple products.
Author: Narasu Rebbapragada and Alan Stafford
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/
Printed From:http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200705/1178604461.html
Source:Free Press Release
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