More MacWorld Thoughts
Before the sun sets on MacWorld 2002, a few more things to chew on.
One, it looks like everyone will be shelling about $130 plus tax come August 24th for OS X 10.2. Historically, Apple has waited a week or two to calculate prices for upgrades, but according to this article at news.com, there will be no special discounts. This, on top of the .Mac fiasco, is a rather large pill for Mac users to swallow. Sure, I've paid plenty more for standalone applications (don't get me started on what a rip off QuarkXPress is), so if you think of the operating system as an application you use everyday, the $130 doesn't seem like that big of a deal. But it still hurts.
Two, the QuickTime keynote stream. This morning I tapped in to the MPEG-4 stream of Steve Jobs' keynote using the just released QuickTime 6, and the quality was nothing short of amazing. I have watched (while working of course) many keynotes over the internet in the past, and all had massive frame drops and poor video/audio sync, but that's to be expected with tens of thousands of people packing the same pipeline. Today though, the MPEG-4 stream was seamless. Just for kicks, at one point I launched the player full screen (QuickTime Pro does this), and it kept on going. The picture quality was a little blurry and grainy, but the video never hopped or skipped. Bring on MPEG-4.
Three, the Windows . What can I say...it's about time. Apple will undoubtedly sell hundreds of thousands of the little buggers. Watch out Sony.
Four, the 17" iMac. I wondered how Apple was going to fit a 17" screen on the tiny footprint of the iMac without it toppling over, and now we know the answer: widescreen. But the update, especially with an 800mhz processor and a Nvidia GeForce 4 MX card, makes the current crop of Quicksilver PowerMacs appear even more overpriced. Apple has done nothing - nada - to their line of towers since introducing the new iMac, and the neglect is beginning to get ridiculous. The reason, for me at least, points to only one answer - a major revision to the professional line of towers in January, 2003. They may see a speed bump in the coming weeks, but nothing at all to crow about.
Five, RealOne for OS X. Finally, Real Networks has released a Real Audio / Video player for OS X (technically a beta, but still) after months of dragging their feet. I'm not at all a fan of the codec, but there is far too much Real content out there not to have a native player in OS X.
And with that my friends, no more talk about Apple for a while.
Comments
You're not quite right on the G4 tower front. They got speed bumped across the line a few weeks after MacWorld in January. Otherwise, yes, they would be appallingly slow. Evidence seems to point to another unremarkable speedup in mid August.
I think a couple more megahertz obviously does not trump important news on 10.2 and the keynote was long already. More regular, predictable updates to key hardware can be only a good thing.
Posted by: Paul McGrane at July 17, 2002 7:08 PM
Ahh, yes, you're right. Small enough to obviously be forgettable though.
Posted by: Todd at July 17, 2002 7:10 PM
Yeah... I've wanted an iPod for a long time but haven't the mac to go with it. I can't wait to order one!!! Sounds like mac is screwing people right now though... in the midst of me thinking of pulling the big switch.
Posted by: Jake at July 17, 2002 7:12 PM
Ah, the switch. Personally, the switch campaign makes me want to stay as far away from those ludicrous stereotypes as possible..
Posted by: tomas at July 18, 2002 8:59 AM
Apple's tendency (of late) has been to give major product announcements their own events (a la iPod and Xserve). i should imagine a major update to their pro-market desktops would get some space of its own, and possibly before MWXSF 2003.
also, stuff i've read elsewhere has speculated that Apple's trying to clear the channel of existing G4 desktop inventory before announcing anything new -- which is why they've got promotions and rebates on those models until September-ish.
Posted by: george scriban at July 18, 2002 1:54 PM
$129 for Jaguar I can handle. I love X. I guess I'd feel different if I just bought a machine on July 16.
What chaps my ass is the price for upgrading my copy of Mac OS X Server. There is no upgrade price...or even an upgrade. You can only buy a new version, complete with new serial number. So....if you own a 10.0.x or a 10.1.x version, now you get to buy another copy for your upgrade. Sure, you have 2 copies then (an old license and a new license), but what if you only need 1 copy?
Posted by: Hartmurmur at July 18, 2002 2:19 PM
I guess I'd be alright with the Jaguar pricing... IF I didn't upgrade to OS X a few months ago!
The Windows iPod issue... I am doubting that windows users will be willing to slap down the cash for one, since many are buying products like the Nomad for a fraction of the price. At least that is what I'm hearing from potential "switchers". Apple customers have always suffered sticker shock, and have endured it. Windows users don't.
Posted by: courtney at July 18, 2002 9:04 PM
If I purchase any MP3 player, it will be an iPod - but my problem isn't the price, I don't have a Firewire port.
Posted by: Doug H. at July 19, 2002 9:22 AM
If I recall, didn't Apple proclaim on thier site that they were offering FREE EMAIL FOR LIFE a few years back. That was the whole iTools selling point. Hmmm.
Posted by: Geoffrey at July 19, 2002 4:28 PM
all,
wondering just how many people will switch to mac if their windows machines can use ipods.. kinda stupid if you ask me.
-mathew
Posted by: mathew at July 19, 2002 4:45 PM
I don't think many Windows users were switching to Macs just for the iPod, Mathew. I think it's a good idea. Maybe it will be a little taste of Apple innovation for them and that might make it easier for them to switch eventually.
Posted by: james at July 19, 2002 5:42 PM
under no circumstances would i switch if that made me a switcher.. come to think of it, i'd be anything, anything at all, rather than a "switcher"..
Posted by: tomas at July 19, 2002 7:36 PM
i am saving up money to make the switch, and i am sooo glad i didn't by anything before the keynote... I couldn't handle the upgrade price on Jaguar!
Posted by: Michael at July 21, 2002 5:46 AM
anyone thinking of getting a new 17" iMac as a design station? ive been working (mostly) on a G3 powerbook for the last year, so even the widescreen format seems like iMaX... hehe, i kill me. Anyway, at 800mhz, 256, 80gig, plus the supa drive for 2k sounds great!
Posted by: rob at July 22, 2002 1:30 PM
RE: free email for life.
This is a bit of an Urban Myth. What Apple did say was You could keep it as long as you want - which, while implying something else, they are making available. You just have to pay the big bucks for it now! ;)
Posted by: Sarah at July 23, 2002 2:44 PM
